2020 has been a year for the history books. On Saturday, Nov. 7 it was officially declared that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris would become the next president and vice president of the United States.
Four days after election day, the nation awaited for the results from Pennsylvania, which gained President-Elect Joe Biden more electoral votes than needed, with 290 to Donald Trump’s 217. Biden made history with receiving over 70 million popular votes, the most ever received by a president.
“We won the most votes ever cast in a presidential ticket in the history of the nation… 74 million,” said Biden during his acceptance speech.
Once all counts are included, Biden is projected to have earned more than 80 million popular votes.
Biden wasn’t the only one making history, as this was a big win for Vice-President-Elect Harris as she is the first African American, Indian American and woman to be elected vice president.
This was also a historic moment for many first time voters. Sophomore paralegal studies major and peace studies and political science major, Alexandria Wilson described her first time voting as, “Powerful… I know that Black people had to fight for this right for years and in a way it felt like I was being pushed by them to go vote.” Wilson admitted that she was a little teary eye while voting.
Wilson went home and stood in the snow to vote, and despite the obstacles that seemed to want to stop her from voting, she was able to get her voice heard.
For her first time voting she experienced a new general election day experience. Results weren’t immediately known the day of, but Wilson said, “I went to sleep with hope. Although the electoral college is a system I struggled to have faith in, I knew the system would make sure my vote was heard.”
Many question if there’s a possibility of an over-turn in votes. Unless several big states votes wound up being uncounted like Trump claims, there’s a slim chance that votes are overturned. Since hearing the news, Trump has filed several lawsuits over voting inaccuracy.
Trump still has presidential responsibilities, despite this announcement. Biden and Harris won’t become official until Inauguration Day which is on Jan. 20, 2021. They have no power in government until then.
This gives them more months to prepare for what they’ll be walking into. They’ll be entering a nation in a pandemic, a nation whose unemployment rate is the highest it’s ever been since the Great Depression, systematic racism and social injustices and several other issues from different angles.
Photo credit: Todd Jacobucci, Flickr
