New York [United States], Dec. 20 : Republican Donald Trump has taken the next step in the official process to become the 45th President of the United States by surpassing the necessary 270 votes in the Electoral College despite last minute efforts by his opponents to stop him from entering the White House.
Trump secured 304 electoral votes while Democrat Hillary Clinton got 227. Seven "faithless" electors voted for other candidates. The Electoral College results will be officially certified on January 6 during a joint session of the U.S.
Congress. "This election represents a movement that millions of hard working men and women all across the country stood behind and made possible.
With this historic step we can look forward to the bright future ahead. I will work hard to unite our country and be the president of all Americans. Together, we will make America great again," CNN quoted Trump, as saying in a statement. Thirty-six electors of Texas's 38 voted for Trump whereas two electors ignored the state's Election Day results.
Reacting to Trump's win, Vice President-elect Mike Pence, tweeted, "Congratulations to @RealDonaldTrump; officially elected President of the United States today by the Electoral College!" He also wrote, "I'm honored (and) humbled to be officially elected today as the next Vice President of the United States of America by the Electoral College." Four electors in Washington state voted for other candidates, three voted for former Secretary of State Colin Powell, and one casted ballot for Faith Spotted Eagle, a Native American activist who's been involved in the North Dakota pipeline fight.
Former President Bill Clinton voted for his wife as an elector in the state of New York and tweeted, "As an elector from my home state of New York, I've never been more proud to cast a vote than my vote today for @HillaryClinton." The President-elect had won 306 electoral votes to Clinton's 232 in November.
Some people had asked electors to vote against their state results in the Electoral College. One elector in Minnesota was disqualified and replaced by an alternate under the state law after he declared that he would vote for someone other than his state's winner.
Source: ANI
