2016 United States presidential election

=== Electoral College lobbying ===
{{anchor|ElectoralLobbying}}

Intense lobbying (in one case involving claims of [[harassment]] and [[death threats]])<ref>{{cite web |first=Alexandria |last=King |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/30/politics/banerian-death-threats-cnntv |title=Electoral College voter: I'm getting death threats |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=November 30, 2016 |access-date=November 30, 2016}}</ref> and [[grass-roots]] campaigns were directed at various GOP electors of the [[United States Electoral College]]<ref name="Idaho GOP Electors Lobbied and Harassed">{{cite news |url=http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/politics-government/election/article114786018.html |title=Electoral College: Are Idaho's 4 electors being pressured to dump Trump, or harassed? |last=Dentzer |first=Bill |date=November 15, 2016 |newspaper=[[The Idaho Statesman]]}}</ref> to convince a sufficient number of them (37) to not vote for Trump, thus precluding a Trump presidency.<ref name="Intense Lobbying Continues">{{cite news |url=http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article116138613.html |title=Trump opponents' campaign to beat him at the Electoral College is a long shot |last=Kruesi |first=Kimberlee |date=November 21, 2016 |agency=[[Associated Press]] |newspaper=The Idaho Statesman}}</ref> Members of the Electoral College themselves started a campaign for other members to "vote their conscience for the good of America" in accordance with [[Alexander Hamilton]]'s [[Federalist No. 68|Federalist Paper No. 68]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/11/meet-the-hamilton-electors-hoping-for-an-electoral-college-revolt/508433/ |title=Meet the 'Hamilton Electors' Campaigning for an Electoral College Revolt |last=O'Donnell |first=Lilly |work=[[The Atlantic]] |access-date=November 23, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/HamiltonElectors/ |title=Hamilton Electors {{!}} Facebook|website=www.facebook.com|access-date=November 23, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.hamiltonelectors.com/ |title=Hamilton Electors |newspaper=Hamilton Electors |access-date=November 23, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123013646/http://www.hamiltonelectors.com/ |archive-date=November 23, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://twitter.com/hamiltonelector |title=HamiltonElectors (@HamiltonElector)|website=[[Twitter]]|access-date=November 23, 2016}}</ref> Former candidate [[Lawrence Lessig]] and attorney [[Laurence Tribe]] established The Electors Trust on December 5 under the aegis of [[Equal Citizens]] to provide [[pro bono]] legal counsel as well as a secure communications platform for members of the Electoral College who were considering a [[unfaithful elector|vote of conscience]] against Trump.<ref name="The Electors Trust">{{cite web |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/larry-lessig-electors-trump-232231 |title=Lessig, lawyers to offer support to anti-Trump electors |last=Cheney |first=Kyle|website=[[Politico]]|date=December 5, 2016 }}</ref>

On December 6, [[Secretary of State of Colorado|Colorado Secretary of State]] [[Wayne W. Williams]] castigated Democratic electors who had filed a lawsuit in Federal court to have the state law binding them to the popular vote (in their case for Hillary Clinton) overturned.<ref name="Colororado Secretary of State Castigates Litigant Electors">{{cite web |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/colorado-secretary-of-state-rogue-electors-232294 |title=Colorado secretary of state slams rogue electors |last=Cheney |first=Kyle|website=[[Politico]]|date=December 6, 2016 }}</ref>

On December 10, ten electors, in an open letter headed by [[Christine Pelosi]] to the Director of National Intelligence [[James Clapper]], demanded an intelligence briefing<ref name="Intelligence Briefing Demanded by Electors">{{cite web |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/electors-intelligence-briefing-trump-russia-232498 |title=Electors demand intelligence briefing before Electoral College vote |last=Cheney |first=Kyle |website=[[Politico]]|date=December 12, 2016}}</ref><ref name="OpenLettertoClapper">{{cite web |url=https://extranewsfeed.com/bipartisan-electors-ask-james-clapper-release-facts-on-outside-interference-in-u-s-election-c1a3d11d5b7b |title=Bipartisan Electors Ask James Clapper: Release Facts on Outside Interference in U.S. Election |last=Pelosi |first=Christine|website=Extra News Feed|date=December 16, 2016 }}</ref> in light of [[2016 United States election interference by Russia|Russian interference in the election to help Trump win the presidency]].<ref name="CIA Concludes Russia Aimed to Help Trump Win the Presidency">{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/12/10/505072304/cia-concludes-russian-interference-aimed-to-elect-trump |title=CIA Concludes Russian Interference Aimed To Elect Trump |last=Mary |first=Kelly |newspaper=[[NPR]] |date=December 10, 2016}}</ref> Fifty-eight additional electors subsequently added their names to the letter,<ref name="OpenLettertoClapper"/> bringing the total to 68 electors from 17 different states.<ref>{{cite web|first=Pete|last=Williams|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/coming-soon-real-presidential-election-n696556|title=Coming Soon: The 'Real' Presidential Election|website=[[NBC News]]|date=December 15, 2016}}</ref> On December 16, the briefing request was denied.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/news/310820-electors-wont-get-intelligence-briefing-report/ |title=Electors won't get intelligence briefing: report |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |date=December 16, 2016 |access-date=February 12, 2017}}</ref>

On December 19, several electors [[#Faithless electors|voted against their pledged candidates]]: two against Trump and five against Clinton. A further three electors attempted to vote against Clinton but were replaced or forced to vote again. The [[115th United States Congress]] officially certified the results on January 6, 2017.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Caldwell |first1=Leigh Ann |title=Despite Objections, Congress Certifies Donald Trump's Election |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/despite-objections-congress-certifies-donald-trump-s-election-n704026 |date=January 6, 2017 |work=[[NBC News]] |access-date=January 6, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Chiacu |first1=Doina |last2=Susan |first2=Cornwell |title=U.S. Congress Certifies Trump's Electoral College Victory |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-congress-idUSKBN14Q25R |date=January 6, 2017 |work=[[Reuters]] |access-date=January 6, 2017}}</ref>