With the election at an end, states prepare for electors to cast their official votes.
After a rocky election season marked by two assassination attempts, President Joe Biden leaving the race just ahead of their convention, and a decisive victory by the Republican candidate, the swearing-in date for the new president is on the horizon.
Here are a few key dates before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.Dec. 11: States Certify Election ResultsSix days before the state electors officially cast their votes reflecting the election results from Nov. 5, according to federal law, “the executive of each State shall issue a certificate of ascertainment of appointment of electors.”
In this case, the “executive” is the state governor, and the certificate names the residents appointed as the electors for each state. Although the process changes from state to state, electors are usually nominated and chosen by each political party at their convention.
Dec. 17: Electoral Colleges VoteOn Dec. 17, the electors will meet at a designated location, usually the state capitol, to cast their votes for the president. Normally, their votes reflect the decision of that state’s residents, but occasionally, the electors go rogue and pick a different candidate.
This happened in 2016 when