Four Washington electors choose candidate other than Clinton

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) -Four members of the Electoral College in Washington state cast their votes for a candidate other than Democrat Hillary Clinton, who won the state's popular vote.

It's the first time in four decades the state's electors have broken from the popular vote for president. Washington's 12 electors met Monday afternoon in the state Capitol to complete the constitutional formality. Clinton got eight votes while other candidates got the remaining four.

Elector Bret Chiafalo, who earlier in the day said he planned to vote for Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich, said that he ultimately changed his vote to former Secretary of State Colin Powell after conversations with other Washington electors. The exact breakdown of the other four votes wasn't immediately known, although at least one vote was cast for "Faith Spotted Eagle."

In last month's election, Republican Donald Trump won 306 electoral votes to Clinton's 232, though Clinton's tally will now be lower.

A candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win.

The last time an elector broke from the popular vote in Washington was in 1976, when Mike Padden, who is currently a Republican state senator, voted for Ronald Reagan instead of Gerald Ford, who had won the state.