The six Kansas representatives of the Electoral College unanimously voted for President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence on Monday following the Republican team's win in November.
The vote was held inside the Kansas Senate chamber and each elector was given a ballot to file for both the presidential and vice presidential races.
BREAKING: All 6 KS electors place Electoral College votes for @realDonaldTrump. Boos heard in crowd. @41actionnews pic.twitter.com/nOwLaX5efb
— Tom Dempsey (@KCTomDempsey) December 19, 2016
While none of the electors were legally bound to vote for Trump or Pence, they said the popular vote win in the state for the Republicans served as reason for their decision.
"No hesitation at all," explained elector Clay Barker, who also serves as Executive Director of the Kansas Republican Party. "I voted for Trump, obviously, and I have confidence in his qualifications and his ability to be president."
Monday's vote was met by angry shouts from a crowd of protesters inside the Senate chamber.
"Blood on your hands!" and "Shame!" could be heard from the group of over a dozen protesters who wanted the electors to vote against President-elect Trump.
"Blood on your hands!", "Shame!" heard in crowd after KS Electoral College wins by @realDonaldTrump & @MikePenceVP pic.twitter.com/H1OzRgAQfS
— Tom Dempsey (@KCTomDempsey) December 19, 2016
"It was a great disappointment that none of the electors had the courage or the intelligence to do something other than vote for Donald Trump," said protester Leigh Barrett, who resides in Topeka. "What I heard today is that we're going down the toilet, that Donald Trump is not the man that should be president."
The Electoral College vote in Kansas got attention around the country after actor Martin Sheen called on elector Ashley McMillan to change her vote away from Trump.
"It's my first time being an elector," explained McMillan, following the vote on Monday. "I was super thrilled to do it. I wasn't really prepared for what this year would bring with it."
Other electors around the country said they received death threats from people in messages sent to their offices.
In Kansas, electors said voters flooded their email boxes in the weeks leading up to the vote.
"It's kind of been interesting to go through the process. I've received over 153,000 emails," explained State Treasurer Ron Estes, one of the six Kansas electors. "They basically said that I should vote for somebody else, whether it was Hillary Clinton or another Republican."
Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach presided over the Electoral College vote on Monday.
He said the amount of attention on the vote this year made the occasion unlike any other in years past.
"I was an elector in 2008 and as I recall, there was nobody in the gallery watching," he said. "It's not a good thing when some Hollywood types are trying to change some electors around the country to deviate from the will of the people."
While many called on the electors to vote against Trump, Kobach said doing so would have gone against what the majority of voters decided in Kansas in November.
"If an elector voted out of conformity with the will of the people of that state, that would be a real breach of trust," he explained.
Missouri
Missouri's 10 Republican electors all have voted for President-elect Donald Trump.
About 57 percent of Missouri voters picked Trump during the November election.
Missouri electors told The Associated Press that they received thousands of letters, emails and phone calls asking them to vote for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, who won more votes nationwide.
Ultimately the pressure didn't sway Missouri's electors, who rubber-stamped Trump.
Missouri's electors who voted for President-elect Donald Trump have received a mixed response from onlookers.
Supporters in the Capitol clapped and cheered when the state's 10 electors all cast their ballots for Trump.
An opponent in the crowded Senate Lounge called out "justice for all" after the vote took place. A woman in response told the man to "get over it."The votes for Trump were expected, although opponents looking to block the president-elect from taking office had hoped some electors would change their minds.
Dozens of protesters had turned out with signs asking electors to vote their conscience.
After the vote, the Capitol quickly fell silent. It was mostly quiet in an overflow room of spectators. One man shook his head in disappointment.
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Tom Dempsey can be reached at Tom.Dempsey@KSHB.com.
