We are tracking all the major events and everything happening during the 2020 election night and beyond, including the presidential race between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Check back for the latest updates.
Biden to the country: ‘Let us be the nation that we know we can be’
Saturday, Nov. 7, 6:59 p.m.
Joe Biden spoke to America on Saturday night for the first time since his projected election win in the morning.
Biden delivered his speech from Delaware, accompanied by vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Biden told a crowd of supporters that the people of America have delivered his campaign a “convincing victory” and that it received 74 million votes, the most ever.
- “I pledge to be a president who seeks not to divide but unify, who doesn't see red states and blue states, only sees the United States, and work with all my heart with the confidence of the whole people to win the confidence of all of you.”
- “I sought this office to restore the soul of America, to rebuild the backbone of this nation, the middle class, and to make America respected in the world again.”
Biden called the win the “honor of his lifetime.”
With COVID-19 a key election issue, Biden addressed those affected by the pandemic.
Biden also addressed supporters of President Donald Trump.
- “I’ve lost a couple of times myself, but now, let’s give each other a chance. It’s time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature, see each other again, listen to each other again.”
Biden said “cooperation” describes part of America’s mandate to his future administration. From the Civil War to the Great Depression, the country overcame adversity by working together despite party and other differences key to its history, Biden said.
Before Biden, Harris gave remarks. She thanked Americans for turning out in record numbers to vote this cycle and spoke about being the first woman vice president.
- “Protecting our democracy takes struggle. It takes sacrifice, but there is joy in it. And there is progress because the people have the power to build a better future.”
Biden to speak tonight
Saturday, Nov. 7, 1:58 p.m.
Biden said in a statement that he will speak to the country tonight about his recent election to office:
I am honored and humbled by the trust the American people have placed in me and in Vice President-elect Harris.
In the face of unprecedented obstacles, a record number of Americans voted. Proving once again, that democracy beats deep in the heart of America.With the campaign over, it’s time to put the anger and the harsh rhetoric behind us and come together as a nation.
It’s time for America to unite. And to heal.
We are the United States of America. And there’s nothing we can’t do, if we do it together.
I’m going to speak to the nation tonight and I’d love for you to watch.
Biden elected president; Trump vows to challenge results
Saturday, Nov. 7, 9:38 a.m.
Joe Biden has defeated President Donald Trump to become the 46th president of the United States, according to projections announced Saturday morning.
“I am honored and humbled by the trust the American people have placed in me and in Vice President-elect Harris,” Biden said in a statement. “It’s time for America to unite. And to heal. We are the United States of America. And there’s nothing we can’t do, if we do it together.”
He also tweeted a video with a statement as well.
“America, I’m honored that you have chosen me to lead our great country. The work ahead of us will be hard, but I promise you this: I will be a President for all Americans — whether you voted for me or not. I will keep the faith that you have placed in me.”
The Associated Press and CNN both projected that Biden will win in Pennsylvania, putting him at more than 270 electoral votes and giving him the presidency.
The victory also means Kamala Harris becomes the first woman to be elected vice president. She is also the first Black woman and first person of South Asian descent to be elected vice president of the U.S.
The Associated Press called Pennsylvania on Saturday morning as the nation waited for a result. Soon after CNN’s projection, The New York Times and NBC News all called the race in favor of Biden, as well.
This comes almost five days after the start of Election Day. The original wave of votes leaned in President Trump’s favor. As more tallies came in, Biden gained across multiple states.
Throughout the last few days, all eyes turned to Arizona, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Nevada — four key battleground states. Vote tallies dripped out slowly. The nation hung on every vote, wondering when the election would be called.
On Friday, Vox, Decision Desk and Pop Crave called the race for Biden as he took leads in Georgia and Pennsylvania.
But others — like the AP, CNN, New York Times and Fox News — held off from projecting Biden as president-elect.
The victory in Pennsylvania means he does not need to win in Arizona, Georgia or Nevada, where he is leading. The projected win in Pennsylvania pushed him over the top. Pennsylvania gave Biden 20 electoral votes, which raised his total to 273. Trump has 214 electoral votes. Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, Alaska and North Carolina still remain uncalled.
On Tuesday night, President Trump said his campaign was on the clear path to victory. As the days wore on, he challenged the results and promised litigation.
