| Title | Ballot Box, Electoral College (2021–Present) |
| Artist/Maker | U.S. Senate Sergeant at Arms Cabinet Shop |
| Date | 2020 |
| Medium | Mahogany |
| Dimensions | h. 16.38 x w. 19.5 x d. 8 in. (h. 41.6 x w. 49.5 x d. 20.3 cm) |
| Credit Line | U.S. Senate Collection |
| Accession Number | 79.00051.001 |
The United States Constitution provides for the election of the president and vice president by an electoral college. Pursuant to law, every four years in the January following a presidential election, Congress convenes in a joint session to count the electoral votes for president and vice president. Senate staff carry certificates attesting to each state’s balloting from the Senate Chamber to the House Chamber in mahogany boxes. The vice president opens the certificates and tellers read the results to the joint session.
Mahogany boxes, similar in design to the one shown here, have been used to carry the electoral certificates since 1877. This box was expressly made in order to carry oversized certificates, and was first used for the official counting of the votes on January 6, 2021, that confirmed the election of Joseph R. Biden as president.
