“It was such a historic moment and such an emotional day. When I thought about how many people could be in that room and God granted me the access to be there while history was being made,” says State Rep. Shelia Stubbs. “That was so special.”
Stubbs was one of ten members of Wisconsin’s Electoral College – and the only African-American woman – to cast their votes at the Wisconsin State Capitol on Monday as the Electoral College affirmed Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s presidential victory.
“As I entered the room, I never had so much security with me. There was a heavy presence of law enforcement to get into the space,” Stubbs tells Madison365. “When I entered the space, I’ve never had my name written on a chair before to say ‘this is where you are sitting.’ The room was very organized and we had a script to read from, although we were given the liberty to say more if we chose to.”
Wisconsin has one elector for each of its eight Congressional districts and two statewide electors. Gov. Evers appointed Stubbs, who represents the 77th Assembly District, to be the person to tally all of the votes for President-elect Joseph Biden.
“Just an amazing moment. I was honored to do that,” Stubbs says. “Then, all of a sudden, I started getting all of these text messages that I was on CNN News. I was ‘breaking news’ in the New York Times when Biden won. They selected my photo.
“As I stood to give the tally, I was very emotional on the inside being a first myself – the first African-American from Dane County elected to the Wisconsin State Legislature,” she continues. “Having the first Black woman vice president was so historic. In that room as an elector, I was the only African-American woman in that room. It was a moment of pride.
“Oftentimes, women, especially Black women, are not given an opportunity. I was given the highest opportunity in the electoral process to cast that vote and to record the president-elect’s votes,” Stubbs adds. “I never would have imagined that I would be in that space.”
President Trump has refused to concede the election that took place across America almost a month and a half ago and has tried to reverse the outcome of the election with baseless and unproven accusations of voter fraud in the swing states. But Stubbs says that “Wisconsin has spoken” and that she believes strongly in the “will of the people.”
“It’s a very difficult time with our votes being challenged by the Trump administration,” she says. “What I did yesterday was to give a vote for the people, a voice for the people. For everyone across the state of Wisconsin who voted during this pandemic, I was just following out their will. The will of the people is the law of the land.”
Stubbs signed about 25 documents which she says went to the U.S. Senate and the Library of Congress, among other places.
“I have never received a threat, but we heard that electors across the United States have received threats so I decided to leave the Capitol and go back home and be with my family for the rest of the day,” Stubbs says.
Congress is scheduled to meet Jan. 6, 2021, to count all 50 states’ electoral votes.
“I’m still excited about this. I will never forget that day. It’s part of our U.S. history.”
