Congress to Certify Trump’s Election, With Memories of Riot Looming Large

A joint session of Congress is set to convene on Monday to certify President-elect Donald J. Trump’s victory in the 2024 election, once a largely ceremonial and uneventful ritual that was disrupted four years ago by a violent mob inflamed by Mr. Trump’s lie about a stolen election.

There is no hint of a similar scene playing out this time. Unlike Mr. Trump back then, Vice President Kamala Harris has not disputed her loss in November, and unlike Republicans in the aftermath of the 2020 balloting, Democrats have made it clear they have accepted the results.

Ms. Harris is set to preside over the certification in her capacity as president of the Senate, in a ritual that will underscore the importance of a peaceful transition of power even between bitter political rivals.

Still, there are reminders everywhere of the violence that shocked the world on this day four years ago. The Capitol is on heavy lockdown, with tall black metal fencing around the building. Heightened federal, state and local security resources are on hand as lawmakers prepare to convene, starting at 1 p.m., for the constitutionally mandated task of counting and certifying the Electoral College votes.

For the first time, the day has been designated by the Homeland Security Department as a “national special security event.”

It may all seem like overkill on what is expected to be a peaceful and orderly day. But lawmakers and law enforcement officials are determined to be prepared after the violence on Jan. 6, 2021. Four years ago, protesters egged on by Mr. Trump’s false claim that he was the winner of the election stormed the Capitol with clubs and other weapons, instigating a riot that led to the deaths of seven people, including three police officers.