Donald Trump’s trial brings an unusual addition to the American political calendar.
Power changes in the United States mainly according to an established formula, so that the new term of office begins on January 20.
After the chaos of the previous change of power, the law on reforming the counting of votes updated some procedures. The changes approved in 2022 are now being used for the first time.
Postal votes are included in the count in some states even after election day, as long as they are stamped no later than election day.
Illinois and Utah are still accepting votes as late as November 19.
Donald Trump is the first sitting or former president of the United States to receive a criminal conviction. He was considered to have committed an accounting crime in the so-called scam money case, where an adult entertainment star was hidden to Stormy Daniels silence payments paid.
On November 26, Trump will hear in New York what kind of sentence he will receive for his crime.
Each state provides December 11, certificate of persons acting as state electors. The certificates are signed by the governors and delivered to the federal recorder for the assembly of the electors.
In 2022, new procedures were established in case the presidential or vice-presidential candidate challenges the certificates.
Electors gather in state capitals “on the first Tuesday after the second Wednesday in December,” which this year is December 17.
They cast their votes in their state’s convention of electors, confirm the certificates of their votes with their signatures and send them to the federal and state authorities.
Certificate selectors of the signed votes must arrive in Washington no later than “the fourth Wednesday of December”, which this year falls on Christmas Day.
Certificates are accepted either by the Speaker of the Senate or the Federal Archivist.
New US Congress after the election, it begins its work every other year on January 3, unless the Congress has decided on another day.
Now the 119th Congress begins its work. In the House of Representatives, all seats have been included in the elections, and a third of the seats in the Senate.
New senators and MPs take their oath of office and organize. The first task of the House of Representatives is to elect the Speaker.
It starts in Washington on Epiphany, at 1 pm local time, a joint session of the Senate and the House of Representatives, presided over by the Speaker of the Senate, i.e. the outgoing Vice President or his designated deputy.
At the session, the certificates of the electors are verified and the votes cast by them are counted.
The Speaker of the Senate announces the result of the counting of votes and announces who has been elected President and Vice President.
After the Epiphany rebellion and the takeover of the Congress related to the previous change of power, in 2022 new procedures were also established for the Congress.
Among other things, the law clarifies the role of the speaker of the senate so that he only directs the course of the event and does not have the power to resolve disputes related to the testimony of the electors, the correctness of the electors or the votes cast by them.
If someone raises an objection to the votes, it must be given in writing and at least one-fifth of the senators and deputies must support it with their signatures. Previously, only one senator or MP could raise an objection.
President and Vice President will take office on January 20 in a solemn ceremony on Capitol Hill.
They will be sworn in just before noon local time, when the new president will take over.
Since 1981, the swearing-in ceremony has been organized on the west steps of the Capitol.
GRAPHICS: HARRI VÄHÄKANGAS, EPN
Sources: National Archives, Bipartisan Policy Center, Ballotpedia