Congress' Electoral College Tally Promises More Acrimony Than Ceremony

Under the Constitution, the final step in the 2020 presidential election is for a joint session of Congress to meet on Jan. 6 to count the Electoral College votes and officially declare a winner. Governors certified and sealed their states' results after their electors signed off on them on Dec. 14, and Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won with 306 votes to Donald Trump and Mike Pence's 232 votes.

This session is typically a ceremonial affair, but this year it's expected to highlight the bitterly divided reaction between the two parties to the 2020 election results and last for hours.