The Dangers of Exclusion: Lessons for Africa from Brexit and the US Elections – By Dapo Oyewole

…in the shadow of ‘Brexit’, the rise of Trump and based on lessons from its own history, Africa has a chance to avert the dangers that come with economic and political exclusion. It can do so by opening up more political space to marginalised groups and spreading the dividends of economic growth more evenly across the different genders, sectors and sections of its hugely diverse societies.

As we step into a new year and a new world order unfolds, Africa must learn urgent lessons from the UK and US who, last year, both experienced the most paradigm-shifting political earthquakes witnessed in recent political history.

The United Kingdom’s vote to leave the European Union and Donald Trump’s unexpected victory in the recent U.S. presidential elections have shown, in the starkest terms, how political and economic exclusion can stoke social divisions and spark tensions that can lead to major political upheavals.

As both countries writhe from the political whiplash of the ‘blue-collar revolution’ and struggle to come to terms with its implications, the political ripples are already spreading across the world. The geo-political power balance has shifted and global politics, as we knew it, has been turned on its head. The future of global governance is now on a precarious path.

The political fallout will not be limited to domestic policy changes in London and Washington. It will also affect their continued global leadership roles, partnerships and alliances, the weight of their influence on the international stage and their moral authority, for example, in advocating for the adoption of western liberal democracy globally.

Already, some governments are beginning to lean towards being less liberal, more authoritarian and less tolerant of diversity, while others are questioning more vocally the efficacy and legitimacy of Western liberal democracy as the only internationally acceptable model of political governance. Now, if resentment built from decades of political and economic exclusion of the largely rural working class in the UK and the US led to some of their polarised voter choices, then nowhere can we hear the warning bells of the potential impact of the same issues ringing louder than in a ‘rising Africa’.

Africa is a continent where, after decades of colonisation and kleptocratic authoritarian self-rule, democracy has begun to flourish and economic growth is advancing. However, according to the World Bank’s ‘Poverty in a Rising Africa Report‘, the gap between rich and poor remains alarmingly wide with close to half of the continent still living in poverty, while the political and economic elite – less than five percent of the population – live in astounding opulence.

Africa’s leaders must urgently increase political will to design and implement effective regional and national policies, while strengthening institutional capacities to create a more enabling policy environment for political participation and economic inclusion across society.

Also, according to the UN, about 70 percent of Africa’s population is under the age of 25, and 60 percent of the continent’s population is comprised of women. However, it is no secret that the majority of the political and economic decision-makers are men over the age of 60. Minorities are often oppressed or disenfranchised; gender equality and tolerance of non-heterosexual orientation are deemed antithetical to cultural norms in many regions and people with disabilities live largely on the margins of mainstream society. Needless to say, inequality and inequity still abound on the continent and remain a highly inflammable powder keg.

Therefore, an urgent lesson that Africa’s current leadership must learn from the British and American experience is that the ‘marginalised’ in society will not always stay pliant, complacent or silent. It is only a matter of time before ‘Africa’s excluded’ push back and demand to be seen, heard and included in shaping their own destinies and in sharing in the wealth of their nations. With the current restlessness and frustration of large numbers of poor, unemployed and disempowered African youth, nothing tells us that an ‘African Spiral’ will not follow the ‘Arab Spring.’

Hopefully, this will be expressed through peaceful and democratic means. But if it is fuelled by the political toxicity we have just observed in Britain and the United States, it could well inflame social tensions and political violence that will be hard to contain. Although the continent has made remarkable progress in developing and deploying internal political conflict resolution mechanisms such as the African Standby Force and other means of back channel diplomacy, we must not forget the hard lessons from apartheid in South Africa and the genocide in Rwanda.

Therefore, in the shadow of ‘Brexit’, the rise of Trump and based on lessons from its own history, Africa has a chance to avert the dangers that come with economic and political exclusion. It can do so by opening up more political space to marginalised groups and spreading the dividends of economic growth more evenly across the different genders, sectors and sections of its hugely diverse societies.

