While a steady stream of House Republicans have announced their willingness to object to the electoral votes of critical states, Mr. Hawley is the first senator to do so. “We must ensure that one vote means one vote in America,” read the message, which was positioned alongside a photo of Mr. Hawley and Mr. Trump. On that same call, details of which were earlier reported by Axios, Mr. McConnell pressed Mr. Hawley to explain how he expected his objection to play out, according to a person familiar with the conversation. Mr. Hawley’s objection will force the Senate to debate his claim for up to two hours, followed by a vote on Mr. Biden’s victory. With every Senate Democrat expected to certify the election, along with at least several Republicans, the Senate is likely to affirm Mr. Biden’s victory.

Source: New York Times December 31, 2020 22:05 UTC