Although U.S. Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia was initially selected as a presidential elector in Illinois, it has been confirmed that he will be replaced by state Sen. Omar Aquino. The reason for the change is that Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution stipulates that "no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector."
In an interview with the Daily Herald, constitutional law expert and professor Jason Mazzone said the ban on members of Congress serving as electors was meant as an additional check to prevent the office of president from becoming too much like a prime minister.
"It preserves the Article II branch as a distinct branch of government in a system in which we don't elect the president directly," he said. "If you don't want citizens voting directly for the President then you have to give the vote to somebody else. If you give it to members of Congress then you are very close to the parliamentary system that was otherwise rejected."
Read the full article at dailyherald.com.