The latest on Biden's transition

By Meg Wagner, Mike Hayes and Veronica Rocha, CNN

Updated 8:23 p.m. ET, December 15, 2020
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9:51 a.m. ET, December 15, 2020

Biden will travel to Georgia today to support Senate runoff candidates

From CNN's Ryan Nobles

Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Drew Angerer/Getty Images

President-elect Joe Biden will travel to Georgia today to headline a rally in support of the Democratic candidates in the state's US Senate runoff election, the Biden campaign announced Thursday.

Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock are challenging incumbent GOP Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in a pair of races that will determine control of the United States Senate.

Biden's visit is tied directly to the start of early voting in Georgia. Voters could begin casting ballots in the state Monday and the Democratic ticket is placing a special emphasis on getting out the early vote.

In addition to Biden, the campaigns are also planning a future visit from Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as well as tips from a number of high-profile Democratic surrogates.

The Democratic approach to surrogates has been much different than the Republicans who have been flooding the zone with visits from GOP stars.

President Trump made a trip to Valdosta, Georgia, and a made promise to return. The GOP ticket has also benefited from Vice President Mike Pence who has already made one trip and will be in Augusta later Thursday.

9:55 a.m. ET, December 15, 2020

The Electoral College affirmed Biden's victory yesterday. Here's what comes next.

From CNN's Jeremy Herb

Ross D. Franklin/Pool/AP
Ross D. Franklin/Pool/AP

California's 55 electors put Joe Biden over the 270 Electoral College votes needed to become president shortly after 5 p.m. ET Monday, affirming Biden's election as the 46th president of the United States.

Electors for all 50 states and the District of Columbia gathered in their respective capitols on Monday to cast ballots.

The Electoral College's vote, however, is not the final step in the constitutional process of selecting a president. The votes cast on Monday are sent to Congress, where they will be counted on Jan. 6 in a joint session led by Vice President Mike Pence.

Many congressional Republicans who have refused thus far to say that Biden won the election have claimed they are waiting for Monday's Electoral College vote to certify the results. But some of Trump's staunchest House Republican allies are preparing for a floor fight when the votes are counted in Congress next month.

Lawmakers can dispute a state's election result when the votes are counted next month. But a challenge can only be considered if both a House member and a senator sign onto it. So far only House Republicans have said they will contest the results, although some GOP senators have suggested they are considering joining.

Even if a senator signs on to challenge the results, it's only delaying the inevitable. In that case, the House and Senate separately debate the matter for two hours and vote on it. Democrats control the House, and enough GOP senators have already said they reject Trump's claims of fraud that a challenge would not succeed there either.

After the state electors cast their ballots on Monday, those results will be certified and sent to Congress, the National Archives and to the courts.

On Jan. 20, a new president takes the oath of office at noon.

Read more about the next steps here.