Trump released a statement early Saturday morning, challenging the results:
“We all know why Joe Biden is rushing to falsely pose as the winner, and why his media allies are trying so hard to help him: they don’t want the truth to be exposed. The simple fact is this election is far from over. Joe Biden has not been certified as the winner of any states, let alone any of the highly contested states headed for mandatory recounts, or states where our campaign has valid and legitimate legal challenges that could determine the ultimate victor. In Pennsylvania, for example, our legal observers were not permitted meaningful access to watch the counting process. Legal votes decide who is president, not the news media.
“Beginning Monday, our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated. The American People are entitled to an honest election: that means counting all legal ballots, and not counting any illegal ballots. This is the only way to ensure the public has full confidence in our election. It remains shocking that the Biden campaign refuses to agree with this basic principle and wants ballots counted even if they are fraudulent, manufactured, or cast by ineligible or deceased voters. Only a party engaged in wrongdoing would unlawfully keep observers out of the count room – and then fight in court to block their access.
“So what is Biden hiding? I will not rest until the American People have the honest vote count they deserve and that Democracy demands.”
Biden waited for the results throughout the last few days. He urged calm and patience. On Friday night, he told all Americans to wait for the process to work itself out.
Biden said he plans to unite the country as he assumes office. He said he does not want to create division in a polarized America.
“I will work for those who voted against me as those who voted for me. That’s the job. That’s the job. It’s called the duty of care. For all Americans.”
“We may be opponents, but we’re not enemies. We’re Americans.”
‘We’re going to win this race,’ Biden says as he nears victory
Friday, Nov. 6, 9:04 p.m.
On Friday night, Joe Biden, awaiting results of the 2020 election, sees two things on the horizon — he is going to win the election, and his job is to unite the country.
Biden, speaking from Delaware, told a crowd of supporters that he sees a clear path to victory, mentioning the four battleground states — Arizona, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Nevada — are all trending his favor and putting him on track for more than 300 electoral college votes, he said.
- “We don’t have a final declaration of victory yet but the numbers tell us a clear and convincing story: We’re going to win this race”
- “As slow as it goes, it can be numbing. But never forget — the tallies aren’t just numbers. They represent votes and voters.”
- “Democracy works. Your vote will be counted. I don’t care how hard people to try to stop it. I will not let it happen.”
Biden said the United States has major issues to address. He said his job as president is to bring the country together.
- “A record number of Americans ... chose change of more of the same. They’ve given us a mandate for COVID, the economy, climate change, system racism. They made it clear. They want the country together.”
- “I will work for those who voted against me as those who voted for me. That’s the job. That’s the job. It’s called the duty of care. For all Americans.”
- “We may be opponents, but we’re not enemies. We’re Americans.”
Biden inches closer to victory in Nevada, Georgia, Pennsylvania
Friday, Nov. 6, 3:13 p.m.
Biden still holds a lead over President Trump in the four battleground states that could decide the 2020 presidential election. Here’s the latest update.
- Arizona — Biden’s lead in the state has trickled downward. It’s at about 40,000 as of Friday afternoon. The state estimates there are between 250,000 to 270,000 votes left to count, which could go into the weekend, CNN reports.
- Georgia — Biden’s lead in Georgia ballooned to more than 4,000 votes by Friday afternoon.
- Pennsylvania — Biden grew his lead in Pennsylvania. He gained a lead overnight and is now more than 14,000 votes above Trump.
- Nevada — Biden widened his lead over Trump from 11,000 to 20,000 votes, inching closer to victory within the state, according to The New York Times.
President Trump releases statement about the election
Friday, Nov. 6, 11:34 a.m
Trump released a statement about the presidential election on Friday morning:
- “We believe the American people deserve to have full transparency into all vote counting and election certification, and that this is no longer about any single election. This is about the integrity of our entire election process. From the beginning we have said that all legal ballots must be counted and all illegal ballots should not be counted, yet we have met resistance to this basic principle by Democrats at every turn. We will pursue this process through every aspect of the law to guarantee that the American people have confidence in our government. I will never give up fighting for you and our nation.”
Biden to speak during primetime tonight
Friday, Nov. 6, 11:16 a.m.
Democratic presidential nominee Biden and vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris are planning a primetime address tonight, according to multiple reports.
- Harris is expected to speak first.
Biden currently leads President Trump in the 2020 election. He is currently ahead in four battleground states — Nevada, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Georgia.
Trump gains in Arizona; Biden gains in Nevada; Georgia to issue recount
Friday, Nov. 6, 9:43 a.m.
Trump made a slight gain in Arizona on Friday morning by a thin margin, which some experts and media members suggest might not be enough for him to take the state from Biden.
- FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver tweets: “Those Maricopa ballots have probably closed down Trump’s path in Arizona. He needed to do much better.”
