What Happens After Election Day? A Timeline of Events
November 4, 2008
Approximately 130 million Americans cast ballots for the presidency of the United States (1). That represents about eight million more votes cast for president than in 2004.
December 9, 2008
This date is the safe-harbor deadline. Created by Congress in 1887 following a disputed presidential election, this deadline protects states’ rights to have their electoral votes uncontested by the federal government.
If a state has not certified its election results by the deadline, the disputed outcome in that state can be decided by Congress when it counts the votes on January 8, 2009. No states are expected to miss the safe harbor deadline in 2008.
December 15, 2008
The Electoral College will meet in 51 separate state locations. Each elector will cast one vote for president and one vote for vice president. The assembled electors in each state will then create certificates with two distinct lists of election results: one list will include all of the electoral votes for president; the other list will include the electoral votes for vice president. After creating the certificates, each state’s group of electors will send identical copies of their certificate to the president of the Senate (the vice president of the United States), the secretary of state of their state, the archivist of the United States, and the judge of the district in which the electors are assembled.
In 48 states and the District of Columbia, electoral votes are allocated to the winner of the statewide popular vote. In Maine and Nebraska, the allocation of electoral votes is also based on the winner of the popular vote in individual congressional districts. Neither Maine nor Nebraska had split their electoral votes under the district system – until 2008.
Barack Obama won the popular vote in Nebraska’s second congressional district. By winning the statewide vote and two congressional districts, John McCain won four electoral votes in the state, and Barack Obama won one electoral vote. This is the first time since 1960 that a state has split its Electoral College votes.
January 8, 2009
At 1:00 p.m., the vice president will preside over a joint session of Congress. The certificates from the electors of each state will be opened in alphabetical order by state and read aloud to the recently convened 111th Congress. After the votes are counted, the vice president will announce the results and will call for any objections. All objections must be made in writing and include the signature of at least one representative and one senator. The likely results by state are highlighted below (2).
The Electoral College by State, 2008
District of Columbia
January 20, 2009
At exactly noon, the chief justice of the Supreme Court will administer the oath of office to the president-elect: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.” The president-elect will thus be inaugurated the 44th president of the United States.
(1) Voter turnout figure is preliminary, as reported by Dr. Michael McDonald and the United States Election Project. 18 Nov. 2008 <http://elections.gmu.edu/preliminary_vote_2008.html>.