More than 860,000 people have signed an online petition demanding that members of the US Electoral College vote for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton as the next president instead of Donald Trump.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The number of petition supporters was growing by the thousands each minute, nearing its target of 1 million.

"Mr. Trump is unfit to serve," the petition posted on Change.org said. "Secretary Clinton won the popular vote and should be President."

In the United States, the Electoral College determines the outcome of presidential elections. Its 538 votes equal the number of representatives and senators in Congress, and the institution consists of state-level electors who formally choose the president and vice president based on popular-vote results.

The petition favoring Clinton said the electors can vote for the former secretary of state, if they choose, regardless of how individual residents of their states voted.

"Even in states where that is not allowed, their vote would still be counted, they would simply pay a small fine — which we can be sure Clinton supporters will be glad to pay!" the petition stated.

The latest results show Trump secured 290 electoral votes in Tuesday’s election, 20 more than the minimum needed to win the presidency, while Clinton received 232. She won the popular vote, however, 48 percent to Trump’s 47 percent, by more than 200,000 ballots.