Biden also saw gains in Nevada, rising to a 22,076-vote lead in the state, per NBC News. That is after 91% of the vote has come in.
Meanwhile, Georgia’s secretary of state said there will be a recount in Georgia due to it being such a tight race, according to The Washington Post.
Biden reportedly takes lead in Georgia, Pennsylvania; on cusp of victory
Friday, Nov. 6, 7:19 a.m.
Biden took a lead in Pennsylvania early Friday morning, jumping the president by 5,587 votes, according to CNN projections.
- Biden currently has a lead there with 3,295,304 votes, according to CNN.
- Trump currently has 3,289,717 votes, according to CNN.
Overnight, Biden reportedly took a slight lead over President Trump in Georgia, putting him on a path to victory.
- Trump cannot win the presidential election without Georgia or Pennsylvania.
- Georgia has been a mostly red state. The last time a Democrat won a presidential vote there was in 1992 when presidential hopeful Bill Clinton snagged the victory.
Votes are still being tallied across battleground states Georgia, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Nevada.
Races tighten in Pennsylvania, Georgia — but no calls yet
Thursday, Nov. 5, 10:56 p.m.
The presidential election will enter a fourth day, as the race between Trump and Biden tightened in both Georgia and Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania numbers had Biden behind Trump by about 22,500 votes with 95% of the vote counted.
Georgia saw big increases for Biden. Around 11 p.m. MST, Biden trailed Trump by 1,709 votes with 99% of the vote counted, according to CNN.
Nevada and Arizona — two other battleground states — did not provide significant updates to the vote counts. Biden leads by about 11,000 in Nevada, which shows the state is slightly leaning toward the former vice president. The president picked up some votes in Arizona but still trails by about 47,000, according to CNN.
More is expected on Friday.
President Trump makes claims of corruption, promises litigation
Thursday, Nov. 5, 5:26 p.m.
President Trump spoke from the White House late Thursday and challenged the election, saying he easily won with “legal votes.” In reality, no winner has been declared in the election and multiple states remain undecided.
“If you count the legal votes, I easily win,” he said, part of statements that prompted some TV networks to cut away and challenge the accuracy of the president’s comments.
“If you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us,” he claimed.
“I challenge Joe and every Democrat to clarify that they only want legal votes because they talk about votes and I think they should use the votes. We want every legal vote counted and I want every legal vote counted and we want openness and transparency.”
He said the election so far has been full of “shenanigans,” accusing Democrats of corruption. Trump said he won states like Georgia, which hasn’t been called for either candidate. He also criticized mail-in ballots and hinted that the election will eventually head to the Supreme Court and that there will be “a lot of litigation.”
- “There was a big red wave and it’s been properly acknowledged by the media. We kept the Senate despite having more seats to defend than the Democrats.”
- “It’s amazing how those mail-in ballots are so one sided.”
- “As you know, I’ve claimed certain states,” Trump said.
- The president did not take any questions.
Biden urges calm as votes still being counted
Thursday, Nov. 5, 2:34 p.m.
Biden gave a short speech Thursday afternoon where he asked the country to remain calm and let the votes be counted, adding that he sees a clear path to victory.
- “Democracy is sometimes messy. It sometimes requires a little patience as well, but that patience has been rewarded now for more than 240 years with a system of governance that has been the envy of the world. We continue to feel very good about where things stand.”
- “We have no doubt, that when the count is finished, Sen. Harris and I will be declared the winners.”
- “I ask everyone to stay calm. All people to stay calm. The process is working. The count is being completed, and we’ll know very soon.”
The race is still hinging on the results of four states — Nevada, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Georgia.
An update on four key states
Thursday, Nov. 5, 12:30 p.m.
The country is eagerly awaiting the election results in four key states — Nevada, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Georgia. Here’s the latest.
- Nevada results might not come until the weekend. Biden still leads by a thin margin.
- Pennsylvania’s secretary of state told CNN that Pennsylvania could be done counting by the end of the day.
- Arizona remains tight between Biden and Trump. AP and Fox News still give it to Biden. Others haven’t called it. More numbers are expected tonight.
- Georgia expects to finish counting ballots Thursday, according to The New York Times. There are about 47,000 ballots left to count.
Michigan judge rules on Trump lawsuit
Thursday, Nov. 5, 11:26 a.m.
A Michigan judge denied the lawsuit from the Trump campaign to halt vote counting in Michigan, according to the Axios and the Associated Press.
