Electoral College formalises Biden’s 306-presidential poll 232 win

All 538 electors voted Monday in the Electoral College, formalizing President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election.

Their votes will next be sent to Washington to be counted by Congress on January 6.

Hawaii’s four electors voted shortly after 7 p.m. to make the final tally 306 Electoral College votes for Mr Biden to 232 for President Trump.

At 5:30 p.m. ET, California’s electors cast their state’s 55 Electoral College votes for Mr Biden, putting him over the 270 needed to win.

Mr Biden spoke Monday night after the count had concluded, urging Americans to move forward after the election.

While he struck a unifying tone toward the end of his speech, he also highlighted some of Mr Trump’s many legal challenges and his refusal to concede, calling it an “assault on democracy.”

Mr Trump’s last-ditch legal attempts to overturn the results have been quashed in the courts.

On Friday, the Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that sought to stop electors in four key battleground states from voting Monday.

▪︎What happened prior to December 14?

Election Day is set by law as the Tuesday that follows the first Monday in November, which in 2020 fell on November 3. When people cast their ballots, they are actually voting for an elector committed to supporting their choice for president and vice president.

After the polls close, the states count and, eventually, certify the votes. All states have certified their results. California was the last to do it, on December 11.

The U.S. Code says that if any state has enacted procedures to settle any controversies over electors before Election Day and if the results have been determined six days before the electors meet, they qualify for “safe harbor.” Congress is required to consider those results as  “conclusive.” This date is known as the “Safe Harbor” deadline.(CBSNews)