ALBANY – New York’s Electoral College unanimously voted in favor of Joseph Biden for the U.S. Presidency and Kamala Harris for the Vice Presidency, affording them each 29 votes.
Monday at noon, the 59th New York State Electoral College convened in the state’s Assembly chambers, the largest of the capitol building’s chambers, to provide the largest amount of space possible between delegates as a COVID precaution.
Former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and husband, former President Bill Clinton, were invited to be the first to cast their votes.
Governor Andrew Cuomo, following his election as president of the Electoral College, said this convening was especially difficult, due to the effects of the pandemic and it afforded an opportunity for the state’s Electoral College to present an image of strength in leadership.
“The brevity of our proceedings does not minimize the gravity of our actions; in fact, it’s quite the opposite,” said Cuomo. “This pandemic, these masks, this physical configuration are a stark reminder to the nation that government matters and leadership matters and good government can not only improve people’s lives; but, can literally save people’s lives,” he said.
After Cuomo’s appointment within the college, Senate Minority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie were elected as Secretaries of the Electoral College.
By the end of the day all states projected to cast Electoral College votes for the Biden-Harris team did so.
