RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia cast its 13 Electoral College votes for President-elect Joe Biden on Monday.
The 13 electors gathered at the state House of Delegates for a ceremony that was closed to the public amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Susan Swecker, the Democratic Party of Virginia Chairwoman who served as President of the College of Electors Monday, said it was a traditional, seamless vote.
“What a sense of history, continuity, and transition of power," Swecker told 13News Now. “It’s a day that I’ll always remember, it’s one of the highest honors of my life and one that I’ll cherish.”
Swecker said there was no concern about "faithless" electors before the voting.
“Not in Virginia... and in fact, we go through a pretty rigorous test here. You are bound to vote for the person who carried the Commonwealth," Swecker said.
Gov. Ralph Northam thanked the electors before they cast their votes. Electors also participated in a prayer and the Pledge of Alliance before voting for Biden began.
The Electoral College votes across the country received more attention than usual Monday, due to President Trump’s false claims of voter fraud and attempts to overturn the election results.
Swecker said Monday's vote was a source of pride and duty.
“This just reaffirms my faith in the Constitution and my faith in the American people," she told 13News Now.
Biden defeated President Donald Trump in November’s election by 10 percentage points.
Trump held a campaign rally at the Newport News airport in September that drew thousands of supporters, but overall the state was not a focus of either campaign.
Congress will count the electoral votes on January 6, and Biden will be sworn in as President on January 20.