Explainer | Electoral College vote December 14: how it works, what to expect
- US voters cast their ballots for president more than a month ago, but the votes that officially matter will be cast Monday
- Spotlight on Electoral College vote even greater this year because Donald Trump has refused to concede the election
Long a mere formality, a vote on Monday by members of the Electoral College to formally recognise Joe Biden as the next US president has taken on unusual import this year with Donald Trump stubbornly refusing to admit defeat.
The results of the November 3 vote have been certified by each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia; the Democrat won with a record 81.3 million votes, or 51.3 per cent of those cast, to 74.2 million, and 46.8 per cent, for the Republican president.
But in the United States, the occupant of the White House is chosen by indirect universal suffrage, with each state allocating its electors – whose numbers are essentially based on population – to the candidate who carried the state.
The results confirm an easy victory for Biden, with 306 of the 538 electoral votes, to 232 for Trump, with 270 required for election.
Trump and his allies have lost dozens of cases since the election and there’s currently no word from the White House on whether Trump will attend Biden’s inauguration on January 20, or engage in other formalities related to the transfer of powers between administrations. On Sunday, Trump told Fox News the US could have an “illegitimate” president.
What exactly is the Electoral College?