The Note: Electoral College in the Spotlight

— -- NOTABLES

--WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY’S VOTE: Electoral College members will meet Monday around the country to place their votes for president of the United States. It is a constitutionally mandated ritual every four years that this year Americans will watch with interest. The Electoral College's usually ceremonial role has come under focus in the aftermath of the 2016 election due to a number of factors -- including that Democrat Hillary Clinton won the national popular vote by a significant margin, and the finding by the CIA and FBI that Russia used hacking to try to influence the election. ABC’s MARYALICE PARKS, SHUSHANNAH WALSHE, and LAUREN PEARLE outline what you need to know: http://abcn.ws/2gPFcI9

--TRUMP CALLS ELECTORAL COLLEGE 'GENIUS' AS HE CLOSES OUT 'THANK YOU' TOUR: On the last stop of his "Thank You" tour following his election victory, President-elect Donald Trump praised the Electoral College system that he had previously decried as corrupt during the campaign, calling it "genius." As ABC’s JORDYN PHELPS reports, Trump  said: "I never appreciated it until now, how genius it was, what they had in mind, because at the time they didn't want everybody going to Boston and New York and everything else would be forgotten. It's genius, I'm telling you it's genius." http://abcn.ws/2hGuat4

--ANALYSIS -- ABC’s RICK KLEIN: So Michael Moore is paying fines, Martin Sheen is appearing in ads, John Podesta is pushing for briefings, and Larry Lessig is counting votes (albeit slowly). The lobbying campaign on members of the Electoral College – who cast their votes today in their state capitals – has never reached this level of intensity. President Obama even labeled the whole institution a “vestige” of another era at his year-end news conference. And yet, for all the threats and promises and security arrangements in place for the latest iteration of this solemn anachronism, the total number of faithless electors might be as low as … one. As for the entire effort, as constitutionally permitted as it is, how politically advisable will it wind up looking if only a handful of electors jump ship? Donald Trump will still be president, and he’ll have more political targets to use – to deflect attention from Russian hacking, or any other political dust-ups. If this is a model for Trump opposition efforts in the new regime, it’s Trump who will have the last word – or Tweet.

SPEED READ with ABC’s JENNY HANSLER

SENIOR GOP LAWMAKER CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION OF CIA DIRECTOR OVER MEDIA LEAKS ON RUSSIAN HACKING. A senior Republican congressman called for an investigation into whether the head of the CIA leaked to the media while withholding from Congress the agency's findings that Russians used hacking in an attempt to help Donald Trump win the presidency, ABC’s MARGARET CHADBOURN reports. "We have supposedly [CIA Director] John Brennan leaking information to The Washington Post, to a biased newspaper like The New York Times -- findings and conclusions that he's not telling the [House] Intelligence Committee," said Rep. Peter King of New York in an interview with ABC News' Martha Raddatz on "This Week." http://abcn.ws/2hIN1RV

DNC CHAIR CONTRADICTS OBAMA: RUSSIAN HACKERS CAME AFTER US 'UNTIL END OF ELECTION.' Democratic National Committee Chair Donna Brazile said Russian hackers persisted in trying to break into the organization's computers "daily, hourly" until after the election -- contradicting President Obama's assertion that the hacking stopped in September after he warned Russian President Vladimir Putin to "cut it out,” ABC’s NICKI ROSSOLL reports. "They came after us absolutely every day until the end of the election. They tried to hack into our system repeatedly," Brazile told ABC's Martha Raddatz in an exclusive interview on "This Week" Sunday. http://abcn.ws/2i3cvs4

TRUMP SAYS CHINA SHOULD KEEP DRONE THEY AGREED TO GIVE BACK. President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday night China should keep the U.S. Navy underwater drone that had been seized in international waters in the South China Sea. The Pentagon said Saturday that China agreed to return the drone. "We should tell China that we don't want the drone they stole back.- let them keep it!" Trump tweeted. ABC’s KATHERINE FAULDERS has more: http://abcn.ws/2hHwOPl

TRUMP'S PICK FOR US AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL SIGNALS CHANGES IN US POLICY. President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for the next U.S. Ambassador to Israel is drawing wide-ranging reactions from jubilant praise to heated criticism. Trump’s choice, David Friedman, holds distinctly conservative views in direct opposition to long-standing U.S. policy positions. Most notably, he also wants to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thus recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a disputed city of which both Israelis and Palestinians claim ownership. ABC’s ELIZABETH MCLAUGHLIN has more: http://abcn.ws/2hIZm8c

OBAMA IN HAWAII: All the details of the president’s final winter Hawaiian vacation while in office, courtesy of ABC’s SERENA MARSHALL: http://abcn.ws/2gKBn6K

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

‘SNL’ POKES FUN AT TRUMP'S MISSPELLED TWEETS, RELATIONSHIP WITH PUTIN. Alec Baldwin returned to "Saturday Night Live" this weekend to reprise his role as Donald Trump, taking jabs at the president-elect's relationship with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, his cabinet picks, his misspelled tweets, and the refusal by some musicians to perform at his inauguration. As ABC’s DAVID CAPLAN explains, also notable about the episode is the return of cast member Kate McKinnon's Hillary Clinton in a sketch later in the show, inspired by the 2003 romantic comedy "Love Actually." http://abcn.ws/2gO69M8

WHO’S TWEETING?

@pvolpe: Trump still employs private security alongside Secret Service and is expected to continue as POTUS, amid concerns. http://politi.co/2hLQ3XL

@NPRinskeep: Obama's next role? Tells @npr he wants to be a talent scout and coach as Democrats seek new leaders. https://n.pr/2hFaOF8  @Morningedition

@mattyglesias: Remarkable amount of confidence that returning to the exact policies that led to the last financial crisis won't lead to a financial crisis.

@JGreenDC: NYT asked 50 states to tally voter fraud. Only 1 not to respond was Kansas, whose Secretary of State advises Trump http://nyti.ms/2hM84VZ

@katiezez: In Poland, a window on what happens when populists come to power http://wapo.st/2gSoZ4A