Sep 18 - If George W. Bush wins the most votes in West Virginia this November, he might still not receive all of that state’s electoral votes in December. Richard Robb, a Republican elector who would be mandated but not required to vote for his party’s ticket if a majority of West Virginians vote for Bush and Dick Cheney, has said he may withhold such a vote in protest of Bush’s policies.

The reasons for disapproval cited by Robb, who has served as mayor of Sourth Charleston for nearly 30 years and recently lost a primary bid for governor, include the decision to invade and occupy Iraq, as well as Bush administration fiscal policy.

Robb told the New York Sun that he is also highly unlikely to vote for Senator Kerry if Bush wins. He will only be eligible to vote at all if Bush wins the West Virginia popular vote, but in an extremely close contest, one electoral vote could make a difference. If neither ticket receives 270 electoral votes, the House of Representatives would decide the outcome. In at least one possible scenario, an abstention by a single elector could send the election to Congress.