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Democratic elector pledges not to vote for Clinton
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Democratic elector pledges not to vote for Clinton

A Democratic elector from Washington state reportedly pledged Friday not to vote for Hillary Clinton, even if the Democratic presidential nominee wins by the popular vote on Tuesday.

Robert Satiacum, a member of the Evergreen State's Puyallup Tribe, supported Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders during the Democratic primaries, according to the Associated Press, and now fears the former secretary of state is a "criminal" who doesn't genuinely support Native Americans and has "done nothing but flip back and forth" throughout her political career.

Satiacum said he was initially unsure of what he would do come Election Day, noting that he believes neither Clinton nor Republican candidate Donald Trump is fit for office. But now his mind is made up. "She will not get my vote, period," he told the AP.

The West Coast elector believed Sanders would have done a better job protecting American Indians.

"She doesn't care about my land or my air or my fire or my water," he said of Clinton.

While the general population will be casting their vote on — or before — Election Day for their presidential candidate of choice, they are in reality casting their ballot for their respective state's electors, like Satiacum, who will then represent them in deciding the next president on Dec. 19.

According to the latest RealClearPolitics average out of Washington, Clinton currently leads Trump by 13.5 points and is expected to win the state handily.

In every state except two, the popular vote winner gets every one of the state's electors and while there is nothing in the U.S. Constitution mandating electors vote for a certain candidate, some states do penalize so-called "faithless electors." Washington is one of those states.

If he makes good on his promise, Satiacum could face a $1,000 fine for going against the time-honored tradition. According to the National Archives, 99 percent of electors throughout U.S. history have voted for their candidate and none have changed the course of the election by protesting. But that doesn't bother Satiacum one bit.

"This is a time we all need to stand up and speak out," he said.

Satiacum is one of 12 electors representing the state of Washington.

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