Who ARE the Electors?

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Question: Are the electors of the Electoral College real people? Do they have names? What qualifies them to be electors?  Where is this information listed, and is it public information?

Who electors are and how they are picked
The electors of the Electoral College are real people. How they are selected is determined by both state law and the rules of the political parties. According to the U.S. Office of the Federal Register, "Generally, the political parties nominate electors at their State party conventions or by a vote of the party's central committee in each State. Electors are often selected to recognize their service and dedication to their political party. They may be State elected officials, party leaders, or persons who have a personal or political affiliation with the Presidential candidate. Then the voters in each State choose the electors on the day of the general election. The electors' names may or may not appear on the ballot below the name of the candidates running for President, depending on the procedure in each State."

Qualifications of electors
Basically, if the states say the elector is qualified, the elector is qualified. The U.S. Constitution states only that, "no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector." -- Article II. section 1, clause 2 

Electors can and may be former members of the United States Congress, but most are simply private citizens seeking to participate in the electoral system on the behalf of their political party.

Under Title III, chapter 1, section 15 of the United States Code, members of the U.S. Congress can object to the qualifications of an elector, or to the manner in which the electors of a state were selected. However, these objections are allowed only after the electors have cast their votes in the Electoral College meetings. Congressional objections to electors' credentials are rare, but this year...?

Where you can find electors' names
Laws regarding the listing of electors before the Nov. 7 election vary from state-to-state. In most states, the names of electors can be obtained from the Secretary of State or State Elections Division. In some states, the electors for each party are listed on the official ballot under the names of the candidates.

After the states' election results are final and certified, the governor of the state must send the names of the electors by registered mail to the Archivist of the United States, National Archives and Records Administration. The notification sent by the governors is called a "Certificate of Ascertainment" and must list the names of the electors appointed and the number of votes received by each. It must also list the names of all other candidates for elector and the number of votes received by each.

Images of the actual Certificates of Ascertainment listing the names, and in some instances the addresses, of the electors are now being posted on the National Archives and Records Web site at: 
http://www.nara.gov/fedreg/elctcoll/2000certa.html#begin

The images of the Certificates of Ascertainment are being posted as they are sent in by the states. You will notice that Florida's list of electors has been certified and posted, even though the state's election is currently being contested by Vice President Gore. [See: Election 2000 - Results and News]