Electoral College Timeline

The Electoral College timeline in 2020 is as follows:

Vote Certification[edit]

The schedule, which courts could delay, are as follows:^[1]

• Georgia is to certify its vote by November 20, 2020;
• Pennsylvania and Michigan are to certify their votes by November 23;
• Arizona is to certify by November 30; and
• Wisconsin and Nevada are to certify their votes by December 1.

Electoral College schedule[edit]

December 8, 2020, is the “Safe Harbor” date when states are obligated to certify the election results and choose Electors. The state legislatures hold this power ultimately under the U.S. Constitution and can intervene.

December 14, 2020, is when Electors meet together in each state (not a group meeting for the entire country) and cast their votes to select the new President and Vice President.

January 3, 2021 is when the new Congress is sworn in to begin the 117th legislative session.

January 6, 2021 is when the Electoral College votes are counted by members of the House and Senate, in the chambers of the House. The election goes into the House of Representatives for selection of the new President (and into the Senate for selection of the new Vice President), with each state getting one vote, if no candidate wins 270 electoral college votes.

January 20, 2021 is Inauguration Day when the incoming President is sworn into his office at noon.

References[edit]