- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

US to Go Through Election Process Formalities Before Trump's Inauguration

© AP Photo / Steve HelberRepublican presidential candidate Donald Trump puts on a miners hard hat during a rally in Charleston, W.Va., Thursday, May 5, 2016
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump puts on a miners hard hat during a rally in Charleston, W.Va., Thursday, May 5, 2016 - Sputnik International
Subscribe
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, emerged as a surprise winner of the US election on Wednesday, however the US presidential elections are not finished yet. The election results at this point are still preliminary, as, technically, the US citizens have only chosen the Electoral College who will later vote for president.

Wikileaks Van - Sputnik International
Mainstream Media 'Still in Denial of What Happened to Them' After Trump Win
MOSCOW (Sputnik) Under the US election system, people do not choose their president directly. Instead, each state chooses electors, whose number depends on the state’s population. The total number of electors is 538, and to win the presidency the candidate needs to ensure at least 270 votes.

Almost all electors vow to vote for a certain candidate, which makes it possible to predict the outcome of the Electoral College vote. When the electors gather on December 19 to cast their ballots for the president, they are generally expected to vote according to their pledge.

Most states give their votes to the candidate who leads in the state, regardless of the margin, which means that if a candidate wins a state with a paper-thin advantage, he or she still gets all of its votes. The system has led to the existence of the battleground states which often end up deciding the fate of the election.

The electors rarely vote against the candidate they have pledged for. The so-called faithless electors can be punished by law in 29 states and Washington, D.C., but these laws have never been enforced.

The Electoral College managed to change the results of the election only once so far, in 1836, when all Virginia electors colluded to abstain during the vote for vice president.

In mid-November, the governor of each state prepares seven Certificates of Ascertainment and sends one of them to the US archivist. The rest are held for the December 19 meeting of the electors. When they have cast their votes, the Certificates of Vote and the six Certificates of Ascertainment are divided into six packages, one of which will then be sent to the Senate for the official recount in January.

On January 6, the two houses of the Congress will meet for a joint session chaired by Vice President Joseph Biden and count the votes. There are special provisions for the Congress actions in case they receive the conflicting results from the Electoral College. Assuming that this will not happen in 2017, one last possibility of challenging the results of the election remains. Written objections to the results of the election signed by at least one member of Senate and one Representative may be submitted to the Parliament.

The inauguration of the US president set for January 20 will be the culmination of the election process. Inaugural ceremonies are usually held at the Capitol Building.

The president-elect is expected to take the Oath of Office and to officially becomes the leader of the country.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала