Delegation attends Electoral College vote today in Lansing

In state capitals all across the United States, groups of electors are gathering to cast votes for President — a constitutionally mandated process that formalizes the election of a new commander-in-chief.

Michigan’s 17 electoral votes will be officially cast today in Lansing, and a delegation from Grand Valley State University’s Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies and the Michigan Council for History Educators will be on hand to witness this historically significant event.

The 25-member delegation will include five representatives from the Hauenstein Center along with teachers and students from Kraft Middle School in Caledonia and Lakeshore High School in Stevensville. The teachers from those schools were selected in a contest run by the Michigan Council for History Educators.

One member of the delegation will be Gleaves Whitney, director of the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies at Grand Valley.  He is a presidential historian and author or editor of 14 books.

"Although the Electoral College has played a central role in electing presidents and shaping campaigns, it is a little understood innovation of our U.S. Constitution," said Whitney.  "This will be an outstanding opportunity to see Michigan delegates help elect the 44th president of the United States.  We are proud to partner with the Michigan Council for History Educators to witness this quadrennial civic ritual."