Africa’s leaders must urgently increase political will to design and implement effective regional and national policies, while strengthening institutional capacities to create a more enabling policy environment for political participation and economic inclusion across society. Government policies and programmes must actively ensure that they cater not only to the interests of the rich and powerful, but also to those of the poor and disempowered.

In 2017, African governments that aim to increase economic growth, maintain stable policies, sustain peaceful societies and offer a dignified life for their citizens, will have to take inclusive governance and shared prosperity as a priority. Yes, ‘Africa is rising’ and that is a great thing. But as it does so, it must learn vital lessons about the dangers of political and economic exclusion from Britain and the United States. Africa’s leaders must learn that for Africa’s rise to be sustainable, peaceful and progressive, it cannot be a rise for some. It must be a rise for all.

‘Dapo Oyewole is a public policy and international development specialist who advises governments, corporations and international institutions on development policy and strategy. He is an Aspen New Voices Fellow, a Yale World Fellow and a doctoral researcher at the School of Global Studies, University of Sussex.

It was painful to watch US elections – Michelle Obama.

Michelle Obama, first lady of the United States, says watching the 2016 US presidential election was painful.

 

Time reports that the wife of the president revealed this while speaking to Oprah Winfrey in a farewell interview at the White House.

 

Michelle Obama and her husband, Barrack Obama, campaigned for Hillary Clinton, the presidential candidate for the Democratic party, in the US election. However, Clinton lost the campaign to Donald Trump, candidate for the Republican party.

 

“You know, this past election was challenging for me as a citizen. To watch and experience. It was painful,” Obama said during the interview.

 

“You kind of saw the tea leaves. I kind of felt like how things were going by the time I went to bed. So mentally, I’d already kind of digested it before I actually read it.”

End of the road for Hillary as Electoral College seals Donald Trump’s victory.

Donald Trump, president-elect of the US, has secured the 270 electoral college votes needed to formalise his victory in the November 8 election.

Trump’s opponents had flooded the electors with emails and phone calls, urging them not to support the billionaire.

But the college went ahead to certify him as the 45th president in US history.

Texas ultimately put the president-elect over the 270 threshold, despite two of its electors voting against him.

According to New York Times, four Democratic electors also cast their votes for “someone other than Mrs Clinton”.

The result will be officially announced on January 6 in a special joint session of Congress.

The US electoral college has certified Donald Trump as president, despite a last-ditch effort to deny him the White House.

Reacting to his win, Trump thanked Americans for putting their trust in him, and promised to be the president of all.

“I thank the American people for their overwhelming vote to elect me as their next president of the United States,” Trump said in a statement after the result came in.

“With this historic step we can look forward to the bright future ahead. I will work hard to unite our country and be the president of all Americans.”

He also used Twitter to thank his supporters and take a swipe at the media.

Numerically, Trump’s opponents never stood much chance. To keep him out of the Oval Office, 38 Republican electors would have had to defect.

Even that would probably only have delayed the inevitable.

If no candidate reaches 270 in the electoral college, the house of representatives must vote on the next president, and the Republican-controlled chamber would most likely have chosen Trump.

Judge orders Michigan officials to begin U.S. election recount on Monday

Election officials in the U.S. state of Michigan have been ordered by a federal judge to begin massive hand recount of the nearly five million ballots cast in the presidential election.

 

U.S. District Judge, Mark Goldsmith, on Monday, issued a ruling instructing state authorities to start the recount at noon (1700 GMT) in order to meet a Dec. 13 deadline to certify the vote.

 

The ruling marked a win for Green Party candidate Jill Stein, who has led quixotic recount efforts in Michigan and two other industrial Midwestern states, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

 

The left-wing candidate, who won 1 per cent of the vote nationally, has claimed that some voting machines used in states were vulnerable to hacking and could have been manipulated.

 

Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton had been expected to win to the three states but lost to Republican Donald Trump in the Nov. 8 election.

 

Flipping them from Trump to Clinton would swing enough electoral votes to change the outcome of the Nov. 8 elections.

TB Joshua: Prayers of Americans reversed my prophecy on Clinton. [Video]

Founder of Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN, Prophet T.B. Joshua, has further clarified on his controversial prophesy regarding who would win last November 8 Presidential election in the US.
In a latest video on his church’s Facebook page, TB Joshua Ministries, Joshua explained that following his prophesy before the election, some concerned Americans went into deep prayers and fastings, which prompted God to hearken to their voice, thereby reversing Hillary Clinton’s win.
Watch Video Below:

On President-elect Trump: ‘How the f–k did we get here? – John Oliver [Video]

The HBO talk show host, who has been a major critic of Trump, devoted the entirety of Sunday’s season finale of “Last Week Tonight” to figuring out how Trump won and where the country goes from here.

A task that did not come easy to Oliver.

“It’s important to remember many people are happy to see him in office,” Oliver said. “But for the rest of us, we are faced with the same questions as a guy that woke up the day after a Vegas bachelor party, deep in the desert, naked, tied to a cactus and a dead clown. Namely, how the [expletive] did we get here? And what the [expletive] do we do now?”

Watch Video:

Oliver spent the whole broadcast on wide-ranging Trump topics that included everything from the promises Trump made on the campaign trail, which Oliver said sounded like the “to-do list on Satan’s refrigerator, which of course Satan no longer needs because Hell has frozen over,” to Trump randomly changing his mind on issues.

“Trump is like a Magic 8-Ball, every time you shake him he gives you a different answer,” Oliver said.

The British comedian also took on the media’s role in the election and the impact of fake news on social media.

“[Trump] came along and told millions of people every crazy email you’ve ever forwarded was true,” Oliver said. “And that, at least in part, is why he will be our next president.”

Oliver finished the episode by telling his audience to not move to Canada but rather “stay here and fight” by donating to organizations like Planned Parenthood, news outlets and “actively standing up for one another.”

“It is going to be too easy for things to start feeling normal, especially if you are someone who is not directly impacted by his actions,” Oliver added. “So keep reminding yourself. This is not normal.”

HBO, like CNN, is owned by Time Warner.

People misinterpreted my US elections prophecy – TB Joshua

The founder of The Synagogue Church Of All Nations, Temitope Joshua, on Sunday said his earlier prophecy on the U.S. presidential election was given different interpretation by people “on a different level” with him.

In his Sunday sermon, Mr. Joshua (popularly known as TB Joshua) said people would need the spirit of a prophet to be able to recognize one.

“We have seen the outcome of the election in America,” Mr. Joshua said in a message later posted on the church’s official website and Facebook page.

He also hinted that his reference to Hillary Clinton as eventual winner was reflected in her winning more popular votes than Donald Trump.

“Having read, you will notice that it is all about the popular vote, the vote of the majority of Americans. In this case, we need the Spirit of a Prophet to recognize a Prophet. Our levels are different. We are not on the same level.

“We might have great cathedrals, huge bells, and all kinds of activities that are good by human standards but human point of view is limited.

“1 Corinthians 1:25. The foolishness of God is wiser than that of men and the weakness of God is stronger than that of men. There is no shortcut to spiritual maturity unless earthly understanding gives way to spiritual enlightenment.”

Last Sunday, with two days to the US Presidential election, Mr. Joshua had predicted a “narrow” victory for Hillary Clinton, the Democratic Party presidential candidate.

“Ten days ago, I saw the new President of America with a narrow win,” he had said in his prophecy which was later posted on the church’s official Facebook account.

“The new President will be facing several challenges over many issues, including: passing bills, attempts to possibly pass a vote of no confidence on the new President. The boat of the new President will be rocked.

“By the way, in order not to keep you in suspense, what I frankly saw is a woman.”

