WASHINGTON, Dec 17 (Bernama-Sputnik/RIA Novosti) -- The United States Electoral College meets on Tuesday to cast their ballots for president and vice-president, making Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance official winners of the US presidential election, reported Sputnik/RIA Novosti.
Trump secured 312 electoral votes in the November 5 election, which significantly exceeds the threshold of 270 votes required to win. This time around, his success is also bolstered by having won the popular vote by 2.5 million.
The Electoral College, created by the Framers of the Constitution in 1787, consists of 538 electors, divided between all states based on each state's number of Congress members. The electors will be casting their votes separately, in their respective states. The results will then be sent to Congress.
The electors' meeting in Pennsylvania, which was the focus of much attention during this year's campaign and on the Election Day, will take place in the capital city of Harrisburg at midday Eastern Standard Time.
The electoral votes from all states will then be counted and certified during a joint session of both the House of Representatives and Senate on January 6. Only after that may Trump and Vance be sworn into office on January 20 and begin discharging their duties.
--BERNAMA-SPUTNIK/RIA NOVOSTI