formall elect the next president, because they are all supporters of former GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul.
The electors complained about how the Republican establishment has suppressed Paul supporters over the course of the Republican primary process, and said they are therefore exploring other options besides Romney in 2012.
If the three delegates were to jump ship, it would represent the first time in 116 years that a party's electoral delegates did not rally behind their candidate for president. It also means that if Romney were to prevail in a close presidential election, these three electors could prevent him from winning the majority needed in the Electoral College to win the presidency. That would be completely unprecedented; in that scenario, the House would have to decide the president for the first time in almost 200 years.
The fact that this is even a possibility is a testament to the grassroots appeal and dedication of Ron Paul supporters, who have fought tooth and nail for their candidate all election.
One elector is Melinda Wadsley from Iowa. She said Paul would be the better choice for president and said, "They've never given Ron Paul a fair shot, and I'm disgusted with that. I'd like to show them how disgusted I am."
In Nevada, elector Ken Eastman may not cast his voter for Romney either. "I'm undecided at this point." He said he is exploring options with Republican leaders in Clark County.
At this point, it's too early to know how Ron Paul supporting delegates will shake out. Needless to say, however, this adds a level of intrigue and potential scandal to this election which could seriously jeopardize Romney's presidential hopes in November.
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