JEFFERSON CITY --
The state of Missouri voted to elect John McCain for president Monday afternoon.
While millions of individuals went to the polls here Nov. 4 to cast ballots, the only votes that really matter under the constitution were the eleven college votes cast today.
They represent each of Missouri's nine Congressional districts and two people chosen at large.
If you voted in Missouri for the Republican presidential ticket, you actually voted for one of these people.
"Each of the herein named elector received 1,445,814 votes," advised Gov. Matt Blunt's legal counsel, Lowell Pearson, during an afternoon meeting at the state capitol.
John McCain carried missouri by just over 3,900 votes.
So the Republican slate of electors won.
Unlike those in some states, Missouri electors are not legally bound to vote for a particular candidate.
"I feel I am obligated to the people that made this possible for me," Ronny Margason told KRCG News.
Margason is the chairman of the Cole County Republican committee and the elector for the 4th Congressional district. She is part of a rare group of Missouri electors - only the second such group in the last 104 years.
They did not get to cast their votes for the next president of the United States.
We asked Margason if that made her participation in the electoral college a bittersweet moment.
"I guess you could say that," Margason replied. "I never thought about it that way before, but, yes, it is a bittersweet moment."
Still, her signature will go on documents to be retained permanently in the national archives.
Assuming there are no defections or other surprises, Barack Obama will be elected president with 365 electoral votes to John McCain's 173.
There are 538 electors total, so it takes 270 electoral votes to become president.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKRCG