The U.S. Congress on Friday
formally counted the Electoral College ballots and confirmed
President Barack Obama's reelection victory on November 6.
The official count in Congress, which is required by the
Constitution, affirmed Obama's 332 to 206 win in Electoral College
ballots over Republican candidate Mitt Romney. 270 ballots are
required to win the presidency.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden presided over the joint session of
the House and Senate in the House chamber. Biden handed certificates
on the electoral votes of each state to four members of the House
and Senate who served in turn as the readers.
After receiving the vote totals, Biden read them out and declared
that his announcement "shall be deemed a sufficient declaration of
the persons elected president and vice president of the United
States, each for the term beginning on the 20th day of January,
2013."
The current U.S. presidential election system features the
electoral college. U.S. voters cast their ballots for a slate of
electors of the U.S. Electoral College, who in turn elect the
president and vice president.
Under the Constitution, each state is allocated a number of
Electoral College electors equal to the number of its Senators and
House Representatives in the U.S. Congress. The District of Columbia
is given three electors.
Obama will take the oath of office for a second term later this
month. Three days of events, from Jan. 19 to Jan. 21 will be
organized by the Presidential Inaugural Committee in celebration.
