US Electoral College affirms Joe Biden is President-elect [Video]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• The Electoral College formally confirmed the victory of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Monday.
• Biden is expected to secure 306 votes while President Donald Trump would get 232 votes.
• The total voting tally will be certified by the Congress joint session on January 6.

On Monday, the Electoral College officially proclaimed Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election. California’s 55 electoral votes pushed Biden’s total votes beyond the needed 270 to cement his presidency.

The former vice president is anticipated to obtain a total of 306 votes when Hawaii votes come in. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is expected to get 232 votes.

As of counting, all GOP and Democratic electors party have voted for their party’s candidate. Per his transition office, Biden is expected to give an address about the Electoral College vote shortly.

In New York, the Clintons ━ former President Bill Clinton and former first lady Hillary Clinton ━ were both part of the electors.

After voting, Hillary shared her thoughts about the Electoral College.

“I believe we should abolish the Electoral College and select our president by the winner of the popular vote, the same as every other office. But while it still exists, I was proud to cast my vote in New York for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris,” she wrote on Twitter.

The electoral vote, which is set to commence on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December, is basically a simple ceremonial event. This time, however, Trump’s continuous challenge to overturn the election results and refusal to concede has made the process more dramatic.

In accordance with the law, the District of Columbia and 32 states expect electors to vote the winning candidate in their state’s popular vote, while 17 states permit electors to personally select their candidate.

Last July, the Supreme Court ruled that electors who will deviate from voting for their chosen candidates could face legal punishment.

States cast their votes to the winning candidate of their respective popular vote except for Maine and Nebraska.

The total tally from all 50 states and the District of Columbia will be collectively accounted for at the Congress’ joint session on January 6.

Source: New York Post