A contact assembly is for a vacuum switching apparatus. The vacuum switching apparatus includes a vacuum envelope. The vacuum envelope has an interior. The contact assembly includes: a number of electrical contacts located in the interior of the vacuum envelope, at least one electrical contact having a hole; and a number of electrodes each engaging a corresponding one of the number of electrical contacts, at least one electrode including a base and a protrusion. The protrusion extends from the base into the hole of the electrical contact in order to secure the electrical contact to the electrode.