U.S. electors officially elect Barack Obama

Minnesota's 10 electoral college members
Members of the electoral college met in each state to cast their votes for president . In Minnesota, the state's 10 electoral college members unanimously voted for Barack Obama.
MPR Photo/Curtis Gilbert

Even though Election Day was more than a month ago, today is the day the president is officially elected. Members of the electoral college met in each state to cast their votes for president. In Minnesota, the state's 10 electoral college members unanimously voted for Barack Obama.

Elector Bill Davis, an African American, said he never thought he'd see a black president elected in his lifetime.

"It was something that Dr. Martin Luther King talked about, voting and supporting people and selecting people based on the content of their character not the color of their skin," Davis said. "I think that this day is a great day particular for those who toiled in the fields of human and social justice for years and years to be able to witness this day as well."

The Electoral College vote is required by the U.S. Constitution. Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in on January 20.

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