"Respecting the will of the people is at the heart of our democracy, even if we find those results hard to accept."

The Electoral College has officially confirmed Joe Biden as the next president of the US on Monday, ratifying his November victory in the election. Biden was given a majority of 306 Electoral College votes to sitting President Donald Trump's 232, the same margin as Trump's win in 2016. While the Electoral College is usually considered a formality, it took on greater significance this year following the repeated and unsubstantiated claims by Trump of election fraud. In the popular vote count, Biden topped Trump by more than seven million votes nationwide. Addressing the nation from his home in Delaware, Biden said: "If anyone didn't know it before, we know it now. What beats deep in the hearts of the American people is this: Democracy. "The right to be heard. To have your vote counted. To choose the leaders of this nation. To govern ourselves." He added: "Respecting the will of the people is at the heart of our democracy, even if we find those results hard to accept. "We the people voted. Faith in our institutions held. The integrity of our elections remains intact. And now it's time to turn the page as we've done throughout our history, to unite to heal." Biden promised to be a president for all Americans, whether they voted for him or not, as he prepares to take charge of a country ravaged by Covid-19 while also tasked with reviving a floundering economy.