The race for leadership will not be decided on the day following the voting deadline of November 5th, as the election of either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump hinges on several weeks of complex, behind-the-scenes processes. These procedures are in place to guarantee the accurate counting of ballots and determine who, indeed, triumphed in the polarizing race for electoral college votes.
Starting from November 7th, each state has different deadlines to certify their results, commencing with Delaware. Interestingly enough, crucial swing states like Georgia have their data confirmation due not until the 23rd of November. Michigan, North Carolina, and Nevada follow suit with their dates set for November 25th and 26th, respectively.
Scurrying to the finish line by the start of December, Wisconsin is set to validate their electoral college outcomes by December 1st, with Arizona following a day afterward on December 2nd. Perhaps surprisingly, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island offer no set deadlines for their certification.
The workings of this system mean that the winner of the state popular vote becomes the recipient of all the state’s electors earlier decided in the year. This tradition, often referred to as winner-take-all, leaves no room for second prize. Hence, the candidate lucky enough to secure a minimum of 270 of the total 538 possible electoral votes at the state level is crowned President.
The transition process commences by November 11th if the polls fail to deliver an undisputed victor. In such cases, federal agency representatives are obliged to commence a series of briefings outlining their critical roles and workflows to both Harris and Trump campaign teams separately.
On a worrying note, November 26th could bring an unwelcome surprise for Trump. Strangely, the process of deciding the next President may very well coincide with Trump’s day in court in Lower Manhattan, following a jury’s guilty verdict against him on 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Trump is looking at a possible prison term of up to four years, considering it’s his maiden criminal conviction. Whether he will get off with a lighter sentence or probation remains to be seen. However, it’s noteworthy that serving a presidential term while being a convicted felon or person behind bars is not prohibited.
The next important milestone is the ‘ascertainment’ on December 11th. After each state ratifies their results, the state’s executive, usually the governor, rights a ‘certificate of ascertainment’. This official document officially assigns support for the triumphant candidate. Unsurprisingly, these certificates are what Congress treats as final.
The electoral votes are cast on December 17th. The date always coincides with the first Tuesday after the second Wednesday in December. This specific timing results in the 2024 vote falling on the 17th of December.
Following this, the electors’ votes make their journey to Washington D.C. This round-trip has a strict deadline of the fourth Wednesday in December, which for this particular year happens to fall on Christmas Day.
Fast forwarding to the New Year, on January 3, 2025, the newly constituted House and Senate gather for the first time. This critical moment marks the official commencement of their two-year term.
Three days later, on January 6, 2025, the Electoral College process is rounded out. The sitting Vice President overlooks this final step during a joint session where both the Senate and the House of Representatives are present. After witnessing Vice President Mike Pence’s failure to overturn the 2020 election results, Congress established that the Vice President has a purely ceremonial role with no power to reject electoral votes in this process.
The climax of this process will occur on the steps of the U.S. Capitol at midday on January 20, 2025. On this celebrated Inauguration Day, the elected President will pledge their oath of office, officially marking the beginning of their tenure.
Kamala Harris’ Likely Failure in Protracted Electoral Battle appeared first on Real News Now.
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