Electoral College

The electoral college consists of electors from each state. Some states allow electors to vote for whoever they want, while other states levy penalties against electors who vote differently than the public (called "faithless electors").List of Electors Bound by State Law and Pledges, as of November 2000, US government archives 
==No Legal Requirement== 
Electors in these States are not bound by State Law to cast their vote for a specific candidate: 
ARIZONA - 10 Electoral Votes 
ARKANSAS - 6 Electoral Votes 
DELAWARE - 3 Electoral Votes 
GEORGIA - 15 Electoral Votes 
IDAHO - 4 Electoral Votes 
ILLINOIS - 21 Electoral Votes 
INDIANA - 11 Electoral Votes 
IOWA - 7 Electoral Votes 
KANSAS - 6 Electoral Votes 
KENTUCKY - 8 Electoral Votes 
LOUISIANA - 9 Electoral Votes 
MINNESOTA - 10 Electoral Votes 
 
MISSOURI - 11 Electoral Votes 
NEW HAMPSHIRE - 4 Electoral Votes 
NEW JERSEY - 15 Electoral Votes 
NEW YORK - 31 Electoral Votes 
NORTH DAKOTA - 3 Electoral Votes 
PENNSYLVANIA - 21 Electoral Votes 
RHODE ISLAND - 4 Electoral Votes 
SOUTH DAKOTA - 3 Electoral Votes 
TENNESSEE - 11 Electoral Votes 
TEXAS - 34 Electoral Votes 
UTAH - 5 Electoral Votes 
WEST VIRGINIA - 5 Electoral Votes 
 
==Legal Requirements or Pledges== 
Electors in these States are bound by State Law or by pledges to cast their vote for a specific candidate: 
*ALABAMA - 9 Electoral Votes 
Party Pledge / State Law - § 17-19-2 
*ALASKA - 3 Electoral Votes 
Party Pledge / State Law - § 15.30.040; 15.30.070 
*CALIFORNIA - 55 Electoral Votes 
State Law - § 6906 
*COLORADO - 9 Electoral Votes 
State Law - § 1-4-304 
*CONNECTICUT - 7 Electoral Votes 
State Law § 9-175 
*DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA - 3 Electoral Votes 
DC Pledge / DC Law - § 1-1312(g) 
*FLORIDA - 27 Electoral Votes 
Party Pledge / State Law - § 103.021(1) 
*HAWAII - 4 Electoral Votes 
State Law - §§ 14-26 to 14-28 
*MAINE - 4 Electoral Votes 
State Law - § 805 
*MARYLAND - 10 Electoral Votes 
State Law - § 20-4 
*MASSACHUSETTS - 12 Electoral Votes 
Party Pledge / State Law - Ch. 53, § 8, Supp. 
*MICHIGAN - 17 Electoral Votes 
State Law - §168.47 (Violation cancels vote and 
elector is replaced). 
*MISSISSIPPI - 6 Electoral Votes 
Party Pledge / State Law - §23-15-785(3) 
*MONTANA - 3 Electoral Votes 
State Law - §13-25-104 
*NEBRASKA - 5 Electoral Votes 
State Law - § 32-714 
*NEVADA - 5 Electoral Votes 
State Law - § 298.050 
*NEW MEXICO - 5 Electoral Votes 
State Law - § 1-15-5 to 1-15-9 (Violation is a fourth 
degree felony.) 
*NORTH CAROLINA - 15 Electoral Votes 
State Law - § 163-212 (Violation cancels vote; elector is replaced and is subject to $500 fine.) 
*OHIO - 20 Electoral Votes 
State Law - § 3505.40 
*OKLAHOMA - 7 Electoral Votes 
State Pledge / State Law - 26, §§ 10-102; 10-109 (Violation of oath is a misdemeanor, carrying a fine of up to $1000.) 
*OREGON - 7 Electoral Votes 
State Pledge / State Law - § 248.355 
*SOUTH CAROLINA - 8 Electoral Votes 
State Pledge / State Law - § 7-19-80 (Replacement and criminal sanctions for violation.) 
*VERMONT - 3 Electoral Votes 
State Law - title 17, § 2732 
 
*VIRGINIA - 13 Electoral Votes 
State Law - § 24.1-162 (Virginia statute may be advisory - "Shall be expected" to vote for nominees.) 
*WASHINGTON - 11 Electoral Votes 
Party Pledge / State Law - §§ 29.71.020, 29.71.040, Supp. ($1000 fine.) 
*WISCONSIN - 10 Electoral Votes 
State Law - § 7.75 
*WYOMING - 3 Electoral Votes 
State Law - §§ 22-19-106; 22-19-108
==Links==
*US Presidential electors 2008
*THE "FAITHLESS NINE": Presidential Electors who have defected in the past, Richard E. Berg-Andersson, (c) 2000, last updated October 28, 2008.
*How the Electoral College Works, Kevin Bonsor, HowStuffWorks.