Michael Banerian, an Electoral College voter from Michigan, said that since his identity was revealed to the world, he has been receiving many death threats.
Banerian said that strangers frustrated with the election result wrote to him and promised to shoot him dead while others have strongly advised him to kill himself. The scared man said:
“I’ve had people talk about putting a bullet in the back of my mouth. I’ve had death wishes or people just saying ‘I hope you die.’ Or, ‘do society a favor, throw yourself in front of a bus.'”
Mr. Banerian, the youth vice chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, stated that he has to vote for Donald Trump because according to the law, he has to back the winner of the state.
Banerian also claimed that he is so afraid for his life that he has reached the point where he is trying to change his vote even if he knows that it is not possible. He reminded the people who are threatening him that if he does step down from his post, he will be quickly replaced by someone else who will cast their ballot for Trump. He explained:
“In the state of Michigan we have laws that prevent faithless electors. So, essentially what happens, if I tried to vote for somebody else, which, let me be clear, I don’t want to, but if I tried to, I would be removed and replaced by another elector. It’s a pointless endeavor.”
The college student stated that he has no idea how people figured out who he is. A total of 16 Electoral College voters from Michigan will vote on December 19 for Trump.
It is not known if the identities of the other voters have been exposed. In the interview with CNN’s Brianna Keilar, the young man said that he feels sad that the 2016 presidential election has divided the nation. He shared:
“Obviously, this election cycle was pretty divisive. Unfortunately it’s bled over into the weeks following the election and I have been inundated with death threats, death wishes, generally angry messages trying to get me to change my vote to Hillary Clinton or another person, and unfortunately, it’s gotten a little out of control.”
He also confessed to Keilar that he has filed a police report.
