Congress is Set to Begin Certification of Joe Biden’s Election Win
The final step in confirming Joe Biden as the next president of the United States is set for Wednesday afternoon as Congress convenes in a joint session to certify that he defeated President Donald Trump in the Electoral College vote.
With Democrat Biden’s 306 electoral votes — 36 more than needed — the process normally would be a formality. But this year, it may take days because of what is likely to be a doomed effort by Trump to overturn his defeat, based on his false claims that he lost as the result of widespread ballot fraud.
The process is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. ET, with Vice President Mike Pence presiding as the states’ certifications of their election results are unsealed in alphabetical order.
Pence’s role, which involves reading the vote tallies as they are unsealed and asking Congress if there are any objections, is traditionally a ceremonial one.
