CERTIFICATION
Filed Certificates of Ascertainment for the 2024 Presidential Election
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2024 Certificate of Ascertainment

In the following discussion, 'state' includes the District of Columbia and 'governor' includes the Mayor of the District.

The Certificate of Ascertainment is a filing that each state is required to make after the presidential election. It is due six days before the electors meet to cast their votes. In 2024, electors will convene in each state on December 17. As such, the Certificate is due by December 11.

The states have leeway in the form of the Certificate, but it must be signed by the governor and contain the state seal. Seven duplicate originals are made, with one sent to the Archivist of the United States, and six sent to the appointed electors.

The Certificate itself contains the slate of electors for each presidential candidate, along with the number of votes (i.e., the popular vote) received by each. It will note the slate that received the highest number of votes; these are the electors that will cast the state's votes on December 17.

Interestingly, not all states include the name of the presidential candidates themselves on the Certificate. Regardless, each slate is comprised of individuals chosen and put forth by one of the campaigns. Put another way, the electors who are voting in a state have made a pledge to vote for their specific candidate, which is why there are rarely faithless electors.

Thus far, filed certifications correspond to 111 electoral votes for Donald Trump, 7 for Joe Biden. When the process is complete, these totals will match the 2024 election map, a 312-226 win for Trump. Select a state to view a copy of its certificate.

After each state's electors cast their vote on December 17, they will individually sign six Certificates of Vote. These are transmitted - along with one of the Certificates of Ascertainment as follows: 

  • Each state's electors send two sets to the Archivist of the United States
  • Each state's electors send a set to the President of the U.S. Senate
  • Electors for a state send two sets to that state's Secretary of State
  • Electors for a state send a set to the Chief Justice of the associated Federal District Court

The sets sent to the Archivist and the U.S. Senate are due by December 25. The President of the U.S. Senate then presides over a joint session of Congress on January 6, where the electoral votes are officially counted.