WASHINGTON (AP) — The Electoral College has formally confirmed that Joe Biden will be the nation’s next president, giving him a solid electoral majority of 306 votes to affirm his victory in last month’s election. The state-by-state voting Monday took on added importance this year because of President Donald Trump’s refusal to concede he had lost. Heightened security was in place in some states as electors met under various threats. The results will be sent to Washington and tallied in a Jan. 6 joint session of Congress. For all the defeated Republican president’s objections, there was little suspense and no change as all the electoral votes allocated to Biden and Trump in last month’s popular vote went to each man.

 

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden has pointedly criticized President Donald Trump for threatening core principles of democracy even as he told Americans that their form of self-government ultimately “prevailed.” Speaking on the day that electors nationwide cast votes affirming his victory, Biden was blunt in critiquing the damage done by Trump’s baseless allegations that the contest was stolen. Such arguments have been roundly rejected by judges across the political spectrum, including the justices at the Supreme Court. Biden says democracy has been “pushed, tested, threatened.” But he says it proved to be “resilient, true, and strong.” Biden and his team hope the formal victory in the Electoral College will help the country unify and accept his presidency.