After four days of holding their breath, Americans learned the identity of the next president of the United States: Joe Biden.
The announcement concerning the 46th president of the United States came after a close race between Biden and current President Donald Trump over four days of uncertainty.
Presently standing at 290 electoral votes over Trump’s 214 votes, Biden and vice president-elect Kamala Harris have been projected to be the winners of the election; however, the country is still waiting for Georgia, Alaska and North Carolina to be called.
The Associated Press projected Biden’s win on Nov. 7 after the Democratic candidate won Pennsylvania, securing the state’s 20 electoral votes.
Alexandra Armstrong, a 19-year-old biology freshman, said she felt anxious leading up to the election results. She said she made sure to turn her Apple News notifications on in order to receive updates on the states being called.
“Four years ago, I went to bed and woke up, and there was a new president,” she said. “This time I woke up, and there were still undecided states.”
Soon after the AP called Pennsylvania, Biden won Nevada, giving him another 11 electoral votes to secure his win. Voters remained patient in anticipation of the announcement, especially because Nevada was originally predicted to give Biden the electoral votes needed to win. “Honestly, I’m hoping for a less dramatic term,” Armstrong said. “I think I’m really excited that more people will be represented, and I’m looking forward to change happening.”
The election’s results made history in a number of ways. For instance, Harris is set to become not only the first female to hold the office of vice president, but also the first of black and Asian American descent.
Biden broke the record for the most votes cast for a presidential candidate with over 76 million votes in his favor. Biden also set a record with his projected presidential win, becoming the United States’ oldest president. He turns 78 on Nov. 20.
Gabi Oliveira, a 20-year-old public health junior, said she also felt anxious leading up to the election results. She said when she heard the news Biden won, she ran to her room, put CNN on and started to cry before celebrating.
“It was important to me that Biden won because I think this election was really based solely on social issues,” she said, “which is probably one of the first times something like that has ever happened.”
Oliveria said even though she wasn’t the biggest Biden supporter going into the election, for her personally, voting for the president-elect “was a no-brainer.” She said she also looks forward to having a woman vice president.
“I think it’s a long time coming,” she said. “It’s the first step in a long trajectory for women in politics.”
News of Biden’s win sent parts of the country into celebration. Specifically, residents of New York City and Los Angeles could be seen cheering for the president-elect throughout the day.
While some shared in Biden’s win, Trump’s supporters were saddened by his loss. In some instances, as reported by The Washington Post, the 45th president’s followers expressed their anger over the election’s results, believing the race was rigged.
Trump himself has not conceded in the election, tweeting his own thoughts, as well as articles about voter fraud, and mentioning he will pursue legal action.
Although the election’s winner has been predicted, each state is still in the process of verifying their results. In addition, the electors will cast their ballots on Dec. 14.