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Trump wins electoral college amid nationwide protests | |
(about 7 hours later) | |
The US electoral college has certified Donald Trump as the 45th president, despite a last-ditch effort to deny him the White House. | |
Six weeks after winning the polls, the Republican cruised past the 270 votes needed to formalise his victory. | |
After the result, Mr Trump promised to "work hard to unite our country and be the president of all Americans". | |
Electors had been flooded with emails and phone calls urging them not to support the billionaire. | Electors had been flooded with emails and phone calls urging them not to support the billionaire. |
But despite longshot liberal hopes of a revolt by Republican electors, only two - from Texas - ended up voting against him. | |
'No treason, no Trump!' | |
He secured 304 votes, compared with 227 for Hillary Clinton. | |
It was the Democratic candidate who ended up losing more electoral votes in Monday's ballot at state capitols nationwide. | |
Five of her electors defected, with three voting for ex-Secretary of State Colin Powell, one for a Native-American tribal leader and another for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. | |
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. |
"I thank the American people for their overwhelming vote to elect me as their next president of the United States," Mr Trump said in a statement after the result came in. | "I thank the American people for their overwhelming vote to elect me as their next president of the United States," Mr Trump said in a statement after the result came in. |
"With this historic step we can look forward to the bright future ahead." | |
Vice-President-elect Mike Pence wrote on Twitter: "Congratulations to @realDonaldTrump; officially elected President of the United States today by the Electoral College." | |
He added that he was "honored & humbled" to be confirmed as vice-president. | |
The voting process is usually a formality, but was overshadowed this year by claims that Russian hackers tried to sway the presidential election. | |
Millions of Americans signed an online petition stating that Mr Trump was unfit for the Oval Office, while anti-Trump protesters gathered at state capitols across the country. | |
In Pennsylvania, more than 200 demonstrators braved sub-zero temperatures, chanting: "No treason, no Trump!'" | |
In Maine, protesters beat drums and waved signs saying: "Don't let Putin Pick Our President." | |
In Madison, Wisconsin, protesters cried. | |
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. | 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. | Even that would probably only have delayed the inevitable. |
If no candidate had reached 270 in the electoral college, the House of Representatives would have voted on the next president. | |
The Republican-controlled chamber would most likely have picked Mr Trump. | |
Mr Trump is scheduled to take office on 20 January. | |
How does 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. | 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. | Technically, Americans cast votes on election day for electors, not the candidates themselves. |
The electors are mostly elected officials or party functionaries, and are generally unknown to the public. | 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, plus three for District of Columbia. | |
Although Democrat Hillary Clinton secured almost three million more votes from the public, Mr Trump won the majority of electors - 306. | |
What is the US electoral college? | |