Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Friday signed the paperwork that officially grants the state's 16 electoral votes to President-elect Joe Biden.
"The Governor has formalized the certification delivered to our office by the Secretary of State -- as is required by state law," Kemp spokesman Tate Mitchell told CNN in an email.
The certification is a major blow to President Donald Trump's longshot efforts to overturn the outcome of the election in Georgia, and all but seals Biden's razor-thin win in the state.
State law required Kemp to award Georgia's electoral votes to the certified winner of the presidential election. A federal judge on Thursday rejected a last-ditch lawsuit that tried to block
certification, and Biden's victory was certified Friday afternoon by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
"State law now requires the governor's office to formalize the certification, which paves the way for the Trump campaign to pursue other legal options and a separate recount if they choose," Kemp said, later adding, "As governor, I have a solemn responsibility to follow the law, and that is what I will do."