But on Wednesday, Donald Trump, the Republican candidate and Mrs. Clinton’s main opponent, clinched the ticket to the White House by winning 306 electoral colleges to Mrs. Clinton’s 232.

Mrs. Clinton, however, garnered more votes with 60,981,118 to Mr. Trump’s 60,350,241 votes.

In the aftermath of Mrs. Clinton’s defeat, Nigerians trooped to social media to mock Mr. Joshua over the failure of his prophecy.

On Wednesday morning, Mr. Joshua deleted the prophecy from the church’s official Facebook account.

In its place, he posted a seven-line message urging his members to join him in prayer.

On Sunday, Mr. Joshua said people tried to interpret the prophecy “on the basis of their own minds and ideas.”

“The prophecy seems (sic) to cause uproar, to many who gave it different meaning and interpretation,” he said.

“Finally, campaigns and elections in any democratic country in the world are never about one person, it is about the country we care and love. Whichever way it happens, we must accept the outcome and then look to the future (God), the Author and Finisher.

“Democracy is all about accommodation. All democrats must value the process of democracy more than the product. God bless the United States of America.”

TB Joshua: The line between watching CNN & hearing from God – Emmanuel Ekaji Ibe

I don’t know what to make of the US election as I still cannot understand and figure out properly what happened. Till then I would address other surrounding issues.

Prophet T.B Joshua is my focus here and for a long time, I have observed keenly how this man has moved from one dirty controversy to the other; how sometime ago his church was involved in a building collapse as a result of the clear disregard of warnings not to add more storey buildings on the existing one.

Still on that issue, there were incidents were he was involved in bribing Journalists so as not to publish evidence that could cause further damage to him. I have watched all these but never for once did I comment on it as I really try to avoid criticizing religious leaders but I have long since changed my stand.

T.B Joshua is one of the major problems of the Nigerian society and he represents the large number of other so called religious leaders who take advantage of the gullibility and mental decay in Nigeria to enrich themselves and brainwash the multitudes in buying whatever crap they sell to them, every Sunday.

T.B Joshua is not just dull and unintelligent, he is a major fool and unfortunate soul. He goes to church every Sunday preaching his own version of Christianity and God, using God to make money off innocent worshippers.

He was preaching at what he calls church on Sunday and all of a sudden he said the Lord revealed to him who was gonna win the US Election, he said it would be a lady, obviously Hillary Clinton and that she was going to have problems with the US congress and his church members were so excited and were applauding the prophesy.

He talked about some other things, confidently spitting nonsense and a very large audience believing everything. Wow!

The US election is over now. If you call T.B Joshua a fool, an idiot, a stupid man, and all sorts you are right and no one has the right to question you.

Even if you desire not to speak, you are right, res ipsa loquitur, the fact speaks for itself and his folly is so glaring for his Sunday audience to see and the world to conclude finally that he was a filthy piece of shit all along.

Donald trump won. Now the offering being paid in his church definitely he’d use part to subscribe for DSTV, there is every possibility that his watching of CNN for too long might have influenced his decision.

There really cannot be anything wrong with a religious leader airing his political views as we have seen father Mbaka of the Catholic Church do several times but when you hide under God and religion to defraud people, you are a good for nothing soul and amongst the worst humans in this world.

BREAKING: I’ll Tear My Green Card The Day Donald Trump Is Sworn In – Soyinka

Not altogether. The possibility was looming nearer and nearer, getting scarier and scarier.

What do you think Trump’s victory means for the world, especially Nigeria?

It’s brought an already teetering world closer to the precipice.

Do you think the victory of Trump, who threatened to build a Wall is a coincidence coming exactly 27 years to the day the Berlin Wall came down?

Trump’s Wall is already under construction. Walls are built in the mind, and Trump has erected walls, not only across the mental landscape of America but across the global landscape. I am glad you referred to the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall – that was one anniversary in reversal!

Will you thrash your green card, as you reportedly said you would?

