As of Saturday, Nov. 7, the Associated Press declared that Presidential nominee Joe Biden had reached the required number of 270 electoral college votes to make him the 46th President of the United States. Biden is currently projected to reach 306 electoral votes as he maintains an estimated six million vote lead (51% of the total vote) in the popular outcome.

The President-elect has already begun to assemble his White House staff; however, Donald Trump, the current president, has reacted to the loss by claiming voter fraud. According to NPR, Trump assumed that because the vote tallying process was delayed in multiple states due to overwhelming mail-in votes, fraudulent actions must have been performed during the extended process. According to The Electoral Research Service, the electoral college votes on Sunday, Dec. 20, meaning that the current election process is not finalized, and that Trump can still contest the election through the court process.

“I feel like Trump has proven himself a lot more constitutional than Biden,” sophomore James Dick said. “So the electors might even choose [Trump] because nothing is certain.”

In order to combat perceived fraudulent voting, USA Today explained that the Trump campaign has continued to file lawsuits in voting centers across the nation. In Pennsylvania, a multitude of lawsuits have been filed by Trump’s campaign team to try and claim Pennsylvania’s 20 electoral votes. However, the majority of the lawsuits have been dismissed or withdrawn. Dick believes that these lawsuits will help push Trump’s campaign to a win, but sophomore Nichol Sharp speculates why she believes Trump supporters are going through all the effort, even though they are being met with dead ends.

“I think it is because they believe in [Trump],” Sharp said. “They are trying to find out a way to win while not technically losing.”

According to Britannica, Biden has been in politics since the 1970’s after receiving his bachelors degree from the University of Delaware and his law degree from Syracuse University. He quickly became one of the youngest members in the United States Senate and later went on to becoming one of Delaware’s longest serving senators. As a senator, Biden mainly focused on foreign relations, criminal justice, and drug policy. Biden was the Vice President under President Barack Obama and has run for the presidency twice.

“Biden actually has a lot more experience in politics and he actually cares for people that he’s representing,” sophomore Abby Wile said. “Unlike Trump, Biden actually wants to do good.”

According to the Associated Press, Kamala Harris will be the first African American and South Asian female Vice President in United States history, and as reported by Britannica, she has an extensive background in serving the country. Harris started her career as an attorney prosecuting cases about drug violence, domestic abuse, and gang violence, and she has since transitioned into political roles, serving currently as a senator for the state of California. 

“I am really happy that she is the first woman to be vice president,” Wile said. “I think that it is a really big glass ceiling that has been broken.”

As explained by the New York Times, Harris started her career as a prosecutor with an aspiration to stand up for and fight for justice. However, her role as a prosecutor in a justice system that junior Ethan Jester believes is innately unjust has led him to question her integrity. 

“I do not think she really understands the whole minority scene because she was the district attorney, and she has locked up a lot of minority groups for minor drug charges,” Jester said. “When she got into politics, she instantly preached against jailing for minor drug charges.”

After the electoral college vote, in which Biden is projected to officially surpass the 270 votes necessary, the next step will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 20 at noon, where the President-elect will officially be inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States, according to USA.gov.

“Biden has proven that he can take control of what’s happening in a situation,” junior Lillian Renee said. “He has shown to people he really cares for others, unlike Trump.”