Pennsylvania certifies election results in favour of Biden

Pennsylvania, one of the key U.S. battleground states being contested by President Donald Trump, has certified the presidential election in favour of President-elect, Joe Biden.

The state governor, Tom Wolf, who disclosed this in a tweet on Tuesday, said he had signed the Certificate of Ascertainment after the results were certified by the Pennsylvania Department of State.

Mr Biden polled 3,459,041 votes in the state, representing 50 per cent of the total, to defeat President Donald Trump, who secured 3,378,148 votes or 48.8 per cent.

Pennsylvania has 20 electoral votes in the Electoral College.

“Today @PAStateDept certified the results of the Nov. 3 election in Pennsylvania for president and vice president of the United States,” Wolf tweeted.

“As required by federal law, I have signed the Certificate of Ascertainment for the slate of electors for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

“Again, I want to thank the election officials who have administered a fair and free election during an incredibly challenging time in our commonwealth and country’s history.

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“Our election workers have been under constant attack and they have performed admirably and honorably,” the governor’s tweet read.

Mr Trump’s campaign organisation is appealing a federal court’s dismissal of his lawsuit that sought to invalidate millions of mail-in votes in the state over alleged widespread irregularities.

The president’s team had approached the Middle District Court of Pennsylvania alleging that 1.5 million mail-in votes in the state were illegally counted.

It also alleged that its poll watchers were not allowed to observe the counting of mail-in ballots, and urged the court to cancel the votes.

But in his ruling on Saturday, the presiding judge, Matthew Brann, threw out the case “for lack of compelling legal arguments and factual proof of rampant corruption.”

Mr Trump and other plaintiffs had filed the appeal at the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Sunday.

Reports say the Pennsylvania case was one of Mr Trump’s best hopes to overturn the election results through court, given the 20 electoral votes at stake.

(NAN)