It's Officially Obama

The presidential electors in each state gathered in their state capitols and performed their constitutional duty today.

And, to no one's surprise, Barack Obama has been elected president of the United States.

But I guess it isn't technically official until January 6 — when Congress, in a joint session, calculates the totals for Obama and John McCain. I'm no whiz at math, but I can tell you how it breaks down right now — unless there are one or two "faithless electors" out there (of which I am unaware).

If there are any defectors, that might throw my calculations off a little.

But it shouldn't take long to calculate how 538 votes break down — even for someone as mathematically challenged as I!

Nevertheless, I'm sure it must cost something to perform these tasks that the Constitution has required for more than 200 years — even if it's only the reimbursement of each elector's transportation expenses, meal costs and the price of a night's lodging in each state's capitol.

These aren't phantom electors — numbers to be added and subtracted but nothing tangible. These are real people — and they're the ones who really choose the president and vice president.

Of course, I'm sure the eventual cost involves more than just the basic expenses of getting the electors together. What about the food, lodging and transportation costs, not to mention overtime pay, for anyone who must work because the electors are gathering — i.e., security personnel, maintenance workers at the 50 state capitols and other services providers?

And what about similar costs associated with the joint session of Congress to essentially rubber-stamp the electoral vote?

A joint session of Congress is typically a special occasion — which would suggest out-of-pocket expenses for anyone required to be there.

But, at a time when the American taxpayers are being expected to pick up the tab for billions of dollars in bailouts, it seems an unnecessary burden to ask them to continue to pay for a long-outdated process to select national leaders.

It is the 21st century, not the 18th century.

We can do things that were not possible more than 200 years ago.

It doesn't take weeks or months for news to travel from one place to another anymore.

We have the capability to see what is happening on the other side of the globe at any time of the day or night.

And we can perform tasks faster and more efficiently. More than 130 million people voted in the November election — the highest number on record — and nearly all the votes had been counted within a matter of hours.

Isn't it time to do away with the Electoral College — and let direct popular vote select the president and vice president?