The Electoral College is expected to certify Joe Biden as the next president of the United States on Monday, handing him the keys to the White House and effectively putting an end to President Donald Trump’s legal Hail Marys.
But one thing that isn’t settled is the future of the Electoral College itself, say professors of law and political science at Northeastern.
Biden is expected to be officially awarded 306 electoral votes to Trump’s 232 votes when electors convene around the country; 270 votes are required for the presidency. Even though it has been apparent for some time that Biden won the presidential contest, ratification of his victory in the Electoral College seals the deal, says Dan Urman, who teaches Constitutional law and the modern U.S. Supreme Court at Northeastern.
“Yes, Biden will be the next president,” he says.
It also likely means the end of the line for Trump’s legal gambit to invalidate the election results, Urman adds. The president can still try to mount a challenge all the way up to the Supreme Court, but the justices “aren’t going to spend capital when he has no chance.”
“A lot of Trump’s antics have stunningly failed,” says Urman.
