Electoral College

Oregon presidential electors Shirley Cairns and Sam Sappington sign documents after casting ballots for President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden at the Oregon state Capitol in Salem on Dec. 17, 2012. Members of the Electoral College cast the final, official votes in the presidential election. This year, the vote will take place on Monday. (AP Photo/Jonathan J. Cooper)

(Jonathan J. Cooper)

The Electoral College is getting more attention than usual these days, thanks to talk of a long-shot revolt to block President-Elect Donald Trump from taking office.

Oregon's seven presidential electors -- one for each member of Congress -- traditionally carry out their seemingly ceremonial role in the democratic process with little fanfare. The people choose a candidate, the electors ratify that pick.

But when they join electors across the country Monday casting ballots for either Trump or Democrat Hillary Clinton, the world will be watching to see what happens.

Here are Oregon's electors, what they'll do when they meet and how to tune in for the vote.

Who are they? Because Hillary Clinton won the presidential vote in Oregon, the state's seven electors this year are all Democrats: Leon Coleman of Aloha, Frank Dixon of Portland, Austin Folnagy of Klamath Falls, Laura Gillpatrick of Eugene, Karen Packer of Newberg, Timothy Norman Powers Rowan of Portland and Sam Sappington of Albany.

They have a range of occupations and experience, from serving in the military to working in information technology.

Dixon, chairman of the Democratic Party of Oregon, served in the U.S. Army Reserve and practiced consumer law for years. He also served as an aide to Portland Commissioner Dan Saltzman. Coleman is a retired law book writer and editor, and Folnagy is a business and employment specialist working for the state.

Sappington is a psychologist. Packer started a technology marketing communications company and is now retired. And Rowan is retired after a career in data processing for the state and Multnomah County, according to the party's website.

Electors are volunteers, although the state reimburses them for their mileage to Salem for the vote.

How are they selected? The winner of the popular vote in Oregon's presidential election determines which political party selects the state's electors.

Before the election, each party selects a slate of potential electors based its own internal rules. That means, technically, when Oregonians cast ballots for presidential candidates, they're actually voting for the seven electors selected by the candidates' parties.

Under state Democratic Party rules, this year's electors are the party chair, vice chair and the five congressional district chairs -- all of whom are selected through internal party elections, said Brad Martin, the party's executive director.

When do electors vote? All 538 electors in the 50 states meet across the country on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December, so the exact date changes in every election. This year, that's Monday, Dec. 19. Oregon will kick off its process at 11 a.m.

Where do they meet? Oregon's electors meet in the state Senate chambers in the Capitol in Salem. The state plans to stream the election live on the Legislature's media website.

Can electors vote remotely? No. Oregon's electors must physically attend the vote and bring government-issued identification.

How does the voting process work in Oregon? First, the electors are sworn in by the chief justice of the Oregon Supreme Court. Then, they vote for president and vice president. Oregon Secretary of State Jeanne Atkins will tally the votes and announce the result. After electors sign certificates of their vote, the meeting will adjourn.

Can electors make up their own minds on how to vote? The U.S. Constitution doesn't force electors to abide by the results of the popular vote in their states, but 30 states have their own laws requiring it, according to the election reform group FairVote. Oregon is among those states, with candidates for elector made to sign forms pledging to vote for their party's candidate.

However, officials don't know what might happen if an Oregon elector flouts that pledge.

"I have spoken with our elections division, and it is unclear what, if any, action could be taken against an elector who does not vote for their party's candidate," Molly Woon, a spokeswoman for the Secretary of State's office, wrote in an email.

-- Hillary Borrud

503-294-4034; @hborrud