November 24, 2020
The Pennsylvania Department of State certified the results of the 2020 presidential election on Tuesday morning, officially giving the win and Pennsylvania's electoral votes to the Democratic ticket of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
All 67 counties certified their results late Monday and submitted them for a signature from Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar. The results were then certified by Gov. Tom Wolf.
Today @PAStateDept certified the results of the November 3 election in Pennsylvania for president and vice president of the United States.
— Governor Tom Wolf (@GovernorTomWolf) November 24, 2020
As required by federal law, I’ve signed the Certificate of Ascertainment for the slate of electors for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
Again, I want to thank the election officials who have administered a fair and free election during an incredibly challenging time in our commonwealth and country's history.
— Governor Tom Wolf (@GovernorTomWolf) November 24, 2020
Our election workers have been under constant attack and they have performed admirably and honorably.
The state's final vote tabulation was reported as follows:
•Electors for Democratic Party candidates Joseph R. Biden and Kamala D. Harris – 3,458,229
•Electors for Republican Party candidates Donald J. Trump and Michael R. Pence – 3,377,674
•Electors for Libertarian Party candidates Jo Jorgensen and Jeremy "Spike" Cohen – 79,380
"We are tremendously grateful to all 67 counties who have been working extremely long hours to ensure that every qualified voter's vote is counted safely and securely," said Boockvar. "The county election officials and the poll workers are the true heroes of our democracy, enabling us to vote in record numbers, amid challenging circumstances, so that every eligible voter's voice could be heard."
The certified results come after a federal judge on Saturday tossed out a legal challenge by President Donald Trump's campaign seeking to invalidate nearly seven million mail-in ballots that were legally cast.
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who serves as Trump’s personal lawyer, said that the president’s legal team will seek to appeal the judge's decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Pennsylvania Republicans had filed a separate lawsuit, considered a "Hail Mary," to block the certification of the election on grounds that Act 77 — which permits mail-in ballots without an excuse — is unconstitutional. The bill was originally passed by a GOP-controlled legislature before Wolf signed it into law late last year.
The Trump campaign's legal challenges have sputtered across the several states that remained to make Biden's victory official, with decisions expected soon in Nevada and Michigan. Nevada certified its results on Tuesday and Michigan is expected to follow soon after.
The U.S. General Services Administration informed President-elect Biden this week that he should begin the formal transition process, acknowledging his victory in a letter.
Biden is expected to formally introduce many of his cabinet picks in the coming days.