- “Written order will come tomorrow,” Axios’ Sam Baker tweets.
Georgia, Pennsylvania judges weigh-in on Trump lawsuits
Thursday, Nov. 5, 10:18 a.m.
The Trump campaign said Wednesday it filed lawsuits to halt voting in Michigan, Georgia and Pennsylvania. Now, we’re seeing some responses.
A Georgia judge has denied the lawsuit the Trump campaign filed with the state, according to the Associated Press.
- “Georgia judge dismisses lawsuit by Trump campaign that asked to ensure state laws were followed on absentee ballots,” Zeke Miller of the AP tweeted.
In Pennsylvania, a judge has permitted Trump campaign observers to have an up-close view of the ballot count, ABC News reports.
It’s Day 3 of the 2020 election
Thursday, Nov. 5, 9:17 a.m.
The 2020 presidential election has spilled into Thursday, and we’re basically still in the same place we were on Tuesday night, depending on which news organization’s projections you’re looking at.
Updates from today so far:
- Four states will now determine the race — Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Nevada.
- More election results will come in midday from Nevada and later tonight from Arizona.
- Joe Biden is expected to speak at some point Thursday.
- The Trump campaign told reporters Wednesday morning that Trump can win Arizona and Pennsylvania.
- Trump has called to “stop the count!”
What we’re waiting for on second night of the election
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 8:55 p.m.
The presidential election still remains in limbo. Biden currently holds 253 electoral votes, while Trump still holds 213, according to CNN’s projections.
The country is waiting on results for the following states:
- Pennsylvania (Trump currently has a lead; 20 electoral votes)
- Georgia (Trump has a narrow lead; 16 electoral votes)
- Nevada (Biden has a narrow lead; six electoral votes)
- Arizona (Biden has a narrow lead; 11 electoral votes)
More votes are expected to come in from Georgia and Arizona Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Pennsylvania’s ballots are also still being counted.
Rudy Giuliani, Eric Trump speak on behalf of President Trump
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 3:11 p.m.
Rudy Giuliani and Eric Trump held a press conference on behalf of the Trump campaign Wednesday afternoon not long after Biden gave an almost-victory speech.
The two specifically talked about the upcoming legal effort from the Trump campaign in Michigan and Pennsylvania.
- The Trump campaign said Wednesday it filed lawsuits to halt voting in Michigan, Georgia and Pennsylvania.
Biden stops short of claiming victory, sees a path to 270, projected to win Michigan
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2:24 p.m.
Biden spoke from Wilmington, Delaware, on Wednesday. He did not claim victory in the 2020 presidential election, but suggested he sees a path to the required 270 electoral votes.
- “It’s clear that we’re winning enough states to reach 270 electoral votes.”
- “I’m not here to declare we’ve won. But I am here to report, when the count is finished, we believe we will be the winners.”
Biden said the government is ruled by the people, and that individuals cannot claim power.
- “A government of, by and for the people is very much alive, very much alive in America. Here, the people rule. Power can’t be taken or asserted. It flows from the people. And it is their will that determines who will be the president of the U.S. and their will alone.”
Biden said he will work as hard for those who didn’t vote for him as those who did vote for him. He once again pushed bipartisanship in his speech.
- “We are campaigning as a Democrat. But I will govern as an American president.”
Around the same time, CNN reported that Biden was projected to win Michigan. If correct, Biden is 17 electoral college votes away from the White House. The Associated Press later projected Biden to win Michigan as well.
- “More Americans voted in this election than ever before in American history,” Biden said from Delaware. “... I think that’s just extraordinary.”
- “My fellow Americans, yesterday once again proved democracy is the heartbeat of this nation.”
Wisconsin called for Biden; Trump reportedly files lawsuit in Michigan, Georgia and Pennsylvania
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 12:15 p.m.
CNN projects that Biden will win Wisconsin after other reports suggested that would happen.
The Trump campaign has filed a suit in Michigan to stop the vote count, saying it was denied access to observe opening of ballots, according to the Associated Press.
Trump gets 1 more in Maine
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 11:32 a.m
The Associated Press projects that Trump will win one electoral vote in the 2nd Congressional District in Maine.
- Biden won one electoral vote from Maine’s 1st Congressional District on Tuesday night.
Biden likely to flip Wisconsin; Trump will request a recount
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 11:10 a.m.
There’s some controversy over Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission administrator told NBC News earlier in the morning: “All of the ballots have been counted.” Biden is reportedly in the lead.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission tweeted: “To the best of the WEC’s knowledge, there are only two small Wisconsin towns that have not reported results to their counties. The total number of voters in those towns is around 600.”
