As the 18 members of Ohio’s Electoral College met today to cast their votes for president and vice president, Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor played a traditional role by administering the oath of office to the electors.

Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted convened the 53rd meeting of the Electoral College since 1803. Federal law requires each state’s electors to meet in their state capital and cast their electoral votes on the Monday following the second Wednesday of December. Ohio’s Electoral College met at noon in the Statehouse’s Senate Chambers.

Chief Justice O’Connor said she gladly accepted Husted’s invitation to administer the oath.

“This event sends an unmistakable message to the citizens of the state of its three branches of government working together and its two political parties coming together so the electors can fulfill their constitutional duties,” she said, noting that those involved in conducting the meeting encompass Democrats and Republicans.

Members of Ohio’s Electoral College for the 2012 Presidential Election include:

• Daniel Traicoff
• Constance Lighthall
• Tracy Heard
• William Young
• Michael Friedman
• Ann Block
• William J. Healy, II
• Cathina Hourani
• Wade Kapszukiewicz
• Mark Owens
• Pernel Jones, Jr.
• Grace Anne Cherrington
• Sarah Brown-Clark
• Kevin Malecek
• Jeremy Van Meter
• Ryan Kolegar
• Ted Strickland
• Chris Redfern

The group elected Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Redfern as chairman of the Electoral College. Former Gov. Strickland delivered the keynote address.

In the history of U.S. presidential elections, Ohio has missed out on only four electoral votes, and they all occurred before 1803 (the year Ohio became a state).