The certification of the results would usually be regarded as a formality and attract little attention. But this year,it took on a new symbolic power because of Trump's refusal to accept defeat.

The Electoral College vote came on the same day the US administered its first COVID-19 vaccinations outside clinical trials. Americans watched two major stories playing out on split screens:a testament to the power of science alongside an affirmation of democracy.

The sight of healthcare workers being vaccinated offered hope that the pandemic — which has nowclaimed 300,000 American lives — would eventually be brought under control. (The Associated Press put the milestone into perspective,saying"the number of dead rivals the population of the cities of St Louis,Missouri or Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania. It is more than five times the number of Americans killed in the Vietnam War. It is equal to a September 11 attack every day for more than 100 days".)

The images of electors casting their ballots offered reassurance that America's democratic institutions were strong enough to withstand Trump's efforts to overturn the result.

To be sure,there has been much to be troubled about in the six weeks following election day.

Trump has continued to make baseless and fabricated claims of electoral fraud,aided by conservative media outlets that amplified his complaints. As a result,tens of millions of Americans believe an election that turned out to be surprisingly trouble-free was illegitimate.

Importantly,only a handful of Republicans in Congress have publicly acknowledged Biden as the President-elect.

As well as challenging the results in court and complaining on Twitter,Trump also met state legislators in an effort to convince them to override the will of their voters.

Last week Texas'Republican Attorney-General filed a lawsuit asking the Supreme Court to invalidate the results in Michigan,Pennsylvania,Wisconsin and Georgia,thereby swinging the election to Trump. Remarkably,18 Republican-led states backed the suit,as did more than 100 Republican members of the House of Representatives.

But in terms of affecting the outcome of the election,these efforts were proven spectacularly unsuccessful.

Despite personal attacks from Trump and his allies,Republican officials such as Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Governor Brian Kemp certified their state's election results and defended the legitimacy of the process.

Even Attorney-General William Barr,one of Trump’s staunchest allies,told the AP last month that the Justice Department had found no widespread election fraud that would change the outcome of the election. Unsurprisingly,Trump said on Monday,US time,thatBarr had submitted his letter of resignation and would leave before Christmas.

Dozens of judges across the country — many appointed by Republicans,and some by Trump himself — threw out Trump's election-related lawsuits. On Saturday (AEDT),the Supreme Court,which has a 6-3 conservative majority,swatted away the Texas complaint by declining to hear the case.

Key Republican state officials have rejected Trump's entreaties to overturn the results in their states,putting them at odds with the party's conservative base.

After his state's Electoral College votes were awarded to Biden,Lee Chatfield,the Republican leader of Michigan's state House of Representatives,confirmed he would not try to reverse the results.

"I can’t fathom risking our norms,traditions and institutions to pass a resolution retroactively changing the electors for Trump,simply because some think there may have been enough widespread fraud to give him the win,"Chatfield said in a statement.

"That’s unprecedented for good reason."

Crucially,the US military didn't take sides in the election. And despite some skirmishes,there hasn't been widespread violence or mass unrest since election day.

After being certified by the Electoral College,the election results now go to the US Congress for final approval on January 6. While some Republicans may try to create drama by challenging the results,the outcome will be the same:Biden being declared the 46th president of the United States.

Trump and his allies have set a dangerous precedent by refusing to acknowledge reality and concede defeat. But,at least for now,the foundations of American democracy held firm where it mattered most.