MARK SHERMAN
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court justices invoked fears of bribery and chaos Wednesday to suggest they think states can require presidential electors to back their states' popular vote winner in the Electoral College.
The justices heard arguments on an unusual voting issue that could have important consequences for the 2020 presidential election in an era of intense political polarization.
A focus of the questions was whether states can replace electors who decide to vote for someone other than the state popular vote winner. If they can't, "it would lead to chaos," Justice Samuel Alito said, "where the popular vote is close and changing just a few votes would alter the outcome."
Justice Clarence Thomas asked, "Can a state remove someone, for example, wh
