SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - The Latest on the Electoral College vote in New Mexico (all times local):
12:50 p.m.
All five of New Mexico’s electors have cast their votes for Hillary Clinton while expressing disappointment about the outcome of the presidential election.
The state’s Democratic electors on Monday signed a certificate that will be delivered to Congress for the final certification of election results in January.
Clinton supporter and first-time elector Noyola Archibeque says she is very proud that New Mexico “stayed blue” and believes the rules of the Electoral College need to be revised to better reflect the popular vote. Clinton defeated Donald Trump by about 8 percentage points in the statewide vote.
New Mexico state law makes it a felony for a presidential elector to cast their ballot for anyone but the candidate of the party that nominated them as an elector.
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11:00 a.m.
Protesters in New Mexico are urging electors nationwide to vote against Donald Trump.
A crowd of more than 100 protesters gathered Monday outside the state Capitol in Santa Fe in sub-freezing temperatures to chants of “dump Trump” and “take back our country.”
Psychotherapist and Hillary Clinton supporter Mary Simonini of Taos hopes electors will think about the future of the world and avoid voting for Trump. She held aloft a sign that read, “Vote your conscience.”
Such rallies are unlikely to persuade the Electoral College to abandon Trump. An Associated Press survey of electors found very little appetite to vote for alternative candidates. Only one Republican indicated he would vote for someone else.
Clinton decisively won the popular vote in New Mexico.
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3:00 a.m.
New Mexico’s five presidential electors are preparing to cast their votes for Hillary Clinton with little fanfare based on her decisive statewide victory over Donald Trump.
Democratic Party electors are scheduled to cast their votes Monday at the Office of the Secretary of State in Santa Fe. New Mexico state law makes it a fourth degree felony for a presidential elector to cast their ballot for anyone but the candidate of the party that nominated them as an elector.
At least two of New Mexico’s electors favored Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary. John Padilla and Roxanne Allen later become enthusiastically Clinton backers.
Allen says electors should vote their conscience and make sure presidential candidates are qualified. Padilla says it’s his duty to abide by the voters’ wishes.
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