- Wisconsin went for Trump in 2016. This represents a flip for Biden, and puts him on a path toward election.
But the Trump campaign said it would aim for a recount of the state due to the close results.
- “The president is well within the threshold to request a recount and we will immediately do so.”
Trump, Biden campaigns react to overnight switch
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 9:22 a.m.
The campaigns for both Trump and Biden reacted to the latest swing in the 2020 election, as Biden took leads in Michigan and Wisconsin after mail-in ballots were entered.
Biden campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon told reporters: “Joe Biden is on track to win this election and he will be the next president of the United States. ... We believe we are on a clear path to victory by this afternoon.”
Trump tweeted Wednesday morning about the mail-in ballots. Once again, Twitter added a label to the tweet saying its content was “disputed.”
- “Last night I was leading, often solidly, in many key States, in almost all instances Democrat run & controlled. Then, one by one, they started to magically disappear as surprise ballot dumps were counted. VERY STRANGE, and the ‘pollsters’ got it completely & historically wrong!”
- “How come every time they count Mail-In ballot dumps they are so devastating in their percentage and power of destruction?”
Presidency remains in limbo
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2:45 a.m.
Several key states are undecided, setting up a potentially anxious Wednesday.
- Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia and Nevada remain in play. Many states are waiting to process mail-in or absentee ballots.
- Early Wednesday morning, the AP declared Arizona and Maine for Biden.
- The election was expected to spill into overtime. Experts across social media and news outlets have cautioned Americans to remain patient as the country awaits to find out the results of this historic race for the White House.
Trump speaks from the White House
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 12:46 a.m.
President Trump spoke from the White House beginning at 2:21 a.m. EST, claiming victory and saying that “a very sad group of people is trying to disenfranchise” the millions who voted for him.
“This is a fraud on the American public,” he said. “This is an embarrassment to our country. We were getting ready to win this election. Frankly, we did win this election. So our goal is now to ensure the integrity for the good of this nation.”
Trump said his campaign won states that they were not expected to win. He mentioned Florida, Ohio and Texas — all states that voted for Trump in 2016. He also claimed to have won Georgia and North Carolina. Those states remain too close to call.
He also claimed to be winning in Pennsylvania, which still has ballots to count. According to the Washington Post, more than 25 percent of the votes in Pennsylvania still need to be counted.
“We will be going to the US Supreme Court. We want all voting to stop. We don’t want them to find any ballots at 4 a.m. and add them to the list.”
Joe Biden speaks amid tight election race; President Trump responds
Biden spoke from Wilmington, Delaware, early Wednesday morning:
- “We feel good about where we are, we really do. I’m here to tell you tonight we believe we’re on track to win this election.”
- “We’re going to have to be patient until the hard work of tallying votes is finished.”
- “We’re feeling good about where we are.”
Biden said the campaign feels confident about Arizona and is “feeling good” about Wisconsin and Michigan.
He said that full results could be known as early as tomorrow morning but it could take a little longer.
President Trump tweeted: “We are up BIG, but they are trying to STEAL the Election.” Twitter added a label to the tweet saying its content was “disputed.”
Trump said he will be making a statement, as well. “I will be making a statement tonight. A big WIN!”
Trump makes big gain in Texas; Biden grabs another vote
Trump made a major gain late in the evening by winning in Texas, according to the Associated Press and NBC News. Texas has 38 electoral college votes.
- Texas had been considered a near toss-up state toward the end of the 2020 campaign.
Biden was projected to earn the electoral votes from the 2nd Congressional District in Nebraska, a potentially crucial gain in the race to 270. Biden also won one electoral vote from Maine’s 1st Congressional District.
Battleground state projections
- News organizations are making projections for key battleground states. NBC News and CNN are projecting that Trump has won Ohio, one of the major battleground states in the 2020 election. Fox News, the AP and CNN have projected that Trump will win Florida. Trump also snagged Iowa and Montana, according to the AP.
- Fox News reports that Biden will win Arizona, which would make him the first Democrat to win in Arizona since 1996.
- The Associated Press projects Biden will take Minnesota.
Pacific states break for Joe Biden; Idaho goes for Trump
Joe Biden is projected to win California, Oregon and Washington, according to The Associated Press.
Meanwhile, Trump is projected to win Idaho and Wyoming.
Trump wins Utah
Multiple news organizations projected Trump to win Utah in the 2020 presidential election. ABC News, Fox News, AP, CNN and Reuters all reported that Trump will win the Beehive State.
