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You are right Jim.

The electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two persons, of whom one at least shall not be an inhabitant of the same State with themselves. And they shall make a list of all the persons voted for, and of the number of votes for each; which list they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the Seat of government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates, and the votes shall then be counted. The person having the greatest number of votes shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of electors appointed; and if there be more than one who have such majority, and have an equal number of votes, then the House of Representatives shall immediately choose by ballot one of them for President; and if no person have a majority, then from the five highest on the list the said House shall in like manner choose the President. But in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by States, the representation from each State having one vote; A quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two thirds of the States, and a majority of all the States shall be necessary to a choice. In every case, after the choice of the President, the person having the greatest number of votes of the electors shall be the Vice President. But if there should remain two or more who have equal votes, the Senate shall choose from them by ballot the Vice President.

Technically, you are absolutely correct. However, the plain meaning of words, even the words in the constitution, are not controlling. If no candidate gets 270 votes, and congress wants to take on the election for itself, it will, and there is noting anybody could do about it.

Congress has already decided that a dual citizen at birth can also be a natural born citizen. It also declared in S.Res 511 for McCain, that the words "shall be considered as" are words of definition rather than words of pretend (legal fiction).

I doubt that the recounts will get to the point of states failing to send electoral ballots to Congress, but if that does become the case, the only thing controlling is the whim of Congress. The US is still a banana republic.

If the democrats can force this to the house then this part applies.

In every case, after the choice of the President, the person having the greatest number of votes of the electors shall be the Vice President.”

Thats right boys and girls VP Hillary.