Election Day is Past.  What Happens Now?

 

How do members of the Electoral College declare their votes for President?

You may think that since Election Day has come and gone, the Presidential election is over. However, on Election Day you didn't actually vote for a Presidential candidate. Instead, you voted for a slate of electors who are pledged to vote for a certain candidate. These electors will meet in their respective states on December 15 and cast their votes for President. While electors almost always vote for the candidates to whom they are pledged, only some states legally obligate them to do so.

Once the electors cast their votes, these votes will be sent to Congress. On January 6, Congress will meet in a special joint session with Vice President Dick Cheney presiding, and the electoral votes will be counted and a winner certified. Once this happens, the 2008 election season will officially end.

For more information on the Electoral College, please visit the following National Archives webpage.

 

What is involved in the transition period?

Between Election Day and the Inauguration on January 20, the President-elect and his staff will undergo a series of briefings, interview people for cabinet positions, determine who will make up the White House staff, and do a variety of other things aimed at ensuring the President-elect is ready to serve after he is sworn into office.

 

There is some talk about a "lame duck" session of Congress. What does that mean?

A "lame duck" session of Congress is one that meets between Election Day and the time that the new Representatives and Senators take office.  It is referred to as a "lame duck" session because it includes those Members of Congress who were defeated for re-election or who have retired but whose terms don’t officially end until the end of 2008.  A "lame duck" session is often called following a national election in order to deal with pressing national concerns that cannot wait until the new Congress convenes in January.

This U.S. Senate webpage has information on past "lame duck" sessions of Congress.

 

When will the Representatives and Senators elected on November 4 take office?

Unlike the President, who is sworn in on January 20, the entire membership of the House of Representatives and the new members of the Senate are sworn in on January 3.

 

What happens during Inauguration Day?

The new President and Vice President will be inaugurated—formally sworn into office—on the west front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20. The new Vice President takes the oath of office first, and then around noon the new President is sworn in, usually by the Chief Justice of the United States. The President then gives an inaugural address to the assembled crowd.

Following the swearing-in ceremony, an inaugural parade takes place and then there are a variety of inaugural balls throughout the night.

This Senate webpage has more information on the plans for Inauguration Day 2009.

 

How does the President assemble his Cabinet?

The President-elect's staff and advisors interview a variety of people from government, academia, and business to narrow down the list of who should receive a Cabinet position. Then the President-elect meets with the people who emerge from this process and chooses who will fill various Cabinet posts. Once the new President is sworn into office, he sends these names to the Senate, where they must be confirmed.