Clinton wins popular votes but lose electoral votes
By: L.N. Reklai
November 8, 2016 (Koror, Palau) Announcements of Donald Trump’s win of US presidential bid in the US elections had more pronounced impact on many Palauans than Palau’s own election results on the night of November 9, 2016.
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Donald Trump won the United States of America’s presidential bid by garnering 279 of the 270 majority electoral votes needed to gain the presidency of the United States. Hillary Clinton received more popular votes over Trump by 233,604 votes but failed to get the number of electoral votes needed to win, gaining only 228 electoral votes.
The 2016 US election results has had earthshaking response from all over the globe and for many Palauans living in the United States a stated unease about the new US president-elect. Other Palauan-US citizens who endorsed Mr. Trump, have expressed optimism in his winning of the election.
Not all Palauans here and abroad have been pro-Trump or pro-Clinton but most believe that the next US President will have an impact on Palau.
Will this election of Trump have an impact on Palau, especially the Compact? No answers are given so far but locally people are expressing anxiety about it.
Ms. Roylinda Jonathan of the OTV (Oceania Television Network), selected by the US Embassy to cover the 2016 US elections, reported from New York live to Palau audience at the US Ambassador Amy Hyatt’s residence on the night of the US elections.
“The American people seemed very divided on the two candidates but one thing for sure, most did not like either of the candidates and feel they have to choose the lesser of two evils,” said Roylinda of her impression of the US elections.
US Electoral College who will elect the president and vice president of the United States will meet on December 28, 2016 to vote. Their votes will be counted by the US Congress in a joint session on January 6, 2017. Only 5 times in the US history has a president won electoral votes but lost popular vote. [/restrict]