US presidential election result 2020 highlights
Americans began casting ballots on Tuesday for US elections 2020 in a day unlike any other, braving the threat of COVID-19.
US election results 2020: Americans by the millions waited patiently to cast their ballots at libraries, schools and arenas across the United States on Tuesday, in an orderly show of civic duty that belied the deep tensions of one of the most polarizing presidential campaigns in the country's history.
Face masks worn by many and boarded-up stores in some city centers were reminders of two of the issues shaping 2020's elections, with COVID-19 still ravaging parts of the country after a summer of sometimes violence-marred protests against police brutality and racism.
Biden, the Democratic former vice president and a career politician, has had a strong and consistent lead in national polls.
But the Republican Trump is close in enough swing states to possibly piece together the 270 state-by-state Electoral College votes needed to hold on to the presidency, which he won in a surprise 2016 election result despite losing the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton by nearly 3 million ballots.
However, it may be days before the result is known, especially if legal challenges focused on postal ballots are accepted in the event of a tight race.
There is also a fear of possible unrest. Several cities are boarding up buildings in anticipation of possible protests, including around the White House and in New York City.
Polls opened in some Eastern states at 6 am EST (1100 GMT). The most closely watched results will start to trickle in after 7 pm EST (2400 GMT) when polls close in states such as Georgia, though definitive national results could take days if the contest is tight.
US election results 2020 live updates
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Americans began casting ballots on Tuesday for US elections 2020 in a day unlike any other, braving the threat of COVID-19.
Most world leaders are maintaining silence over the US election. However, few came out with their observations.
"Let's wait and see what the outcome is," said British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab. "There's obviously a significant amount of uncertainty. It's much closer than I think many had expected."
The Slovenian prime minister broke ranks and congratulated Trump and the Republican party on Twitter.
"It's pretty clear that American people have elected @realDonaldTrump and @Mike_Pence for #4moreyears," wrote Janez Jansa, one of several east European leaders, including Hungary's Viktor Orban, who are fervent Trump allies. "Congratulations @GOP for strong results across the #US."
Donald Trump's victories:
Texas, Florida, Ohio, Iowa, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Louisiana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kentucky, West Virginia, Indiana, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas.
Joe Biden's victories:
Minnesota, Hawaii, California, Oregon, Washington, New Hampshire, Colorado, the District of Columbia, New Mexico, New York, Virginia, Vermont, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Illinois, Delaware and Connecticut.
Joe Biden is now leading in Wisconsin after City of Milwaukee absentees come in.
Election day ends in the United States, but vote count continues.
Biden campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon in a statement said, “The president’s statement tonight about trying to shut down the counting of duly cast ballots was outrageous, unprecedented, and incorrect".
"It was outrageous because it is a naked effort to take away the democratic rights of American citizens," he further added.
Joe Biden wins in Arizona and Maine: US media
"This is a fraud on the American public,” the president said at the White House. “This is an embarrassment to our country.” The president pledged to fight the results of the election at the supreme court.
“We will be going to the US supreme court. We want all voting to stop,” Trump said.
Election results from some battleground states, including Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan and Georgia, were still not clear and projections from major networks and Edison Research showed Trump still short of the 270 electoral votes need to win re-election. Election officials in key swing states continue to count valid ballots, and that process could continue for days.
“This is, without question, the latest news conference I’ve ever had,” Trump jokes as he starts speaking at about 2:20 am ET.
The president then says Democrats are trying to “disenfranchise” his supporters.
“We will not stand for it,” Trump says.
I believe we are in track to win this election. We feel good about where we are. I'm here to tell you that we are on track to win this election. We knew coz of the unprecedented early vote-mail-in vote. We will know till every vote, every ballot is counted. We are feeling confident about Arizona, Minnesota and we are still in the game in Georgia, although we didn't expect it. We are feeling confident about Wisconsin. We are going to win in Pennsylvania. We will know the results by tom morning: Joe Biden
President Donald Trump on Tuesday prevailed in the hotly contested Rust Belt state of Ohio -- one he seized in 2016 and which is key to his efforts to win reelection over Democratic challenger Joe Biden.
Biden is now being given 209 electoral votes and Trump a maximum of 116, because Nebraska splits its electoral votes based on congressional district.
The magic number is 270. Observers expect the hotly contested race for the White House to come down to a handful of key battleground states that have yet to be called.
Joe Biden wins Washington, Oregon, California and Illinois: Reuters
Donald Trump wins Utah, Nebraska, Lousiana
Joe Biden wins New Mexico and New Hampshire, in addition to New York, Massachusets, New Jersey, Maryland, Vermont, Connecticut, Delaware, Colorado: Reuters
Trump wins in Kansas: US media
CBS Projection of independent votes
Joe Biden: 56%
Donald Trump: 39%
In 2016, Donald Trump won the independent votes by 4%
Biden wins in Colorado, New Mexico and Columbia: US networks
President Donald Trump is narrowly leading Democratic rival Joe Biden in the vital battleground state of Florida, while other competitive swing states that will help decide the election outcome, such as Georgia and North Carolina, remained up in the air.
Trump wins Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas while Joe Biden has won Illinois, Rhode Island: US media reports.
It's turning out to be a close contest.
Donald Trump has won the states of Oklahoma, Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama.
Joe Biden has won seven states, including his home state of Delaware. The Democratic nominee won Rhode Island, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Illinois, Delaware and Connecticut.
Polls have closed in six US states, including key battleground state of Georgia.
According to reports, absentee and mail-in ballots are being processed in one Pennsylvania county at a gym in a local university.
A buoyant Trump said Republicans were "looking really good" as US election voting reached its peak.
Over 100 million voters have already exercised their franchise. According to US Elections Project, 101,167,740 people in the United States have voted already with 35,923,053 in-person votes and 65,244,687 mail-in ballots.
In California over 12 million votes have cast their ballot with over 9 million in Texas who have exercised their democratic right even as President Trump and Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden meet with last-minute voters.