[bitterohiogunclinger]

The Constitution does not grant individual citizens the right to vote for President at all. The constitution specifies the Electors, which were originally appointed by State Legislators. They are talking strictly about the Electoral College. States are really not required by the Constitution to even hold popular elections for President, but it has evolved that way through practice. There is also no Constitutional requirement that the Electors have to follow their States desires when they meet to cast their vote. It is possible that and appointed Elector could cast his or her vote for either candidate, but I've never heard that has ever happened.

[KoRn]

"It is possible that and appointed Elector could cast his or her vote for either candidate, but I've never heard that has ever happened."

One of Gore's Electors in 2000 from Washington DC didn't vote for him. I don't recall her name, but I do remember that she declined to vote.

[lepton]

It is possible that and appointed Elector could cast his or her vote for either candidate, but I've never heard that has ever happened.

It has happened a smattering of times over the years, including one of the more recent examples of an Elector deliberately swapping the President and Vice Presidential candidates names.

[Bubba_Leroy]

The Constitution does not grant individual citizens the right to vote for President at all.

Absolutely correct.

Article I, Section II of the Constitution provides:

"Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector."

So the state legislatures are free to pick their Electors in any manner they see fit, subject only to the Constitutional limitation on the number of Electors and the prohibition on elected officials serving as Electors.

Currently, every state legislature has directed that their Electors be appointed based on popular vote; however, any state legislature could decide to have their state's Electors appointed by the legislature, by the governor, or by spinning a roulette wheel.