Donald Trump won the Electoral College vote on Monday to officially secure the presidency.

The Associated Press declared Trump the winner in a tweet at 5:29 p.m. ET. The president-elect surpassed the necessary 270 votes in the Electoral College after Texas’ representatives cast their ballots.

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Electors met on Monday to vote in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Despite last-ditch efforts to persuade electors to vote down Trump, just two of the 306 Republican electors cast a ballot against the president-elect, Politico reported. Both electors were from Texas. One, Chris Suprun, voted for Ohio Gov. John Kasich. The other voted for former Texas Rep. Ron Paul.

Seven Democratic electors attempted to vote against Hillary Clinton — four in Washington state and one each in Minnesota, Maine and Colorado — but three of the seven were replaced by state election officials, according to Politico.

CNN reported that this is the first U.S. presidential election since 1872 with more than one “faithless elector,” or a member of the Electoral College who does not vote for their pledged candidate.

The Electoral College results will be officially certified on Jan. 6, when lawmakers will meet at 1 p.m in a special joint session of Congress.

BREAKING: Donald Trump wins more than 270 Electoral College votes to formally become president-elect pic.twitter.com/JjvuWg06IE — The Associated Press (@AP) December 19, 2016

Trump celebrated his victory in a statement, saying: “Today marks a historic electoral landslide victory in our nation’s democracy. I thank the American people for their overwhelming vote to elect me as their next President of the United States. The official votes cast by the Electoral College exceeded the 270 required to secure the presidency by a very large margin, far greater than ever anticipated by the media.”

He continued, “This election represents a movement that millions of hard working men and women all across the country stood behind and made possible. 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. Together, we will make America great again.”

And Vice President-elect Mike Pence tweeted:

I’m honored & humbled to be officially elected today as the next Vice President of the United States of America by the Electoral College. — Mike Pence (@mike_pence) December 19, 2016

Monday’s vote came amid efforts by activists and protesters to persuade some of the 538 members of the Electoral College to rebel against the president-elect — in some cases in violation of state laws requiring electors to support the candidate who won their state’s popular vote.

Steve Pope/Getty Images

Earlier in the day, protests broke out at many statehouses across the country, including those in Atlanta; Lansing, Michigan; Nashville, Tennessee; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Madison, Wisconsin; and Jackson, Mississippi, The New York Times reported.

Carrying signs with phrases such as “EC (Electoral College): You have a choice” and “Vote your conscience,” the protesters hoped to persuade at least 37 electors to vote against Trump, and instead cast their ballots for either Clinton or an alternative GOP candidate.

CNN reported that protesters in Pennsylvania were singing Christmas songs and the national anthem before the vote, but after it was announced that Trump and Pence had won all of the state’s 20 electoral votes, a few people yelled “shame on you” at the electors, and one woman yelled “you have just elected Hitler.”

Meanwhile, CNN reported that inside the Pennsylvania State Capitol chamber in Harrisburg, audience members clapped for the electors, thanked them for their service, and thanked Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf for allowing this to be a “civil” election.

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Demonstrators took to the streets across the country on Monday for protests organized by the December 19 Coalition, which includes the anti-Trump groups Americans Take Action, the Hamilton Electors, Progressive Change Campaign Committee, the Electoral College Petition, and Democracy Spring.

Protestors singing God Bless America in hallway as Indiana Electoral College voting gets underway. More @WTHRcom pic.twitter.com/2TCLyZBgib — Bruce Kopp (@BruceKopp13) December 19, 2016

Anti-Trump protesters outside the Statehouse in advance of the Electoral College vote inside at noon. pic.twitter.com/jujKUpEjgz — Jim Siegel (@phrontpage) December 19, 2016

Mark Makela/Getty

Mark Makela/Getty

Rally protesting the electoral college and president-elect outside KY Capitol pic.twitter.com/FT38scu8Fx — Brad Bowman (@Bradleybowman) December 19, 2016

Mark Makela/Getty

Mark Makela/Getty

Daniel Brezenoff, founder of the Electoral College Petition, told PEOPLE last month of his effort to stop Trump, “It’s a Hail Mary. I knew this was the only constitutional path open to stopping him. I just thought, somebody’s gotta give it a shot.”