Congress prepares to certify Trump’s 2024 presidential victory

This year’s certification comes in stark contrast to the events of January 6, 2021, when a violent mob stormed the Capitol in an attempt to overturn Trump’s loss to Joe Biden.

The certification process

During the session, members of Congress will open sealed electoral vote certificates from each state. Bipartisan tellers will read the results aloud, and the votes will be officially tallied.

Harris, as Senate president, will then announce Trump’s victory over her, with a final count of 312 to 226 electoral votes.

The 2022 revision of the Electoral Count Act clarified the vice president’s limited role in the certification process, preventing disputes like those in 2021 when Trump pressured Pence to reject Biden’s win. The updated law also raised the threshold for objections to electoral votes, requiring written support from one-fifth of each chamber, which makes challenges less likely.

If objections meet this threshold, the session would pause, and the House and Senate would separately debate and vote on the issue.

For an objection to succeed, a majority in both chambers must agree—a scenario not expected this year given Trump’s decisive win.

Looking ahead

Once the votes are certified, Trump will be inaugurated on January 20 on the Capitol’s west front, reported AP. Harris has publicly conceded and acknowledged Trump’s victory, ensuring Monday’s session is expected to remain routine and free from controversy.

(With inputs from AP)

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