Obama legally elected U.S. 44th president

PanARMENIAN.Net - In all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the 538 electors performed a constitutional process to legally elect Democrat Barack Obama the 44th president of the United States.



More than 131 million voters cast ballots - the most ever in a presidential election. But Obama's election is not complete until Congress tallies the outcome of Monday's Electoral College vote at a joint session scheduled for Jan. 6.



Monday's voting was largely ceremonial, the results preordained by Obama's Nov. 4 victory over Republican Sen. John McCain. Obama won 365 electoral votes, to 173 for McCain. With every state reporting, all the electors had cast ballots in accordance with the popular votes in their states, the AP reports.



Hillary Clinton will head the State Department while Robert Gates will retain his post of Defense Secretary.