WASHINGTON: The US Electoral College will confirm Democratic nominee Joe Biden as the next president, in a formal ratification vote on Monday, which comes as President Donald Trump continues to contest the election even as he keeps losing cases in the courts. The 538 electors are generally set to meet in state capitols in all 50 states and Washington throughout the day. The votes will be live-streamed. The Electoral College system distributes votes to each state based on population size.
The winner of the presidential election is the candidate to get more than 270 electoral votes. Biden won the election and states have certified the results in his favour.
While most states have laws binding electors to the popular vote outcome in their territories, some do not, potentially creating some room for drama if certain officials decide to go rogue. In modern history this has not turned into an impactful issue. Trump is pushing a false narrative that the elections were rigged against him.
His legal team has lost dozens of cases in the courts, and one case brought by his allies was rejected at the Supreme Court level.
The next step will be in Congress on January 6, when law makers certify the Electoral College vote. Biden and his vice president, Kamala Harris, are due to be sworn in on January 20. So far, Trump has not offered to meet Biden, but his administration has begun to work with the president-elect’s transition team. — dpa
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