BBC News published this video item, entitled “Joe Biden wins US election to become 46th President – BBC News” – below is their description.
Joe Biden has won the US Presidential election. He crossed the threshold of 270 Electoral College votes needed by winning the state of Pennsylvania.
In a statement the President-Elect said: “In the face of unprecedented obstacles a record number of Americans voted. Proving once again that democracy beats deep in the heart of America”.
The election has seen the highest turnout since 1900. Mr Biden has more than 73 million votes, the most ever recorded for a US presidential candidate.
The result denies Donald Trump a second term after a divisive presidency defined by the coronavirus pandemic, bitter culture wars and social unrest.
The Trump campaign said they were not willing to concede and claimed Mr Biden was “rushing to falsely pose as the winner”. They are planning further legal challenges to the result. However US legal experts say there is almost no chance of overturning the results.
Tina Daheley presents BBC news reporting from north America editor Jon Sopel in Washington and Nick Bryant with the Biden campaign in Wilmington, Delaware.
BBC News YouTube Channel
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In This Story: Electoral College
The United States Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of electing the president and vice president. Each state appoints electors equal in number to its congressional delegation. Federal office holders cannot be electors.
Of the current 538 electors, an absolute majority of 270 or more electoral votes is required to elect the president and vice president. If no candidate achieves an absolute majority there, a contingent election is held by the United States House of Representatives to elect the president, and by the United States Senate to elect the vice president.
The appropriateness of the Electoral College system is a matter of ongoing debate. Supporters argue that it is a fundamental component of American federalism by preserving the Constitutional role of the states in presidential elections. Candidates must appeal to a broad and diverse set of states rather than focusing only on the few U.S. cities with the highest population densities.
Critics argue that the Electoral College system is less democratic than a direct popular vote and that the College violates the democratic principle of “one person, one vote.” Thus, a president may be elected who did not win the national popular vote, as occurred in 1824, 1876, 1888, 2000, and 2016.
