It’s official: Democrat Barack Obama has been elected the 44th president of the United States, defeating Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona in a formal count of electoral votes.

In a joint session Thursday, Congress determined that Obama and Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. , D-Del., were elected president and vice president, respectively. Obama and received 365 electoral votes to 173 for McCain. Likewise, Biden received 365 electoral votes to 173 for McCain’s running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin .

While there was no suspense about the outcome, the process was necessary: Both Article II, Section 1, of the Constitution and the 12th Amendment require Congress to tally the votes and determine the winners.

Vice President Dick Cheney oversaw the ceremony. He opened and presented the certificates of the electoral votes from all 50 states and the District of Columbia in alphabetical order.

Each certificate was read by incoming Senate Rules Chairman Charles E. Schumer , D-N.Y., and ranking Republican Robert F. Bennett of Utah, with their counterparts from the House Administration Committee, Chairman Robert A. Brady , D-Pa., and ranking Republican Vernon J. Ehlers of Michigan.

Tallying the votes is usually routine, but it hasn’t always been without drama.

In 2001, Vice President Al Gore, acting in his constitutional capacity as president of the Senate, supervised the counting that installed his election rival, George W. Bush , as president.

In 1969, two lawmakers objected to an elector who cast his vote for George Wallace rather than Richard M. Nixon, but both chambers rejected the objection. In 2005, two lawmakers objected to disputed Ohio votes, but again the protests were rejected.

Members can also object to a certificate in writing, which could prompt the chambers to separate, debate and vote. But this has happened only twice since the 1887 law that set up the joint sessions, and neither resulted in a change in the vote.

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