Come January 20, 2017; watch my WOLEXIT! (Donald Trump will be sworn-in as the 45th President of the United States of America on Friday, January 20, 2017)

At what point did it occur to you that Trump’s victory was inevitable?

As Election Day approached, the specter became near palpable. I refused to switch on the television this morning until I had stiffened myself with a strong espresso. I felt disaster in my marrow.

BREAKING: Violent protests erupt as Donald Trump becomes president-elect in America.

Crowds of angry protesters have taken to streets across the United States chanting “Not Our President” while setting fires and smashing windows.

 

Hundreds of people descended on California minutes after it was announced that Donald Trump had won the election.

 

Hillary Clinton supporters were filmed setting fire to the US flag while marching through the streets of Portland, Oregon, shouting “F*** Donald Trump”.

 

Footage also emerged of activists setting tyres and rubbish bins on fire, blocking main roads and lighting flares.

 

People also burned an effigy of the President-elect, who will be officially sworn into office in January.

 

Meanwhile, a young student has reportedly been hit by an SUV and severely injured during a march in Berkeley, with one witness claiming the crash was intentional, according NBC Bay Area .

 

Hillary Clinton supporters burn a US flag in Portland, Oregon, during protests after Trump wins (Photo: Twitter)
Police detain a protester marching against president-elect Donald Trump in Oakland, California
Hundreds of protesters gathered to march after it was announced that Mr Trump had won the election (Photo: Reuters)
A fire rages on a main road after angry protesters took to the streets (Photo: Rex)

Other protests have broken out in the San Diego, San Fransisco and San Jose areas, according to reports.

People could be heard chanting “Whose streets? Our streets” and “Not Our President”, according to Twitter users at the scene.

A demonstration also unfolded at the University of California, Davis where students blocked streets as they marched and chanted anti-Trump slogans and “You are not America, we are America,” according to Twitter posts.

Anti-racist protesters are to stage a demonstration outside the US Embassy in London following the shock election victory.

People link arms as they march through the streets of Oakland, California (Photo: Reuters)
The carnage left in the streets of Oakland after protests broke out (Photo: Rex)

Activists accused the President-elect of having a long history of “racist outbursts” as well as his promise to build a wall between the US and Mexico.

Sabby Dhalu, co-convener of the Stand up to Racism group, said: “Donald Trump used the oldest trick in the book – he stirred up fear and racism in the context of a stagnant economy and the resulting fall in living standards – to mobilise a vote for him.

“The danger now is racists across the globe feel emboldened by Donald Trump’s victory and racism and sexism become normalised through the most powerful figure in the world.

“We call on anti-racists and all progressives to join us tonight outside the US Embassy.”

Protesters chanted “Who’s streets? Our streets” and “Not our president” (Photo: REX)
Police were called to deal with protesters after peaceful marches turned violent (Photo: reX)
Protesters set fire to tyres, rubbish and even American flags (Photo: Rex)

The billionaire businessman will become the 45th president of the United States after voters gambled on his pledge to “Make America Great Again”.

Speaking at a victory party in New York after rival Hillary Clinton conceded defeat, Mr Trump urged Americans to put the election behind them.

“It is time for us to come together as one united people,” he said.

“I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans.”

Hillary supporters turned out to vent their fury at the election result (Photo: Splash)
Fires burned on highways, which police were forced to close in the hours after the election result was announced (Photo: rex)
Furious students marched in cities across the United States moments after Trump declared victory (Photo: Rex)

Taking to the stage with his family, including wife Melania, Mr Trump promised a plan to double economic growth and invest in world-class infrastructure.

“Working together, we will begin the urgent task of rebuilding our nation and renewing the American dream.”

It would be a “beautiful thing”, he said.

The election of the outspoken businessman and TV personality, who has never held public office, shows the anger and frustration of many Americans who felt left behind by the economy and ignored by the political establishment.

Mr Trump said: “The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.”

