Former President Donald Trump's path back to the White House will reach a crucial milestone on Tuesday as Electoral College delegates gather across the country to formally cast their votes.
The Electoral College process, enshrined in the US Constitution as a compromise between direct popular election and congressional selection of the president, allocates electoral votes to each state based on their congressional representation.
Trump secured victory in the Nov. 6 election with 312 electoral votes, well above the 270 needed to win. After electors meet in their respective state capitals on Dec. 17, Congress will conduct the official count during a joint session on Jan. 6, 2025, leading to Trump being declared as "president-elect" by Senate President Kamala Harris – who was also his chief opponent as the Democratic presidential nominee. Then, on Jan. 20, he will take the oath of office at his second inauguration.
Trump's commanding victory in Florida, where he captured 56% of the vote compared to his narrower 49.9% national margin, will be formalized when the state's electors convene in the Senate chambers at the state Capitol. The 30 Republican electors, whose names were submitted by the state party in August, include several high-profile officials, including one already tapped for Trump's future cabinet – former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who has been nominated for US attorney general.
Former state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, who received Trump's endorsement to fill Sen. Marco Rubio's Senate seat, is also among the electors, alongside Florida Senate President Ben Albritton, Attorney General Ashley Moody, House Speaker Daniel Pérez and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson.
Florida law requires electors to be registered state voters and members of their respective parties who have sworn in writing to support their party's nominees. An elector's refusal to vote for their party's candidates is considered an automatic resignation under state statute.
The process faced a legal challenge in Wisconsin over scheduling, but a federal judge affirmed the Dec. 17 meeting date, aligning with federal law despite state statutes initially suggesting an earlier date.
