US Democratic candidate, Joe Biden, has officially clinched victory once again after the Electoral College confirmed his win at the November 3rd Presidential Polls. This announcement caps a tumultuous election period caused by incumbent President Donald Trump’s refusal to acknowledge his loss at the same poll. 

Addressing his supporters and the country following the announcement, Biden, in a televised statement from Delaware, rebuked President Donald Trump for failing to accept the will of the American people, while reassuring the country of his commitment to the grueling task ahead of him as president. 

The flame of democracy was lit in this nation a long time ago. And we now know that nothing — not even a pandemic or an abuse of power — can extinguish that flame,” Biden said. “And now, it’s time to turn the page as we’ve done throughout our history, to unite, and to heal.”

Thanking the “ordinary men and women” who had refused to be bullied, Biden took a direct swipe at Trump, saying, “In America, politicians don’t take power – the people grant it to them.” The Democratic candidate went on to conclude his statement, reiterating that “In this battle for the soul of America, democracy prevailed.”

What The Votes Said

There are 538 electors in the Electoral College and a majority of 270 is required to win. Biden went over the top earlier in the day when California, the largest US state, cast its 55 electors for the Democratic ticket. The Pacific island state of Hawaii was the last to cast its votes, bringing Biden’s total to 306 electoral votes. Trump won 232.

Similarly, all of the election’s most closely contested battleground states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Georgia cast their votes for Biden.

How The Electoral College Works

Established in the US Constitution in 1787, the Electoral College is an archaic institution that sees voters cast their ballots for “electors”, who in turn formally vote for candidates after the election.