Police were called to deal with activists after people began smashing windows and starting fires (Photo: reX)
Protesters in Oakland to Broadway in downtown to protest the election of Donald Trump (Photo: Rex)

The Republican candidate sealed victory when he took key battleground states Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

The Clinton camp initially refused to throw in the towel, but Mr Trump told supporters shortly before 8am UK time: “I’ve just received a call from Secretary Clinton. She congratulated us – it’s about us – on our victory and I congratulated her and her family on a very, very hard-fought campaign.”

During the battle for the Oval Office, Mr Trump had repeatedly described his rival as “crooked Hillary” and called her a “nasty woman”.

(Photo: Getty)

But he struck a conciliatory tone in his first appearance as president-elect, thanking the former first lady and secretary of state for her “service” to the country.

Mr Trump sought to give reassurance to international leaders about his intentions: “I want to tell the world community that, while we will always put America’s interests first, we will deal fairly with everyone – all people and all other nations.

US Election: Ekweremadu congratulates President-Elect Trump

Senate President, Bukola Saraki and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, has congratulated the President-Elect of the United States of America, USA, Mr. Donald Trump, on his victory in the US presidential election.

In his message, Ekweremadu, who described the election as “hard-fought”, said the two major contestants gave a good account of themselves, and commended the candidate of the Democratic Party, Mrs. Hilary Clinton, for calling to concede the presidency to her rival and congratulating him on his hard-worn victory.

He said: “Mr. Trump has rightly described the election as historic. But it is not only historic for the U.S, but also for the world. It is an important reminder to the entire world of the true meaning and essence of democracy as government of the people.

“I urge him to work for democracy, global peace and prosperity because the peace and prosperity of America is intrinsic in that of the entire world.

“In particular, I urge better bilateral deals for Nigeria by the incoming Donald Trump presidency. I have no doubt that the people of Nigeria and indeed the Peoples Democratic Party are willing and ready to work with the incoming U.S government for the good of both nations”.

Senator Ekweremadu also enjoined emerging democracies, including Nigeria, to emulate the democratic and transparent nature of the U.S election, noting that the will of the people and respect for democratic principles must be allowed at all times.

“We have many lessons to learn from the American presidential election. It was highly democratic, transparent, peaceful, and free of intimidation, willful manipulations, contrived security scares; and it was absolutely conclusive, even though the ruling party was losing, and eventually lost”, Ekweremadu stressed.

Saraki in his message said: “On this day, I wish to extend my sincerest congratulatory remarks to U.S. President-Elect Donald J. Trump, on his remarkable victory in yesterday’s national election in the United States.

“Mr. Trump persevered through a very challenging Republican primary election cycle, where he defeated sixteen (16) professional and well-organized candidates. While many career politicians tried to write off Mr. Trump’s candidacy as a long shot, he stuck to his positions and controlled the daily media messaging like no other candidate in the history of American Presidential campaigns.

“Additionally, I must commend Mr. Trump for his gracious and courteous acceptance of Secretary Hillary Clinton’s phone call to concede the election. He recognizes that Secretary Clinton ran a courageous contest and was perhaps the most qualified candidate for President in decades. Having worked with Mrs. Clinton as a champion of the Global Alliance for Clean Cook Stoves, I can personally attest to her hard work and dedication to the less fortunate in our society. Secretary Clinton would have been a tremendous leader and we will all miss her dedication and commitment to public service.

“I look forward to working with President-Elect Trump to continue the strong U.S.-Nigeria relationship and to address our mutual interest in defeating global terror networks, rooting out corruption and strengthening the institutions of governance.

“Mr. Trump’s years of being a private sector leader can be invaluable to Nigeria as we work to restructure and diversify our economy. It is important for the private sector here to have a larger role in expanding our economic base, creating jobs and fostering entrepreneurship. In these areas, I am sure he will be able to serve as a strong partner.

“In closing, it is my hope and prayer that the United States can move beyond this election and heal the divisions that divide that great nation. Mr. Trump has an opportunity to be a unifying force and I believe his humble acceptance speech was a great beginning.?”

