Faith Nyasuguta
Vice President Kamala Harris will oversee Congress’ certification of the 2024 presidential election results, confirming Donald Trump’s Electoral College victory. This constitutional duty, while difficult for Harris, highlights the resilience of democratic institutions.
Harris, the first woman, first Black woman, and first South Asian woman to serve as Vice President, has been a trailblazer throughout her career. Her tenure symbolized progress and representation, making this conclusion to her time in office particularly poignant.
Harris is not the first vice president to oversee the certification of their own election defeat. In 1961, then-Vice President Richard Nixon presided over the certification of votes that secured John F. Kennedy’s presidency. Eight years later, Nixon would go on to win the White House. Similarly, in 1969, Vice President Hubert Humphrey certified Nixon’s electoral victory. In 2001, Vice President Al Gore fulfilled the same duty for George W. Bush following the contentious 2000 election.
This certification process, conducted during a joint session of Congress, allows lawmakers to object to state results. This provision was notably exercised in January 2021 when Republicans contested the 2020 election results in Arizona and Pennsylvania. However, both the House and Senate rejected these objections. This event occurred shortly after the Capitol was stormed by Trump supporters attempting to overturn his defeat to Joe Biden.
Following these events, Congress revised the Electoral Count Act, originally passed in the 1800s, to clarify the vice president’s ceremonial role in the process and to limit the ability to challenge results. Trump had pressured then-Vice President Mike Pence to intervene in the certification, a request Pence had no legal authority to fulfill.
Despite the personal challenge of certifying her loss, Harris is expected to perform her role with dignity and grace. This moment highlights her commitment to public service and the Constitution. Once the results are certified, the president-elect will be inaugurated on January 20 on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.
Harris’ role in this historic moment reflects the strength of America’s democratic systems and the dedication of its leaders to uphold them, even during challenging transitions of power.
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