The meeting comes four years after the January 6, 2021 riots, when Donald Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol to prevent the certification of President Joe Biden's victory.
Unlike in 2021, there are currently no plans from Democrats to block the certification of the results. Here's what to know about that particular process, according to CBS News.
How does the electoral vote count work?
Senators and representatives will meet in a joint session at 1 p.m. ET on January 6 to count the electoral votes from the 50 states and Washington, D.C. Vice President Kamala Harris, as President of the Senate, will preside.
Mr. Donald Trump won 312 electoral votes, far exceeding the 270 threshold to win, while Ms. Kamala Harris received 226 votes.
Does Congress always count votes on January 6 after presidential elections?
By law, Congress must count the electoral votes on January 6 after each presidential election. However, the date is temporarily changed by law when January 6 falls on a weekend. In 2013, Congress confirmed that President Barack Obama had won the election on January 4, rather than January 6, which was a Sunday.
What is the Electoral College Reform Act and what's different about January 6th?
Following the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, Congress moved to reform the Electoral Count Act — an 1887 law that governs the counting of electoral votes — to prevent another attempt to overturn the results of a presidential election.
Congress passed the Election Recount Reform Act of 2022, which makes the vice president’s role in presiding over a joint session of Congress purely ceremonial. It also raises the threshold for objecting to electoral votes to 20% of each house (from just one member in each house).
What happens if a member of Congress objects?
With the new threshold, the chances of a successful objection are very low. Those who object can only express their opinions, but are not eligible to force the National Assembly to discuss or vote as in previous years.
On January 6, 2025, Congress will not only count the votes but also officially close a tumultuous election journey. This will be the final step before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into office on January 20.
