With some of the most historic results of American history, Joe Biden has officially won this year’s election and will become the 46th president of the United States. With Kamala Harris as his Vice President, the duo will unseat current President Donald Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence. After surpassing the goal of 270 electoral votes, Biden’s presidency will bring significant changes to this country over the course of the next four years as he will enact policies that promote the values of the Democratic party, a stark contrast to the past four years under Trump.

Although not all states have entirely completed their vote counting, Biden has already been announced the winner of this 2020 election by multiple media networks with his current count of 290 electoral votes as compared to Trump’s 214. The President-elect held his victory speech in Delaware on Saturday night, speaking to citizens for the first time as their confirmed future leader. He made a point to thank his Black supporters, stating to them that “You’ve always had my back, and I’ll have yours.” He also touched upon his plans for the transition of power, and goals in regards to the Coronavirus efforts. Biden pledged to serve the United States rather than dividing the country into “Red and Blue states.”

Harris’ win was heavily discussed by the media due to the fact that the Vice President-elect will be making history in the U.S. in several ways. She will not only be the first female to serve as VP in America but in fact, Harris’ background as the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrant parents will also make her the first Black, Asian and Indian American to hold the position. She will additionally serve as the only Vice-President to have graduated from a historically Black university, as in the past most VPs have gone to predominantly white Ivy Leagues.

“I’m happy Biden won. Although he isn’t the best candidate, he’s far better than Trump. The people were just too tired of the conflicts that Trump was creating and it’s time for a change,” sophomore Michelle Raudez said.

As the winner was announced, President Trump made it evident that he was not in agreement with the results of this election. Hours before Biden’s victory was reported, Trump declared that he had won by a significant margin via Twitter, although this claim has since been proven false. He received news of his loss while golfing at his club in Virginia. The incumbent continues to contest the results, as his campaign is filing several lawsuits demanding legal action, which includes requests for recounts in several states.

According to exit polls from across the nation, Biden and Harris did well among minorities. 87% of Black and 66% of Hispanic and Latino voters chose Biden. So did 61% of gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual voters. Trump performed better among white men and white women, with 76% of White Evangelical or born-again Christians, along with over half of voters whose family income amounted to $100,000 or more. For voters this year, the biggest deciding factors for which candidate they would vote for regarded issues of racial inequality, the economy and the COVID-19 pandemic.

What will Biden’s presidency mean for the country? The president-elect’s goals include taking steps to ensure public health in order to address the COVID-19 pandemic. He also aims to build on the Affordable Care Act to reduce the costs of healthcare. Confronting climate change, advancing racial equity and supporting labor unions are among some of his other outlined objectives. Whether or not his actions improve the state of the country – as his supporters hope for – is something that is yet to be determined.

“I don’t agree with some of his policies, but I’m really relieved someone that believes in science and facts is going to be leading out country. I’m also glad the democrats maintained control of the house, and as for the senate, I’m looking forward to seeing the results of the runoff in Georgia. Overall, I’m just relieved from the chaotic uncertainty of the past week,” sophomore Leah Ullman said.

This election was certainly not a quickly decided one, either. With extremely close margins in states such as Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Arizona, delays lasted for days. The Coronavirus pandemic was one of the major factors that contributed to the lengthy vote counts, as it meant millions of more citizens chose to vote by mail rather than early in-person or on Election Day. This caused many ballots to arrive days after Nov. 3. In the end, however, Biden was carried over in many of these states due to majority Democratic mail-in ballots, eventually winning the popular vote by approximately five million votes.

This election was one that filled voters with anxiety, excitement and a surge of contradicting emotions all at once. Biden’s election will certainly determine the future of the U.S., one of the most powerful countries in the modern world. Will he provide what the American people are looking for in a leader? Only time will tell. Either way, this tumultuous year will be coming to an end with a decisive victory for the Democratic Party as the nation will inaugurate Joseph R. Biden and Kamala D. Harris on Jan. 20 of next year.

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