Chidi Samuel with Agency reports
As expected, the US Electoral College has certified Donald Trump as president, despite a last-ditch effort to deny him the White House.
Reacting to his win, Mr Trump promised to “work hard to unite our country and be the president of all Americans”.
Electors had been flooded with emails and phone calls urging them not to support the billionaire.
The voting process is usually a formality, but was clouded this year by claims that Russian hackers tried to sway the presidential election. Thestate of Texas put the president-elect over the 270 threshold, despite two of its electors voting against him.
The result will be officially announced on 6 January in a special joint session of Congress.
“I thank the American people for their overwhelming vote to elect me as their next president of the United States,” Mr Trump said in a statement after the result came in.
“With this historic step we can look forward to the bright future ahead. I will work hard to unite our country and be the president of all Americans,” he added.
Vice president-elect Mike Pence hailed his boss on Twitter, writing: “Congratulations to @realDonaldTrump; officially elected President of the United States today by the Electoral College.”
He added that he was “honored & humbled to be officially elected today as the next Vice President of the United States of America”
Mr Trump formally takes office on January 20.