On Monday, Congress will meet to count the electoral votes from the recent election. This event shouldn’t be as wild as it was four years ago, when a mob tried to stop the counting to help former President Donald Trump. This time, Trump comes back as the winner of the 2024 election. He won decisively, so no dramatic challenges are expected.
Vice President Kamala Harris will lead the session, just like Mike Pence did after the chaos in 2021. Usually, this counting is a routine job. Congress meets on January 6 every four years to confirm who won the presidential election after the Electoral College votes in December.
What Happens During the Meeting?
When Congress gathers, they open sealed envelopes containing the official electoral votes from each state. They read these results out loud and officially count the votes. The vice president presides over the meeting and announces the winner. If there were a tie, the House of Representatives would decide the president, but that’s unlikely this time since Trump won by a wide margin: 312 votes to 226.
What Changed Since Last Time?
After the events of January 6, 2021, Congress changed some rules to prevent chaos. The new law, called the Electoral Count Act of 2022, makes it clear that the vice president doesn’t have the power to change the outcome. Harris, like Pence before her, will also acknowledge her defeat.
In the past, other vice presidents faced similar situations. Al Gore presided over his loss to George W. Bush in 2001, and Joe Biden did the same when Trump won in 2017.
How Will the Counting Work?
During the session, they will read the electoral votes in order by state and record them. If anyone wants to object to a state’s vote, they need at least 20% of both chambers to back their claim in writing, which is a higher requirement than before. This means objections will be harder to make.
If an objection does meet that mark, Congress will pause and discuss it separately. However, both the House and Senate must agree for it to succeed; otherwise, they will keep the original votes.
In 2021, Congress rejected several challenges to the votes. The last time an objection was actually debated before then was in 2005.
What Happens After the Count?
Once Congress certifies the votes, the new president will be sworn in on January 20 at the Capitol. This counting session is the final chance to raise concerns, and Harris has already acknowledged Trump’s win without dispute.
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