Katana VentraIP

2021 United States Electoral College vote count

The count of the Electoral College ballots during a joint session of the 117th United States Congress, pursuant to the Electoral Count Act, on January 6–7, 2021, was the final step to confirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election over President Donald Trump.

The event drew unprecedented attention because of the efforts of Trump and his allies to overturn the election results. A group of legislators from Trump's Republican Party announced they would formally object to counting Biden's votes in swing states, while Trump unsuccessfully sought to have Vice President Mike Pence use his presiding role over the count to change the outcome. The joint session adjourned twice to debate objections against the votes won by Biden in Arizona and Pennsylvania; both objections were defeated in the House and Senate, with only six Republican senators supporting the former and seven supporting the latter. Republican representatives also raised objections against votes for Biden from Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin, but these objections failed because they were not co-signed by a senator.


Amid the debate on Arizona's votes, rioters stormed the Capitol building, causing the count to be temporarily halted until officials could safely return to their chambers. The counting resumed in the evening after the Capitol was secured and concluded by the following morning.

Identifies each state's governor as responsible for submitting certificates of ascertainment, unless otherwise specified by state laws or constitutions.

Provides for expedited review, including a three-judge panel with a direct appeal to the Supreme Court, of certain claims related to a state’s certificate identifying its electors.

Requires Congress to defer to slates of electors submitted by a state’s executive pursuant to the judgments of state or federal courts.

Clarifies that the vice president cannot solely determine, accept, reject, or otherwise adjudicate disputes over electors.

Raises objection threshold from one member of each chamber to 20% of each chamber.

Prohibits state legislatures from declaring a "failed election." They can now move their election only under “extraordinary and catastrophic” circumstances.

On January 11, 2021, Representative Cori Bush filed a resolution calling for the possible expulsion of more than 100 Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives who voted against certifying results of the presidential election, and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse said the Senate Ethics Committee "must consider the expulsion, or censure and punishment, of Senators Cruz, Hawley, and perhaps others."[98]


On December 22, 2022, The United States Senate passed the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022, sponsored by Senator Susan Collins of Maine and Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia. After about a year of negotiations, it became Division P of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, which passed 68–29 in the Senate and 225–201 in the House the following day.[99][100] It was signed into law by President Joe Biden on December 29.


Some of the highlights of the bill:[101]

Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election

Presidential transition of Joe Biden

Public hearings of the United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack