2021 United States Electoral College vote count

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On January 6, 2021, the United States Congress will convene to count ballots that were formally cast by the electoral college on December 14, 2020. This is considered the final pro forma step in the 2020 United States presidential election, in which Congress will confirm Joe Biden's victory over incumbent President Donald Trump. The Inauguration of Joe Biden is scheduled for January 20, 2021.

Background

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who on December 15 acknowledged Biden's victory the day after the Electoral College vote, privately urged his Republican Senate colleagues not to join efforts by some House Republicans to challenge the vote count,[1] but was unable to persuade Hawley not to lodge an objection.[2] Hawley used his objection stance in fundraising emails.[3][4] Eleven Republican senators and senators-elect (Ted Cruz, Ron Johnson, James Lankford, Steve Daines, John Kennedy, Marsha Blackburn, Mike Braun, Cynthia Lummis, Roger Marshall, Bill Hagerty, and Tommy Tuberville)—one-quarter of Senate Republicans—announced that they would join Hawley's challenge, while acknowledging that it would not succeed.[5] On January 2, 2021, Vice President Pence expressed support for the attempt to overturn Biden's victory.[5] Neither Pence nor the 11 senators planning to object made any specific allegation of fraud; rather, they vaguely suggested that some wrongdoing might have taken place.[5] Other Senate Republicans were noncommittal or opposed to the attempt by the 11 Republican senators to subvert the election results.[2]

A spokesperson for President-elect Biden called the effort a publicity stunt that would fail,[6] a statement echoed by Senator Amy Klobuchar, the top Democrat of the committee with jurisdiction over federal elections.[5] A bipartisan group of senators condemned the scheme to undo the election for Trump;[6] Joe Manchin (D-WV), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mark Warner (D-VA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Angus King (I-ME), Mitt Romney (R-UT), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) said, "The 2020 election is over. All challenges through recounts and appeals have been exhausted. At this point, further attempts to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the 2020 Presidential election are contrary to the clearly expressed will of the American people and only serve to undermine Americans' confidence in the already determined election results."[7] In a separate statement, Senator Ben Sasse, Republican of Nebraska, denounced his Republican colleagues who have sought to overturn the election results, terming them "the institutional arsonist members of Congress" and the submission of objection to counting the electoral votes as a "dangerous ploy" by Republican members of Congress who – in seeking "a quick way to tap into the president's populist base" – were pointing "a loaded gun at the heart of legitimate self-government."[8] Other prominent Republicans who spoke out against attempts to subvert the election results included Governor Larry Hogan, former House Speaker Paul Ryan, and Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the third-highest-ranking Republican in the House.[6]

Objections to the electoral votes have virtually no chance of success, as Democrats have a majority in the House of Representatives[1] and, although the Senate has a Republican majority, there is no majority for overturning the election results.[2] Trevor Potter, a Republican former chairman of the Federal Election Commission and the president of the Campaign Legal Center, wrote that the counting joint session "gives Trump's die-hard supporters in Congress an opportunity to again provide more disinformation about the election on national television."[9] After Senator John Thune, the second highest-ranking Senate Republican, said that the challenge to the election results would fail "like a shot dog" in the Senate, Trump attacked him on Twitter.[5][10]

In December, Trump repeatedly encouraged his supporters to protest in Washington, D.C. on January 6 in support of his campaign to overturn the election results,[11] appealing his supporters to "Be there, will be wild!"[12] The Washington Post editorial board criticized Trump for urging street protests, referring to previous violence by some Trump supporters at two earlier rallies and his earlier statement during a presidential debate telling the Proud Boys to "stand back and stand by."[13] Multiple groups of "die-hard" Trump supporters are staging rallies in D.C. on that day: Women for America First; the Eighty Percent Coalition (also at Freedom Plaza); the group's name refers to the approximately 80% of Trump voters who do not accept the legitimacy of Biden's win); and "The Silent Majority" (a group organized by a South Carolina conservative activist).[14][11] George Papadopoulos and Roger Stone, ardent allies of Trump, will headline some of the events.[11] In addition to the formally organized events, the Proud Boys, other far-right groups, and white supremacists vowed to descend on Washington on January 6, with some threatening violence and pledging to carry weapons.[11] Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio said that his followers would "be incognito" and "spread across downtown DC in smaller teams."[14] On January 4, Tarrio was arrested by D.C. police on misdemeanor and felony charges.[15]

January 6 joint session

Results to objections

Reactions

References

  1. ^ a b Tapper, Jake (December 31, 2020). "At least 140 House Republicans to vote against counting electoral votes, two GOP lawmakers say". CNN.
  2. ^ a b c Everett, Burgess (January 1, 2021). "'Exercise in futility': Republicans lambaste Hawley's push to challenge election". Politico.
  3. ^ Axelrod, Tal (December 31, 2020). "Outgoing GOP congressman criticizes Hawley for fundraising off Electoral College challenge". The Hill.
  4. ^ Isenstadt, Alex (December 21, 2020). "Hawley faces heat from Senate Republicans over Electoral College plans". Politico.
  5. ^ a b c d e Broadwater, Luke (January 2, 2021). "Pence Welcomes Bid to Overturn Biden's Election as Republican Senators Join". The New York Times. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c Mascaro, Lisa; Jalonick, Mary Clare (January 3, 2021). "Republicans condemn GOP 'scheme' to undo election for Trump". Associated Press.
  7. ^ "Durbin, Bipartisan Colleagues: Voters Have Spoken, Congress Must Fulfill Its Responsibility". durbin.senate.gov (Press release). January 3, 2021. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  8. ^
  9. ^ Potter, Trevor (December 17, 2020). "No, Jan. 6 isn't another chance for Trump to reverse the election". The Washington Post.
  10. ^ Sneve, Joe (January 1, 2021). "Trump again attacks Thune via Twitter, Noem repeats she won't challenge for Senate seat". Sioux Falls Argus Leader. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  11. ^ a b c d Lang, Marissa J. (December 30, 2020). "Jan. 6 protests multiply as Trump continues to call supporters to Washington". The Washington Post.
  12. ^ Shaw, Adam (December 19, 2020). "Trump promises 'wild' protest in Washington DC on Jan. 6, claims it's 'impossible' he lost". Fox News. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  13. ^ Editorial Board (December 30, 2020). "Trump is inciting chaos on Jan. 6, both in and outside the Capitol". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  14. ^ a b Jackson, David; Brown, Matthew (January 2, 2021). "'Wild' protests: Police brace for pro-Trump rallies when Congress meets Jan. 6 to certify Biden's win". USA Today.
  15. ^ Hermann, Peter; Weil, Martin (January 4, 2021). "Proud Boys leader arrested in the burning of Black Lives Matter banner, D.C. police say". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
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