Seven Electoral College members did not vote for the presidential candidate they pledged to vote for on Monday, the highest number of "faithless electors" ever in a single presidential election, reports Politico.
There was a good amount of noise leading up to the Electoral College vote this year with news that Russia aimed to help Donald Trump win the election. Electors asked for intelligence on Russia's involvement and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle called for an investigation into the meddling.
Celebrities urged Republican voters to not pick Trump for a different reason, to "ensure that the presidency goes to someone to an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications."
And, some electors reported receiving hundreds of phone calls and emails ahead of the vote. One said he received a death threat.
Still, Trump secured the victory easily with 306 electoral votes to Hillary Clinton's 232. The previous record for faithless electors in 1808 when six New York voters refused to support the nomination of James Madison.
There have been a total of 157 faithless electors since the founding of the Electoral College.
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