An election integrity watchdog said the current Electoral College deadlines not only have “zero constitutional basis,” but are preventing states from fulfilling their legal and ethical obligations to ensure free and fair elections.
The Amistad Project of the nonpartisan Thomas More Society released the study (pdf) on Dec. 4, making the case that the only constitutionally set date in the election process is Jan. 20, when the next president of the United States will be sworn in. All other dates, including the “safe harbor” deadline, the Electoral College vote on Dec. 14, and even the congressional vote count on Jan. 6, are dates set by federal law, which the document argues are “arbitrary” and founded on obsolete concerns.
