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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Donald Trump wins electoral college vote | Donald Trump wins electoral college vote |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The US Electoral College has certified Donald Trump as president, despite a last-ditch effort to deny him the White House. | The US Electoral College has certified Donald Trump as president, despite a last-ditch effort to deny him the White House. |
| Six weeks after winning the polls, the Republican has secured the 270 votes needed to formalise his victory. | Six weeks after winning the polls, the Republican has secured the 270 votes needed to formalise his victory. |
| Electors had been flooded with emails, letters and phone calls urging them not to support Mr Trump. | Electors had been flooded with emails, letters and phone calls urging them not to support Mr Trump. |
| The process is usually a formality, but was beset this year by claims Russian hackers tried to sway the public vote. | The process is usually a formality, but was beset this year by claims Russian hackers tried to sway the public vote. |
| Texas ultimately put the president-elect over the 270 threshold, despite two of its electors voting against him. | Texas ultimately put the president-elect over the 270 threshold, despite two of its electors voting against him. |
| The New York Times reports that four Democratic electors also cast their votes for someone other than Mrs Clinton. | The New York Times reports that four Democratic electors also cast their votes for someone other than Mrs Clinton. |
| Last-ditch bid to deny Trump presidency | Last-ditch bid to deny Trump presidency |
| The result will be officially announced on 6 January in a special joint session of Congress. | The result will be officially announced on 6 January in a special joint session of Congress. |
| Vice President-elect Mike Pence hailed his boss on Twitter as the results came in: "Congratulations to @realDonaldTrump; officially elected President of the United States today by the Electoral College!" | Vice President-elect Mike Pence hailed his boss on Twitter as the results came in: "Congratulations to @realDonaldTrump; officially elected President of the United States today by the Electoral College!" |
| 'No treason, no Trump!' | 'No treason, no Trump!' |
| The movement to block Mr Trump had fought hard to convince Republican electors to abandon their party's candidate. | The movement to block Mr Trump had fought hard to convince Republican electors to abandon their party's candidate. |
| Millions of Americans signed an online petition to that effect, while thousands of anti-Trump protesters gathered at state capitols across the country. | |
| In Pennsylvania, over 200 demonstrators braved sub-zero temperatures, chanting, "No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA!" and "No treason, no Trump!'" | In Pennsylvania, over 200 demonstrators braved sub-zero temperatures, chanting, "No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA!" and "No treason, no Trump!'" |
| In Maine, protesters beat drums and waved signs saying, "Don't let Putin Pick Our President," - a reference to allegations that Kremlin-backed hackers tried to sway the election in Mr Trump's favour. | In Maine, protesters beat drums and waved signs saying, "Don't let Putin Pick Our President," - a reference to allegations that Kremlin-backed hackers tried to sway the election in Mr Trump's favour. |
| Numerically, Mr Trump's opponents never stood much chance. To keep him out of the Oval Office, 38 Republican electors would have had to defect. | |
| Even that would probably only have delayed the inevitable. | |
| If no candidate reaches 270 in the electoral college, the House of Representatives must vote on the next president, and the Republican-controlled chamber would most likely have chosen Mr Trump. | |
| How does the electoral college work? | |
| It was set up by America's founding fathers as a compromise between allowing Congress and the people to elect the president. | |
| Technically, Americans cast votes on election day for electors, not the candidates themselves. | |
| Mr Trump won the majority of these electors - 306 - although Democrat Hillary Clinton secured almost 3 million more votes from the public. | |
| As a result, he won the election. | |
| The electors are mostly elected officials or party functionaries, and are generally unknown to the public. | |
| There are 538 in all, one for each member of Congress. A candidate needs to take at least 270 electoral votes - half of the total plus one - to win the White House. | |
| In November's presidential election, Mr Trump's 306 electors came from 30 states. | |
| Under US law, electors must formally vote for the president and vice-president before they can lead the country. | |
| Mr Trump formally takes office on January 20. |