Many major news organizations on Saturday announced that former Vice President Joe Biden has won the 2020 presidential election after concluding that he has won the state of Pennsylvania, which would put him above the 270 electoral votes needed to secure the presidency.
The Trump Administration has filed lawsuits in multiple states regarding voting methods and counts. Such litigation is still pending and could affect vote totals or invalidate ballots. The U.S. General Services Administration, which formally certifies U.S. presidential elections, has not yet certified the results from each state and territories and has not yet announced a winner of the 2020 presidential election.
Ballots are still being counted in Georgia, North Carolina and Alaska. Alaska is expected to be won easily by President Trump. The remaining two states are considered to be very close. Georgia is planning to conduct a recount due to close vote margins.
All state-level disputes and recounts must be concluded by December 8, based on federal election law. Lawsuits filed by the Trump Administration may continue to be outstanding at that time, which could delay the official meeting of the Electoral College, which traditionally takes place on December 14.
The Biden campaign has already announced “agency review teams,” which are responsible for understanding the operation of each federal department and agency to coordinate a transition to a Biden Administration. These teams include volunteers for the transition and full-time transition employees.
Additionally, the Senate races of David Perdue (R-GA) and Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) have both resulted in runoffs. With the Senate balance of power currently at 50-48 in favor of Republicans, the outcome of the two Georgia runoffs will determine the final balance of power in the Senate. The runoff for both Georgia Senators is scheduled for January 5, 2021.
