RALEIGH, N.C. – A first-time elector on Monday said taking part in the Electoral College is something she will tell her grandchildren about.

Susan Mills has worked for the North Carolina Republican Party in various capacities for more than 30 years, including a stint as vice chair. She served as an alternate elector in 1996 but never got to play an active role in the meeting of the Electoral College until this year. She was chosen to represent North Carolina's 8th Congressional District earlier this year.

Mills was one of a total of 30 electors who arrived in Raleigh, including 15 alternates. They were chosen at district conventions and the state Republican convention earlier in the summer. When the N.C. State Board of Elections certified the election results on Nov. 24, those electors officially became the ones to cast their ballots. State law automatically allocates all of North Carolina's 15 electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote in the state—in this case, President Donald Trump. Forty-seven other states and the District of Columbia use the same system.

When the electors met at noon in the State Capitol, they assigned Mills the task of officially presenting the results of the tally. Shortly after 12:30 p.m., Mills announced Trump had received all 15 of North Carolina's electoral votes.

“It's hard, when you're as patriotic as I am, to not tear up by doing something like that,” she said. “It was wonderful.”

The electors voted separately to award 15 electoral votes to Vice President Mike Pence. Since the adoption of the 12th Amendment in 1804, electors have cast separate ballots for president and vice president. Prior to then, the vice presidency was awarded to the person who received the second-highest total in the Electoral College.

As thrilling as the experience was, Mills said she hopes someone else is chosen to serve as an elector next time around so more people get to experience choosing a president.