US Electoral College Confirms Joe Biden as President

Washington – The US Electoral College met on Monday and confirmed Democratic candidate Joe Biden as winner of the November 3 presidential election with 306 electoral votes compared to only 232 for incumbent President Donald Trump.

Biden received nearly 81.3 million votes, or 51.3 percent of all votes cast – more than any other US politician has ever received in history. Trump received 74 million votes, the second largest number in history. The previous record was held by former President Barack Obama with 69.5 million votes.

A clear majority of at least 270 electoral votes of the total of 506 available is necessary to elect a president.

The electoral votes will now be sent to the US Congress for verification at a joint session, the final stage of the election, scheduled for January 6. Federal lawmakers can raise objections given that Trump disputes the election claiming fraud and acts of impropriety robbed him of victory, but it would take a bicameral majority.