[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 3 (Thursday, January 8, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H75-H76]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 COUNTING ELECTORAL VOTES--JOINT SESSION OF THE HOUSE AND SENATE HELD 
      PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1

  At 1:01 p.m., the Majority Floor Services Chief, Barry Sullivan, 
announced the Vice President and the Senate of the United States.
  The Senate entered the Hall of the House of Representatives, headed 
by the Vice President and the Secretary of the Senate, the Members and 
officers of the House rising to receive them.
  The Vice President took his seat as the Presiding Officer of the 
joint convention of the two Houses, the Speaker of the House occupying 
the chair on his left. Senators took seats to the right of the rostrum 
as prescribed by law.
  The joint session was called to order by the Vice President.
  The VICE PRESIDENT. Madam Speaker and Members of Congress, pursuant 
to the Constitution and laws of the United States, the Senate and House 
of Representatives are meeting in joint session to verify the 
certificates and count the votes of the electors of the several States 
for President and Vice President of the United States.
  After ascertainment has been had that the certificates are authentic 
and correct in form, the tellers will count and make a list of the 
votes cast by the electors of the several States.
  The tellers on the part of the two Houses will take their places at 
the clerk's desk.
  The tellers, Mr. Schumer and Mr. Bennett on the part of the Senate, 
and

[[Page H76]]

Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania and Mr. Daniel E. Lungren of California on 
the part of the House, took their places at the desk.
  The VICE PRESIDENT. Without objection, the tellers will dispense with 
reading formal portions of the certificates. After ascertaining that 
certificates are regular in form and authentic, the tellers will 
announce the votes cast by the electors for each State, beginning with 
Alabama.
  The tellers then proceeded to read, count, and announce the electoral 
votes of the several States in alphabetical order.
  The VICE PRESIDENT. Members of Congress, the certificates having been 
read, the tellers will ascertain and deliver the result to the 
President of the Senate.
  The tellers delivered to the President of the Senate the following 
statement of results:


   Joint Session to Count Electoral Votes, Thursday, January 8, 2009

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  For President      For Vice President
   Electoral votes of each   -------------------------------------------
            State               Barack      John      Joseph     Sarah
                                Obama      McCain     Biden      Palin
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama--9..................  .........          9  .........          9
Alaska--3...................  .........          3  .........          3
Arizona--10.................  .........         10  .........         10
Arkansas--6.................  .........          6  .........          6
California--55..............         55  .........         55  .........
Colorado--9.................          9  .........          9  .........
Connecticut--7..............          7  .........          7  .........
Delaware--3.................          3  .........          3  .........
District of Columbia--3.....          3  .........          3  .........
Florida--27.................         27  .........         27  .........
Georgia--15.................  .........         15  .........         15
Hawaii--4...................          4  .........          4  .........
Idaho--4....................  .........          4  .........          4
Illinois--21................         21  .........         21  .........
Indiana--11.................         11  .........         11  .........
Iowa--7.....................          7  .........          7  .........
Kansas--6...................  .........          6  .........          6
Kentucky--8.................  .........          8  .........          8
Louisiana--9................  .........          9  .........          9
Maine--4....................          4  .........          4  .........
Maryland--10................         10  .........         10  .........
Massachusetts--12...........         12  .........         12  .........
Michigan--17................         17  .........         17  .........
Minnesota--10...............         10  .........         10  .........
Mississippi--6..............  .........          6  .........          6
Missouri--11................  .........         11  .........         11
Montana--3..................  .........          3  .........          3
Nebraska--5.................          1          4          1          4
Nevada--5...................          5  .........          5  .........
New Hampshire--4............          4  .........          4  .........
New Jersey--15..............         15  .........         15  .........
New Mexico--5...............          5  .........          5  .........
New York--31................         31  .........         31  .........
North Carolina--15..........         15  .........         15  .........
North Dakota--3.............  .........          3  .........          3
Ohio--20....................         20  .........         20  .........
Oklahoma--7.................  .........          7  .........          7
Oregon--7...................          7  .........          7  .........
Pennsylvania--21............         21  .........         21  .........
Rhode Island--4.............          4  .........          4  .........
South Carolina--8...........  .........          8  .........          8
South Dakota--3.............  .........          3  .........          3
Tennessee--11...............  .........         11  .........         11
Texas--34...................  .........         34  .........         34
Utah--5.....................  .........          5  .........          5
Vermont--3..................          3  .........          3  .........
Virginia--13................         13  .........         13  .........
Washington--11..............         11  .........         11  .........
West Virginia--5............  .........          5  .........          5
Wisconsin--10...............         10  .........         10  .........
Wyoming--3..................  .........          3  .........          3
 
    Total--538..............  .........  .........  .........  .........
------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Charles E. Schumer,
     Robert F. Bennett,
       Tellers on the part of the Senate.
     Robert A. Brady of Pennsylvania,
     Daniel E. Lungren of California,
       Tellers on the part of the House of Representatives.

  The VICE PRESIDENT. The state of the vote for President of the United 
States, as delivered to the President of the Senate, is as follows:
  The whole number of the electors appointed to vote for President of 
the United States is 538, of which a majority is 270.
  Barack Obama of the State of Illinois has received for President of 
the United States 365 votes.
  John McCain of the State of Arizona has received 173 votes.
  The state of the vote for Vice President of the United States, as 
delivered to the President of the Senate, is as follows:
  The whole number of the electors appointed to vote for Vice President 
of the United States is 538, of which a majority is 270.
  Joe Biden of the State of Delaware has received for Vice President of 
the United States 365 votes.
  Sarah Palin of the State of Alaska has received 173 votes.
  This announcement of the state of the vote by the President of the 
Senate shall be deemed a sufficient declaration of the persons elected 
President and Vice President of the United States each for the term 
beginning on the 20th day of January, 2009, and shall be entered, 
together with the list of the votes, on the Journals of the Senate and 
House of Representatives.
  The purpose of the joint session having been concluded, pursuant to 
Senate Concurrent Resolution 1, 111th Congress, the Chair declares the 
joint session dissolved.
  (Thereupon, at 1 o'clock and 36 minutes p.m., the joint session of 
the two Houses of Congress dissolved.)
  The SPEAKER. Pursuant to Senate Concurrent Resolution 1, 111th 
Congress, the electoral vote will be spread at large upon the Journal.

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