The US House of Representatives and the US Senate will meet in a special joint session on Monday to officially count the votes and confirm the results of the presidential election. The board is chaired by Vice President Kamala Harris, who was Donald Trump’s opponent in the November election. Four years ago, during this process, the Capitol was attacked.
This meeting, which officially ends the process of choosing the president of the United States, will start at 13:00 local time (in Poland).
Led by Kamala Harris, who serves as vice president as president of the Senate, members of Congress from both parties will open mahogany boxes containing certificates of electoral votes from each state (in alphabetical order) and the District of Columbia. After they are counted, Harris, the moderator, will announce the victory of his opponent in this year’s race for the White House, Donald Trump, who won 312 votes against 226 Democratic votes.
The Capitol in a photo dated January 6, 2025PAP/EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
Procedure according to the new law
Monday’s order — as it does every four years on Jan. 6 — will be held for the first time under a new law passed by Congress to avoid the chaos and uncertainty of four years ago and make it more difficult to challenge the vote. According to the new law, not one congressman or senator, but 1/5 of the representatives of both chambers (20 senators and 87 members of the House of Representatives) should support the protest.
This document also confirmed and specified the ceremonial role of the vice president in response to the pressure of Donald Trump and his supporters on Vice President Pence to cancel the results of the 2020 elections.
Four years since the storming of the Capitol
So far, such formal protests have been raised only twice in history. In 2021, Trump supporters challenged voting credentials from Pennsylvania and Arizona, but they were voted down by both chambers — even after Trump supporters stormed the Capitol.
Earlier, in 2005, George W. Bush’s victory in Ohio was challenged by two Democratic politicians, but their challenge was similarly rejected.
Five people, including a police officer, were killed and more than 140 were injured when supporters of Donald Trump stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021 — or shortly thereafter. After the riot, one of the largest federal investigations in US history began. In less than four years – as stated in the announcement of the US Attorney for the District of Columbia (Washington) on November 6, 2024 – 1,561 people were charged with federal charges, the courts decided the cases of more than a thousand defendants, and 645 of them received a prison sentence.
Attack on the Capitol. Photo from January 6, 2021 Shutterstock
SEE ALSO: Former Proud Boys leaders convicted of Capitol attack
Advanced security measures
Although this year’s session was not as tense as the 2021 one, Capitol Police and city officials have stepped up security measures, erecting high metal fences around Capitol Hill. The meeting will take place despite a snowstorm forecast to bring up to 60cm of snow. Before the storm hit, it was decided to close all other federal offices in Washington.
The declaration of Donald Trump’s victory by Congress will be the last official step before the inauguration of the new president. Trump’s second term inauguration will begin at noon on January 20.
Donald TrumpNathan Lane/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Main photo source: PAP/EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
