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Why have elections when the state's winner will receive all the electoral votes?

By Melissa Kelly, About.com

Question: Why have elections when the state's winner will receive all the electoral votes?

Answer: Electors are allowed to vote for whichever candidate they want. An elector who votes for an opposing presidential candidate is called a 'faithless elector'. The last time an elector changed his vote was in 1988 when a Democratic elector voted for Lloyd Bentsen over Michael Dukakis.

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