Congress is expected to convene a joint session on Monday to formalize President-elect Donald Trump's 2024 victory by fulfilling his promise. constitutional role To certify the votes of the Electoral College.
This mundane event, usually a mere formality, ignited into a major explosion four years ago when a mob of rioters rampaged through President Trump's election loss and ransacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021. It emerged as a point.
The ceremony is not expected to be as dramatic of an ordeal, although a snowstorm in the Washington, D.C., area could prevent attendance.
Vice President Kamala Harris will have the unpleasant task of presiding over her own defeat, something former Vice President Al Gore had to do 25 years ago.
Certification of election results is a multifaceted process. Here's how it works:
How will the Electoral College be certified in 2024?
The 2024 presidential election was held on November 5, 2024. Trump was immediately predicted the winner by various media outlets, but technically various states had to take additional steps to certify their own results. The deadline for finalizing the election was December 11, 2024, a “safe harbor day.”
Then, on December 17, 2024, members of the 538-member Electoral College, which determines the presidential winner, voted in the election state by state.
Then, in accordance with the election counting law, the House and Senate: Must meet on January 6th To officially count the votes of the Electoral College. This takes place during a joint session when both chambers meet in the House chamber.
During that joint session, Congress will unseal sealed certificates detailing the electoral votes from each state. Congress has ornate mahogany boxes used to carry votes.
Each chamber appoints two tellers, usually from each party, to read the certificates. The chairperson will open the certificate and assist you in making the payment to the teller.
The teller then presents the certificate from each state in alphabetical order, indicates whether it is “authentic” or not, and announces the results.
Can members of parliament object?
While each state's results are being read, a lawmaker may attempt to object, but in order for it to be considered, the lawmaker must file a written objection and collect the signatures of one-fifth of each chamber. be.
Previously, the threshold was set at one lawmaker per chamber, but that number was raised in the aftermath of the chaotic certification process on January 6, 2021.
If the objection reaches the threshold, the joint session will be suspended and Parliament will be split into two separate sessions per chamber to consider the claim. Each chamber must agree to the objection by a majority vote to sustain it.
No senators are expected to raise objections that meet the required one-fifth threshold to begin the elector certification process.
Finally, both chambers rejected objections raised against Arizona and Pennsylvania. If the objection is rejected, the electoral votes will be counted without amendment.
What is the conclusion?
After each state is read aloud by tellers, Harris will announce the final total of Electoral College votes, which will reveal whether any electors deviated from their original voting method. Various states have rules aimed at minimizing electoral deviations.
Once that is finished, the Vice President will conclude the joint session. Eight years ago, this process took just over 30 minutes to complete, depending on the situation.
What was Trump's plan for January 6, 2021?
In the run-up to January 6, 2021, Trump's allies concocted a cockamamie plan to recover from his election loss by pressuring states to prepare alternative slates of electors. From there, they intended to have Vice President Mike Pence “disqualify” or return the electors.
The theory is that by doing so, the margin needed to win could drop from 270.
But Democrats almost certainly opposed it, which would have sent it to a special House vote decided by state delegations.
A state's delegation is determined by the political party with the most seats in that state. At the time, Republicans held a majority of the state's delegation to Congress.
In the end, Pence refused to “decertify” the election results, which he and many other scholars called an unconstitutional maneuver. Congress has since passed the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvements Act of 2022 to strengthen these rules.
What has changed since last time?
With amendments that went into effect in 2022, federal law now makes clear that the vice president cannot decide the outcome of the January 6 certification process.
It also included a series of minor legal amendments to clarify how candidates can challenge election results in court, as well as other reforms aimed at closing potential loopholes.
Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security designated Monday as a “National Special Security Event.” This means the federal government will have more resources at its disposal to avoid being caught off guard by unexpected developments this time around.
Once the certification is complete, Trump will be inaugurated as president in just two weeks. That's when the real transfer of power takes place and he officially takes office.
Members of the new 119th Congress were sworn in last Friday, giving Republicans a majority in the House as well as the Senate.
