When does the Electoral College vote? Key dates and deadlines to know as final states certify

With less than eight weeks to go before President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in as the next president of the United States, legal challenges to the election results have clearly not gone well for incumbent President Donald Trump and his team.

Early in the process, when Biden was declared the projected winner by major news decision desks four days after Election Day, the Trump campaign pointed out that no state had officially certified its results. However, the ship has sailed on that argument as several battleground states—including Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Georgia—have since certified their results and officially declared Biden the winner.

More states are expected to join this week. Below is a list of dates to keep an eye on as we head into the final weeks of the Trump presidency:

• Monday, November 30: A number of states are expected to certify today, including Arizona, where the Trump team mounted a failed legal effort to review the ballots. Other states with certification deadlines today include Nebraska, Montana, Iowa, and Colorado, according to Ballotpedia.
• Tuesday, December 1: Wisconsin, another state where Trump’s team mounted a legal challenge, is expected to certify its results on Tuesday.
• Tuesday, December 8: Safe Harbor Day! This is the deadline by which all state election disputes—including court challenges and recounts—must be resolved, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Think of this as a kind of point of no return. Note: This is next week.
• Monday, December 14: This is the day the electors from each state are scheduled to meet. They will cast their official ballots for president and vice president. You can learn more about that process on the NCSL website.
• Wednesday, December 23: All ballots must be received.
• Wednesday, January 6: The electoral votes are officially counted by Congress.
• Wednesday, January 20: Inauguration Day! The new president is sworn in.