US Electoral College confirms Trump’s presidential win

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON

President-elect Donald Trump on Monday received the necessary support from the Electoral College to make his Election Day victory official.

Electors convened in every state, most in their capitols, across the country for the formal process of casting their ballots to certify results of the Nov. 8 polls. Electors also gathered in Washington DC.

This year many faced calls to abandon support for Trump, an unusual demand in America's tiered race for the White House. The calls faced long odds going into Monday's state sessions, and ultimately did not prompt a tide change against Trump despite thousands of protesters showing up at various state capitols.

Although not having any constitutional mandate to vote for the candidate who won their state, electors nearly always vote in line with the popular mandate. Some states have laws that require electors to follow the lead of the popular vote, but those laws are seldom violated.

The real-estate mogul crossed the pivotal 270-vote threshold when electors in Austin, Texas, cast their votes. Two electors in the lone star state cast their votes for another candidate: one for Ron Paul and another for Ohio Gov. John Kasich, according to the New York Times.

Each state receives an elector for each member of the House of Representatives it has, plus one for each Senator. The nation's capitol is granted three electors despite not having any voting members in the national legislature.

While Trump crossed the threshold to make his election official, he overwhelmingly lost the popular vote to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Ballots will now be sent to Washington DC where they will be formally counted Jan. 6 in a process overseen by Vice President Joe Biden who serves as the President of the Senate in a largely ceremonial role.

Trump is expected to be sworn into office Jan. 20.