Harrisburg will be one of the 50 most important places in the country tomorrow and for good reason.

The first Tuesday after the second Wednesday in December is the day that electors in each state in the Union meet to select the President and Vice President of the United States. Pennsylvania’s electors will meet in the state’s House of Representatives chamber at noon.

Most people think that the decision to give Donald Trump a second term in the White House is already official. But they would be incorrect.

Election Day is just the first step in the cycle, as the popular vote in each state determines the electors that the Governor appoints to serve in the Electoral College. These electors cast the actual votes for President.

Under Pennsylvania law, the electors are selected by each presidential candidate in a 30-day window after the conclusion of their party’s national convention. Those names are submitted to the Secretary of the Commonwealth.

There are few prohibitions to being selected as an elector. The U.S. Constitution prohibits electors from being members of Congress or holding federal office, while the 14th Amendment which was adopted after the Civil War, prevents any elected officeholders who have rebelled against the United States from serving as electors as well.

Last week, Gov. Josh Shapiro completed the second phase by signing seven Certificates of Ascertainment. One of those certificates is sent to the Archivist of the United States to ensure all requirements have been met. These requirements include:

• List the names of the electors chosen by the voters and the number of votes each received.
• List the names of all other candidates for elector and the number of votes each received.
• Be signed and dated by the Executive (signatures by auto-pen or stamp are not permitted).
• Carry the State seal.
• Contain at least one security feature, as determined by your State, for purposes of verifying the authenticity of such certificate.

The other six are retained for the state’s meeting of electors to be paired with the Certificates of Vote.

Federal law requires that states prepare and authenticate the Certificates of Vote as follows:

• Contain two distinct lists, one for President and one for Vice President that:
  • List all persons who received electoral votes for President and the number of electors who voted for each person.
  • List all persons who received votes for Vice President and the number of electors who voted for each person.
• Not include the names of any persons who did not receive electoral votes.
• Be signed by all of the electors.

Then, pair the Certificates as follows:

• The six original Certificates of Ascertainment provided to the electors by the Governor must be paired with the six original Certificates of Vote.
• Each of the six pairs must include any documentation (original or certified copy) regarding the substitution of elector(s).

When the pairing is completed, the six certificates are distributed to designed Federal and State officials as follows:

• One to the President of the Senate (Vice President Kamala Harris)
• Two to the Archivist of the United States (Dr. Colleen Shogan)
• Two to the chief election officer in the state (Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt)
• One to the Chief Judge of the Federal District Court located where the electors met (Judge Matthew Brann)

These officials must receive the paired Certificates no later than the fourth Wednesday in December which falls on December 25 – Christmas Day – in 2024.

Congress meets in joint session on January 6 to count the electoral votes.

The Republican Party of Pennsylvania submitted the following names that were certified as Presidential Electors:

• William ‘Bill’ Bachenberg, Allentown. Owner of Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays. Member of NRA Board of Directors.
• Val Biancaniello, Broomall. Republican State Committeewoman.
• Curt Coccodrilli, Jefferson Township. Former state director for USDA Rural Development.
• Bernadette Comfort, Fogelsville. Vice Chair of Republican Party of Pennsylvania.
• Robert Gleason, Johnstown. Former Chair of PA GOP and Secretary of Commonwealth under Gov. Dick Thornburgh
• Joyce Haas, State College. Former Vice Chair of PA GOP.
• Fred Keller, Middleburg. Former U.S. and state representative.
• Ash Khare, Warren. Member of Warren County GOP Committee
• JonDavid Longo, Slippery Rock. Mayor of Slippery Rock. PA chair of Early Vote Action.
• Robin Medeiros, Clarks Summit. Regional director for the PA Federation of Republican Women.
• Rochelle Pasquariello, Lehighton. Carbon County Republican Committee member.
• Patricia Poprik, Doylestown. Bucks County GOP Committee chair.
• Andrew Reilly, Media. Former Delaware County Council member and RNC National committeeman
• Carol ‘Lynne’ Ryan, New Castle. Chair, Lawrence County GOP Committee.
• Carla Sands, Camp Hill. Former U.S. ambassador to Denmark.
• James ‘Jim’ Vasilko, Johnstown. RNC delegate.
• T. Lynette Villano, West Pittston. Member of Republican State Committee.
• Christine Wilkins, East Stroudsburg/Analomink. Former Stroud Township supervisor.
• Samuel ‘Jim’ Worthington, Newtown. Chair of PA delegation at 2024 Republican National Convention.