READ: 11 points that will help you understand the US election.

“American electoral system is so confusing that most Americans don’t understand it,” said Patrick Butler, vice-president, programmes at the International Centre for Journalists (ICFJ).

If Americans find it difficult to understand their own electoral system, how will outsiders do? This is the reason we compiled these points which will guide you in understanding the process better.

THE ROLE OF ELECTORAL COLLEGE

In less than 48 hours, the 45th president of the United States would have been known. There is no doubt that the election is a two-way horse race between Donald Trump of the Republican Party, and Hillary Clinton of the Democracy Party, but unlike Nigeria where popular national vote determines the president, only 548 electors will vote for the next US president.

Voters wait in line to cast their ballots during the U.S. presidential election in Newark

WHO ARE THE ELECTORS?

The US constitution doesn’t provide too many details about who can serve as an elector except that no sitting senator or house member can be appointed as one. Political parties in each state generally choose their slate of electors.

SLATE FOR ELECTORS IS CHOSEN ON ELECTION DAY

A political party’s slate of electors is chosen on election day in each state, and in most, it’s based on which ticket wins the most votes.

HOW ELECTORAL COLLEGE WORKS

Electoral College

Each state’s allotted number of electoral votes is equal to the size of each state’s congressional delegation. Texas, for example, has 38 electors, which means the state has 36 members in the house of representatives plus its two senators. California has the most electoral votes, 55, and a few states like the Dakotas, Montana and Wyoming have as few as three. Washington, D.C. also has three electoral votes.

Most states distribute electoral votes through a winner-take-all system,

THE ELECTORATE VOTE FOR THE COLLEGE, NOT THE CANDIDATES

Americans will not be voting for the president directly in the election; it is the electors that will vote for the president. To be elected president, a candidate must score 270 Electoral College vote, representing 50 per cent plus one vote or a simple majority vote.

Quentin Kidd, a professor of Political Science at the Christopher Newport University, took time to explain the process to NAN.

“The ballot indicates ‘Electors for Hillary Clinton, Tim Kaine; Electors for Donald Trump, Mike Pence. So our ballot doesn’t list the names of the candidates but the ballot does say ‘electors for’,” the agency quoted Kidd to have said.

“So you (electorate) are choosing who the electors are going to be bound to, not who the candidate is; the candidates choose who the electors are.”

VOTES ARE AWARDED TO CANDIDATES WHO WIN MAJORITY

Each state has “winner takes all” system. That is, whoever wins popular votes takes all the votes; whoever wins popular votes wins the electors.

“It’s a very complicated system but in general, what happens is that each of the 50 states awards all of its votes to the candidate who wins a majority in that state,” Kidd explained.

“So let’s take California for example: if one candidate wins 80 per cent of the votes in that state, they get all of that state’s electoral vote.

“If they win 51 per cent of the votes in that state, they still get all of that state’s electoral vote.”

THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE DOESN’T VOTE UNTIL DECEMBER

This is also another part that is confusing. Technically, the winner of the election will be known by November 9, but the electors meet in mid-December to officially cast one vote for president and one vote for vice-president.

The outcome of the election is not formalised until December.

VICE-PRESIDENT WILL OPEN THE VOTES BEFORE CONGRESS

US

The votes of the electors are sent to the government by late December, and on the afternoon of January 6 – unless the date is changed – Vice-President Joe Biden will open the electoral votes before a joint session of the new congress where they will be counted.

LAWMAKERS VOTE WHEN THERE IS A TIE

If there is a tie in the Electoral College or if no candidate receive 270 electoral votes, the house would elect the next president based on the three presidential candidates who receive the most electoral votes, with one vote per state delegation, and the senate would elect the vice president.

Only two presidents have been elected by the house: Thomas Jefferson in 1801 and John Quincy Adams in 1825.

CAN ELECTORS VOTE FOR THEIR PLEDGED CANDIDATE?

