Electors from around the country will gather on Monday to cast their votes for president in one of the final acts of the 2016 presidential election.
While the Electoral College may not be the most popular American institution at the moment, it’s one of the last constitutionally required steps to send President-elect Trump to the White House. But, it’s not the last step.
After electors cast their votes for president and vice president, the results will be printed on a “certificate of vote,” which is then mailed or delivered to the National Archives, according to the New York Times. The certificate is also sent to Congress.
At least one elector in Texas has said he will not follow his state’s vote and will vote against Trump, but a rash of faithless electors is not expected. The Federal Register states 99 percent of electors have cast their vote according to how their state voted in the election.
Faithless electors can face fines of up to $1,000 in some states.
On Dec. 28, state and federal officials must have the certificates of vote, and on Jan. 6, Congress will meet in a joint session to count the electoral votes.
Vice President Joe Biden, who also serves as president of the Senate, will announce the results of the election at that time. According to the Times, lawmakers can challenge individual votes or state results, which is when lawmakers can petition to have a faithless elector’s vote thrown out.
Trump will remain the president-elect until Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, when he’ll be sworn in as president.
