By Gillian Brockell Jan. 2, 2021 at 7:00 a.m. EST
Mahogany boxes containing sealed envelopes with each state’s electoral college vote are marched into a joint session of Congress. The presiding officer opens the envelopes in alphabetical order, and House and Senate “tellers” read the results aloud. It is generally so boring that few lawmakers show up.
This year, they’ll be watching with bated breath. Will the presiding officer, Vice President Pence, resist pressure from President Trump and his supporters to write a new script for the proceedings?
In fact, two modern vice presidents have overseen the most humbling of certifications — their own election losses.
On Jan. 6, 1961, Vice President Richard M. Nixon became the first in a century. Massachusetts Sen. John F. Kennedy had beaten him narrowly; plus, many Republicans suspected voter fraud in 11 states, even filing lawsuits in two. (Judges threw both out.) So even though the result of the certification was supposed to be a foregone conclusion, some wondered whether Nixon would really go through with it.
He did, and according to The Washington Post’s coverage at the time, he did so jovially. Read more HERE.