There is no constitutional provision or federal law that requires electors to vote for whom they are pledged. Twenty-six states and Washington, however, bind their electors to vote for their promised candidates.

People who vote for someone other than for whom they are pledged are known as “faithless electors” and they’ve never decided a presidential election. “Faithless electors” are rare, with only one in each of the 1948, 1956, 1960, 1968, 1972, 1976 and 1988 elections.

THE MEDIA DECLARES WINNERS OF ELECTION

Media networks are the platforms that announce elections results and declare winners of elections in the US rather than the election commission.

VIDEO: “How did FBI review 650,000 mails in a day?”, angry Trump asks.

Donald Trump, Republican presidential candidate, is asking the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), how it reviewed 650,000 e-mails in a day.

 

After FBI’s investigation cleared Hillary Clinton, Trump said the investigation was rigged as it was impossible to investigate 650,000 new emails in the pace of one day.

 

Trump expressed his displeasure over Clinton’s acquittal at a rally in Detroit suburb on Sunday.

 

 

Hillary Clinton is the most corrupt person ever to seek the office of the president in the United states. The investigations and the crimes will go on for a long time the ranking files special ages at the FBI won’t let her get with her terrible crime including the deletion of 33,000 emails.”

 

Right now, she is being protected by a rigged system, I have been saying it for a long time. You can’t review 650,000 new emails in a day, Hillary Clinton is guilty, she knows it, the FBI knows it, the people know it and now it is left to the American people to deliver justice at the ballot box on November 8th”.

US Election: ISIS orders Muslims not to cast votes but slaughter Americans.

The Islamic State Jihadist group, ISIS, has ordered Muslims not to cast a vote but to attack voters during the US election.

 

The threat comes as polls open for the closely-fought race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

 

MirrorUK reports that the new ISIS threats were made in an essay published by the terror group’s Al Hayat media centre.

 

The essay said: “There is no difference between the Republican and Democratic parties in the US in their policies against Islam and Muslims.

 

“Militants have come to slaughter you and smash your ballot boxes.”

 

This is coming after the FBI was reportedly probing a major terror attack planned for the day before the US elections in multiple states.

Donald Trump cries foul as FBI clears Hillary Clinton.

Donald Trump has accused the FBI of impropriety after it once again exonerated his rival Hillary Clinton of criminal conduct on her emails.

The FBI director said a fresh inquiry into the Democratic candidate’s communications found nothing to change the bureau’s conclusion this summer.

The Clinton campaign said it was “glad” the lingering issue had been resolved.

The dramatic twist lifted a cloud from her campaign as the final day of the marathon US election race loomed.

The latest opinion polls on Sunday, before news broke of the FBI announcement, gave Mrs Clinton a four to five-point lead over Trump.

The Republican nominee cried foul after learning about the law enforcement bureau’s decision.

At a rally in the Detroit suburbs, Trump insisted it would have been impossible for the FBI to review what has been reported to be as many as 650,000 emails in such a short time.

“Right now she’s being protected by a rigged system. It’s a totally rigged system. I’ve been saying it for a long time,” he told supporters in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

“Hillary Clinton is guilty, she knows it, the FBI knows it, the people know it and now it’s up to the American people to deliver justice at the ballot box on November 8.”

While Mrs Clinton herself did not address the FBI director’s letter on the trail, her campaign said it was always confident she would be cleared, reports the BBC.

In Manchester, New Hampshire, on Sunday, she said the country was facing “a moment of reckoning” and Americans must choose between “division and unity”.

In July, the FBI said she had been “extremely careless” to handle classified material on a private email server as secretary of state from 2009-13, but it had found no evidence she committed a crime.

However, 11 days before the election, FBI director James Comey had pitched the race into turmoil by announcing a newly discovered batch of Clinton emails would be investigated.

The bombshell infuriated the Clinton camp, but threw a lifeline to a Trump campaign that had been receding in the polls.