US States Vote to Formalize Trump's 2024 Electoral College Victory

Facts

• Presidential electors gathered across all 50 US states on Tuesday to formally cast their votes to confirm this year's presidential election, with Donald Trump securing 312 electoral votes compared to Kamala Harris' 226.^[1][2]
• Trump won both the Electoral College (EC) and the popular vote this election, receiving 77.2M votes nationwide compared to Harris's 75M, marking a decisive victory in 31 states.^[1][3]
• The process requires governors to submit a "certificate of ascertainment" identifying their state's electors, with each of the state's electors signing six copies of the "Certificate of Vote." Votes are then counted during a joint session of Congress on Jan. 6 of the next year.^[1][4]
• The EC process, governed by the 12th Amendment and reformed by the 2022 Electoral Count Reform Act, requires state officials to certify results six days before electors meet. The 2022 law also requires one-fifth of lawmakers in each chamber to support any potential objection.^[1][4]
• Forty-eight states and Washington, DC, follow a winner-take-all system, while Maine and Nebraska allocate electors based on congressional district results. EC votes are proportional to congressional distribution.^[1][5][6]
• Between the 2020 and 2024 elections, several states experienced changes in their electoral votes, with Texas gaining two votes; Colorado, Florida, Montana, North Carolina, and Oregon gaining one each; and California, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia losing one vote each.^[1]

Sources: ^[1]CBS, ^[2]The Guardian, ^[3]NH Register, ^[4]CNN, ^[5]WBRZ and ^[6]National Archives.

Narratives

• Democratic narrative, as provided by NPR Online News and ACLU. The Electoral College is outdated and unfair because it undermines the "one person, one vote" principle by disproportionately empowering smaller states, thus nullifying the popular vote, as seen in several elections where the victor didn't win the majority. Despite this archaic system, Democrats this year are following the rules, unlike some Trump supporters who face felony charges for attempting to manipulate the process in 2020.
• Republican narrative, as provided by The Heritage Foundation and Townhall. The Electoral College ensures that all states are represented in presidential elections, preventing cities from controlling the lives of rural citizens. It enhances election stability, discourages voter fraud by isolating its impact, and encourages moderate candidates. Democrats' attempt to abolish it, despite Trump winning both counts this year, makes their anti-American rejection of the system particularly ironic this year.