Congress convened on January 6, 2021 to count the electoral votes. Objections to some state returns were debated, but the proceedings were interrupted when rioters breached the Capitol.
After the building was secured, Congress reconvened that evening and completed the count early on January 7. Vice President Mike Pence presided and announced Biden’s Electoral College victory.
The count was a constitutional procedure distinct from state certification. The interruption delayed it but did not change the result. For the detailed attack chronology, see the separate January 6 Historical Record collection.
The congressional count was interrupted by violence but resumed. The objections to Arizona and Pennsylvania did not prevail in both chambers.
The joint session was interrupted when the Capitol was breached, but the constitutional count did not end there. Lawmakers returned that evening, resumed proceedings, and completed certification early on January 7. The sequence demonstrates both the vulnerability of the process to violence and its eventual continuation.
Objections to electoral votes followed statutory procedures and required support from members of both chambers to trigger debate. Those formal objections were distinct from the uncertified elector certificates and from the rioters' actions. Keeping the three separate prevents the history from confusing congressional procedure, an effort to introduce alternate paperwork, and physical disruption.
The January 6 committee documented pressure on state officials, alternate electoral certificates and attempts to persuade Vice President Pence to reject or delay counting votes. Congress reconvened after the Capitol attack and completed the count early on January 7, 2021. The National Archives records that objections to Arizona and Pennsylvania did not receive the support required in both chambers, so all certified votes were counted.