US President Donald Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden remain locked in a tight race as Americans, and much of the world, await the election results from a handful of key swing states.
Both candidates are seeking at least 270 out 538 Electoral College votes awarded by the states, with Biden holding a narrow lead of 236 votes to Trump’s 213, according to the Associated Press, as Biden dominated liberal strongholds along the east and west coasts.
Hopes among Democrats that election night would see a swift and crushing victory for Biden have quickly evaporated. Despite a pandemic that has killed more than 230,000 Americans, an embattled U.S. economy, and chaotic foreign policy, Trump’s pugilistic governing style and “Make America Great Again” slogan has found favor with large swaths of the country.
Speaking shortly after midnight (0500 GMT), Biden said he is confident that he will win the election but says results may take some time, urging people to be “patient” and “keep the faith.”
“We believe we are on track to win this election. We feel good about where we are,” he added. He has said to expect no more statements before Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Trump took to Twitter to claim his opponents are trying to “steal the election,” though he offered no proof, and says he will shortly make a speech. Twitter restricted access to the post, saying parts or all of the message are disputed.
“We are up BIG, but they are trying to STEAL the Election. We will never let them do it. Votes cannot be cast after the Polls are closed!” Trump wrote on Twitter, after a period of several hours of silence on social media.
“I will be making a statement tonight. A big WIN!” he said in a second tweet.
While results remain unclear in much of the country, Trump is performing strongly in all of the battleground states and appears to be outperforming public opinion polls that pegged him as the underdog.
Much of the election – and the future of the U.S. for the next four years – remains in the hands of undecided swing states – mainly the northern states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
All of those three states – part of the U.S. “Rust Belt,” which was once reliably Democratic – flipped to Republicans in the 2016 presidential election, boosted by Trump’s popularity among blue-collar workers who sympathized with his protectionist trade policies and nationalist rhetoric.
The states remain too close to call, with around 60 to 70% of the expected vote counted in each state.
The results in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are being especially watched, since local laws prevented a flood of mail-in ballots from being counted until Election Day, meaning a projected winner could take days.
Meanwhile, Trump is projected to win Florida, Ohio and Texas, all states that Democrats sought to flip. He is also favored to win in Georgia and North Carolina. Iowa and has also been called for Trump.
Biden has won Arizona and its 11 electoral votes, flipping a critical battleground state that Trump won four years ago.
The victory by Biden was a huge blow to Trump’s chances for reelection. Arizona has backed a Democratic presidential candidate only once in the last 72 years.
Biden won at least three of Maine’s four electoral votes.
Biden won the statewide tally and the 1st Congressional District, good for three electoral votes. Trump, meanwhile, hoped to claim one electoral vote in a win in the 2nd Congressional District. The 2nd Congressional District hasn’t yet been called.
Maine split its electoral votes four years ago, awarding three to Democrat Hillary Clinton and one to Trump, who won the more rural and conservative of Maine’s congressional districts. It marked the first time in state history that Maine divided its electoral votes.
Maine is one of only two states that divides its electoral votes. The other is Nebraska.
In some cases, like Trump’s 2016 victory, a candidate can win the Electoral College without winning the popular vote. Biden has a roughly 1-per-cent popular vote lead, with more than 54.4 million votes in his favor.
Worries have increased that Trump may declare victory even as states are struggling to count a flood of mail-in ballots, which are expected to favor Biden. There is no law mandating that a winner be declared on Election Day. Some states are allowing ballots to be received even after polls close.
With Biden consistently leading in the polls, including in crucial swing states, Trump, a Republican, came into the race fighting to hold on to the White House after a turbulent four years in office.
Voters across all states are also casting ballots on a range of other issues, including for 35 Senate seats, the entire House of Representatives, numerous state and local offices and a slew of referendums on issues from tax policy to drug laws.
Democrats are expected to hold control of the House of Representatives, while they seek to wrest control of the Senate after six years of Republican control.
Democrats need a net gain of three seats to win the upper chamber.
There is an expectation that some states or counties may see their elections end up in court.
Already, the U.S. Postal Service failed to meet a deadline imposed by a federal judge to conduct physical sweeps of mail-processing facilities in several battleground states to ensure no mail-in ballots were left unsent.
Both Trump and Biden have prepared platoons of lawyers to fight for the side.
For many voters, the key issues in the election are the pandemic, the economy and health care, along with more specific areas such as gun rights and control, the environment, and abortion.
Trump is running as a conservative, while Biden has embraced some progressive ideas, but has mainly pitched a wide tent, trying to build a broad coalition.
The U.S. presidential election will be decided by about a dozen states that could swing to either President Donald Trump, a Republican, or his Democratic challenger Joe Biden.
These states will play a critical role in delivering the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House. Due to a surge in mail voting amid the coronavirus pandemic – as well as the states’ varying rules for when ballots can be counted – the final results for all the states are expected to take days to be revealed.
Source: AP
