ALBANY — Some of New York’s top Democrats got together Monday to unanimously decide that Barack Obama should be president.

And it cost taxpayers more than $1,700 just to feed the state’s electoral college and others involved in the process.

According to the office of the New York Secretary of State, New York paid about $3,400 altogether for the meeting, which is largely considered a formality. The event gave politicians a chance to pose for pictures, and hold onto their ballots as keepsakes. Gov. David Paterson, a member of the college, took the opportunity to give a speech about the historic nature of electing a black man as president

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Senate Democratic Leader Malcolm Smith, New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, and Alan Lubin, the executive vice president of the New York State United Teachers union, were among the electors voting for Obama.

Obama won about 62 percent of New York’s popular vote in last month’s general election. The largely ceremonial procedure is mandated by the U.S. Constitution. The popular vote winner in New York wins all its electoral votes.

Each state has electors equal to their number of representatives and senators. New York has 29 House members and the two senators.