The House and the Senate are set to convene today to certify the results of the 2024 election.
Scheduled as a joint session, the electoral votes from all 50 states and the District of Columbia will be tallied, with Vice President Kamala Harris set to preside over the counting. While the vice president will read out loud the electoral votes, Congress will count each of the results to confirm that the Presidential term will go to Donald Trump.
With the passage of the Electoral Reform Act in 2022, one-fifth of the members in each chamber would need to dissent to force lawmakers to debate and vote on whether the results should be accepted.
Today’s electoral count displays Harris’ promise to “engage in a peaceful transfer of power” as she conceded the election and urged her supporters to “accept the results of the election.”
Today, I will perform my constitutional duty as Vice President to certify the results of the 2024 election. This duty is a sacred obligation — one I will uphold guided by love of country, loyalty to our Constitution, and unwavering faith in the American people. pic.twitter.com/w21HzdNxGs
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) January 6, 2025
“The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for,” Harris said in her speech following the announcement of the results on Nov. 6. “But hear me when I say, the light of America’s promise will always burn bright, as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.”
The electoral count will be held on the fourth anniversary of the violent Jan. 6 insurrection.
In 2021, on the day that the electoral results were set to verify that President Joe Biden won the election, rioters broke into the Capitol, echoing the claims perpetuated by Trump that the election was rigged. About 140 officers were beaten while trying to prevent the mob from entering the Capitol. The rioters also attempted to single out then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and then-Vice President Mike Pence.
Over 1,250 people have been arrested in connection with the storming and have pleaded guilty over their involvement. More than 650 have also received prison time ranging from a number of days up to 22 years.
With his inauguration into office, Trump has said that he’ll issue pardons to over 1,500 people who charged the Capitol on “Day 1” of his presidency.
Police officers who were victims of the storming have spoken out against the upcoming pardons, promising to continue speaking out regardless of public opinion.
“It was a horrible day not only for myself but for my colleagues,” said Capitol Police Sergeant Aquilino Gonell, per NPR. “No matter how much the other side wants to erase it, it won’t change that.”
