“Electing the Leader of the Free World: A Comprehensive Guide to Verifying the Outcome”
The Era of Certifying Elections: A New Era of Electoral College Certification
The electoral college certification process is set to take place on Monday, with the House and Senate convening a joint session to certify the results of the 2024 presidential election. This quadrennial event has evolved significantly since the 2020 presidential election, which saw violent riots at the Capitol and controversy surrounding the certification of the results.
The certification process has become a national security incident, with congressional security officials erecting 10-foot-tall fencing around the perimeter of the Capitol. The event has lost its usual air of tranquility, replaced by a sense of urgency and caution.
The Twelfth Amendment to the Constitution outlines the process for the President of the Senate, currently Vice President Harris, to open all certificates and count the votes. This requires a joint session of Congress, which will be convened on Monday. House Speaker Mike Johnson will co-chair the session from the House dais, alongside Vice President Harris.
The Congress is taking extra precautions to ensure the safety and security of the proceedings. Access to House and Senate office buildings has been restricted to members, staff, and visitors conducting official business. There will be limited pedestrian entrances to the Capitol grounds, and official tours of the Capitol are suspended.
Harris will announce that the House and Senate are in joint session and declare that “the (election) certificate is authentic and correct.” The Speaker of the House will then call the House of Representatives to order, and the process of counting the electoral votes will begin.
The new Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022 has clarified the role of the Vice President in the election certification process. The law stipulates that the Vice President’s role is only “ministerial” and does not give them the authority to determine, accept, or reject disputes concerning the proper slate of electors or the electoral votes.
The law also establishes an expedited judicial appeals process for electoral vote lawsuits and changes how lawmakers themselves can raise objections to a state’s slate of electors during a joint session. The old system required a member of the House of Representatives and a senator to sign a petition challenging a single state’s electoral rolls, but the new law makes it harder to challenge state election certificates.
The results of the 2024 election are not in dispute, and no one is expected to force Congress to conduct additional scrutiny of the Electoral College. Despite extra precautions, Capitol security officials do not anticipate a rally or violence, unlike in 2021.
In conclusion, the era of certifying elections has undergone significant changes since the 2020 presidential election. The Electoral College certification process is now a more formalized and secure procedure, with Congress taking extra precautions to ensure the safety and security of the proceedings.
