Winning and losing is no simple matter in the USA elections. Al Gore bested G.W. Bush by half a million votes in 2000, and Hillary Clinton beat Trump by 2.9 million in 2016 – and both still ended up defeated. The Electoral College is the filter through which the votes are funnelled, with electors meeting in their respective states on December 17, the result of which is considered by Congress on January 6 2025. If the result is a tie, the popular vote is not the back-up; with the decision for president going to Congress, while the Senate votes on the vice-president. Evidently it is theoretically possible to have Trump sworn in as president and Tim Walz as his elected deputy, or vice-versa with Harris and JD Vance.
The pros and cons of the Electoral College have been endlessly debated since its inception on 4 September 1787, today celebrating its anniversary. It has a Virgo Sun inconjunct Pluto, so has an uneasy approach to power and control. There is also an Air Grand Trine of Jupiter Mars in Gemini trine Neptune trine Saturn (Pluto) in Aquarius – wedded to an ideal but not always realistic about its application.
On both Bush and Trump’s elevation to the White House the Electoral College Sun was under stress with a tr Pluto square Sun and tr Neptune opposition Sun respectively. This time round tr Saturn will oppose the College Sun in late December; and the Solar Arc Uranus will be exactly squaring the Mars for a high-voltage disruption. With more brickbats flying in the College’s direction in March/April 2025 with tr Saturn square the College Mars Jupiter – and jolts from tr Uranus square the Venus as it moves into Gemini mid 2025 onwards.
The two key dates after the November election look fraught especially the 17th December when the electors meet separately in their own states. There is a confused and uncertain Sun square Neptune – and worse an enraged, frustrated, trapped Pluto opposition Mars. By 6 January 2025 the Pluto opposition Mars in still in place with Mars in a can-be-paralysed, muddled Neptune trine Mars and square Mercury. The Jupiter in Gemini square Saturn in Pisces won’t help with its mood swings.
By the Inauguration on January 20th the Mars Pluto opposition will have weakened although is still in orb. There will also be a fraught Mars trine Uranus, sextile Uranus.
None of which is indicative one way or another – since a Harris victory would send the pro-Trumpers into meltdown – and vice versa. But for sure tempers and anxiety will be running very high.
The USA chart still has the aggravated and prone-to-setbacks Solar Arc Saturn conjunct its Mars throughout the election and beyond, moving on to an uncertain square to the USA Neptune by mid 2025 for several months.
The post Electoral College – adding more uncertainty first appeared on Astroinform with Marjorie Orr – Star4cast.
