Which Candidate Is Currently Leading Election Results?
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Unlike the predictions of most polls, the 2020 presidential race has been incredibly close. While some experts say that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden currently has a strong lead in the Electoral College and is on the cusp of winning the election, many battleground states are showing razor-thin victory margins for one candidate or the other. Additionally, President Trump declared victory prematurely and is pursuing lawsuits and demanding recounts. Here are the latest updates on the 2020 presidential race.
Biden’s lead
Earlier today, Biden said he is heading toward victory over President Donald Trump. Biden won Wisconsin and Michigan, closing his gap to reach the 270 votes needed to clinch the electoral college. Currently, Biden has 264 electoral college votes (though only some sources have declared a Biden victory in Arizona), so he needs six more electoral votes to win the presidency.
Biden can gain these votes by winning Nevada. Approximately 75 percent of Nevada’s votes have been counted, and Biden is leading by fewer than 8,000 votes. Additionally, there are outstanding mail-in ballots that must be counted within the upcoming days. Under Nevada state law, these ballots must be accepted if postmarked by Election Day.
Trump’s current numbers
President Trump has 214 electoral college votes, but he is demanding recounts. Earlier, Trump’s campaign filed a lawsuit to stop Michigan’s vote count and demanded that Michigan’s Democratic secretary of state allow closer inspection of its vote counting. Trump, who has repeatedly falsely claimed that voter fraud is widespread, has instructed poll watchers to monitor voting sites. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has publicly said that both parties and the public are given access to a fair and accurate vote count.
Michigan is not the only state where the Trump campaign is suing based on voter fraud claims. The campaign is also suing in Pennsylvania and Georgia, both key battleground states. His campaign is demanding better access for poll watchers to oversee locations where in-person and absentee ballots are being processed and counted. Currently, Georgia and Pennsylvania have the majority of their votes counted, and Trump is leading in both states by a small margin.
What could change in the coming days?
For weeks, President Trump’s campaign has been filing lawsuits to invalidate votes, and Trump remains consistent with his claims of voter fraud. During the upcoming days, his campaign and his supporters are likely to demand recounts. In Michigan, for example, Trump supporters have chanted to halt vote counting.
Trump has claimed victory, but has he actually won?
Yesterday, President Trump said on Twitter before all votes were counted that he won the Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina elections. For the sixth time in less than 24 hours, Twitter flagged Trump’s tweets for violating its rules because they included claims of widespread election fraud and premature declarations of victory. Approximately three of Trump’s posts were hidden, and one tweet was partially hidden, but they were not entirely suppressed since Twitter users still had the option to view them.
Although Biden is close to winning 270 electoral college votes, a Trump victory remains plausible. Over the next few days, more battleground state votes will be tallied and likely determine the outcome of the election.