WASHINGTON — With Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 election, he has become the president-elect, and will begin selecting cabinet members for his eventual transition next year into the White House.
The transitional period between presidents is steeped with tradition, and follows a formulaic procedure.
Trump is already familiar with the inauguration process after winning the presidency in 2016 and losing in 2020, although he did not attend the inauguration of Joe Biden 14 days after the attack on the Capitol.
Here's what will happen between now and the day Trump moves into the White House for a second time.
What happens now?
Although news media organizations have called the race for Trump, those results aren't official. Ballots still have to be counted, and states have to add in provisional ballots, votes from Americans overseas and deal with any other issues before each state's certification deadline.
Dec. 11 - Appointing electors
This is the deadline for the state's "executive," which is usually the governor, must certify the state's presidential electors. These electors are the people who will actually meet to vote for president. There is one elector for each Senate or House seat the state has, so each has a minimum of three electors.
Dec. 17 - Electors meet
Electors appointed by each state's executive will meet in that state's capital to cast their official votes for whichever candidate won the most votes there. These gatherings are referred to as the meeting of the Electoral College.
Dec. 25 - Electoral votes arrive in D.C.
The president of the Senate and the national archivist in Washington D.C. must receive the electoral certificates from each state by the fourth Wednesday in December. In this case, that would be on Christmas day.
Jan. 3 - Congress is sworn in
The newly minted 119th Congress will be sworn in at the U.S. Capitol. For some, this is a bi-annual tradition. For others, it will be their first time being sworn in.
Jan. 6 - Electoral votes counted
In the final step of the election, the newly sworn-in Congress will convene to count the electoral votes sent in by the states. Once that process is done, the president-elect will be confirmed.
Jan. 20 - Inauguration Day
Two weeks after electoral votes are counted, the new president is sworn in at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. The event gathers a huge crowd every year as supporters gather to watch the next president of the United States assume the office.
Traditionally, the outgoing president is there at the swearing-in ceremony, but Trump infamously chose to skip Inauguration Day and flew back to Florida in 2021 without shaking hands with Joe Biden, who beat him in that race.