Trump is also projected to win Missouri, according to The Associated Press.
Democrats projected to maintain the House
NBC News projected that the Democratic Party will maintain control of the House of Representatives after the 2020 election.
The race for the Senate remains up in the air.
- Democratic candidate John Hickenlooper will defeat Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner, which is a Senate flip for the Democrats.
- Republican Tommy Tuberville, former head football coach at Auburn, has won the Senate race in Alabama, CNBC reports.
- Democrats would need to flip three Senate seats to gain control.
Utah election early results
Early results for Utah’s key races are in. They are:
- Republican Burgess Owens, Democrat Ben McAdams compete in Utah’s 4th Congressional District
- Spencer Cox takes large early lead in race to become Utah’s next governor
- Utah GOP Attorney General Sean Reyes on track for another term
- GOP Rep. Chris Stewart appears headed for 5th term in Utah’s 2nd District
- Republican Rep. John Curtis has commanding lead in Utah’s 3rd Congressional District seat
Trump and Biden add more states
The Associated Press projects that Trump will win Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota and Kansas.
Biden is projected to win New York and New Mexico, according to the AP. ABC News later tapped Colorado for Biden, too.
State of the race: According to CNN’s projections (which are separate from The Associated Press), Biden has 73 electoral college votes; Trump has 48.
Another wave of results and state projections
- Trump is projected to win West Virginia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee and Arkansas, according to The Associated Press. Trump is also projected to win Oklahoma, according to NBC News.
- Biden is projected to win Virginia, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Illinois, Delaware and Maryland, according to The Associated Press. Biden has taken the District of Columbia, according to NBC News.
First results are in: Trump projected to win Kentucky and Indiana, Biden to win Vermont
The first round of results came through at 5 p.m. MST after polls closed in some states.
- The Associated Press called Kentucky in favor of Trump.
- CNN projects Trump will win Indiana.
- The Associated Press called Vermont for Biden.
State of the race: If these projections are correct, it would put Trump at 19 electoral votes and Biden at 3.
Biden, Trump make final campaign pushes
Trump visited his campaign headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, on Tuesday, where he said he was “not thinking about (a) concession speech or acceptance speech yet,” Politico reports.
- “Hopefully, we’ll be only doing one of those two,” he said. “And, you know, winning is easy. Losing is never easy. Not for me, it’s not.”
- The Trump campaign has set up two “war rooms” in the White House — one in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which is adjacent to the White House, and another smaller one inside the White House, The New York Times reports.
Biden visited Scranton, Pennsylvania, where he grew up and lived until he was 10. He spent most of Tuesday campaigning in Pennsylvania, saying it is a crucial state to winning the election. He also visited Philadelphia later in the day.
- Biden also visited the gravesite of Beau Biden, his son who died from brain cancer in 2015, according to NBC News. He attended a Catholic Mass in the morning.
Judge orders sweep to find missing ballots
A federal judge ruled Tuesday for there to be a sweep of 12 different postal districts in search of undelivered ballots, The New York Times reports.
- The ruling came after the U.S. Postal Service said in court that about 300,000 ballots that it had received had not been scanned for delivery.
- “The dramatic Election Day order came as record numbers of Americans have voted by mail this year, as many voters were anxious to avoid crowds at the polls during the pandemic — and at the end of a campaign season in which fears that recent Postal Service changes had caused extensive mail delays that could imperil ballots,” The New York Times reports.
Biden wins first results of Election Day
Biden won all five votes in the tiny township of Dixville Notch, New Hampshire.
- The town is “a favored spot for reporters and observers eager for any hints of what is to come on Election Day,” according to CNN.
- The township is the first place in the country to announce votes every year.
How to watch
Cable news
The major cable news channels will provide marathon coverage of the election beginning Tuesday and lasting through the night.
Network news
- ABC News will begin coverage at 5 p.m. MST.
- NBC will have “Decision 2020” coverage beginning at 5 p.m. MST on Tuesday. Savannah Guthrie, Lester Holt, Chuck Todd and Andrea Mitchell will cover until at least 2 a.m. MST.
- CBS primetime coverage will begin at 5 p.m. MST with Norah O’Donnell. Anchors Gayle King, Margaret Brennan, John Dickerson and Ed O’Keefe will join soon after.
- PBS will begin coverage at 4 p.m. MST.
How to stream coverage:
Most major news networks have options for streaming if you have a live cable TV subscription.
You can sign up for trials with the following streaming services to follow coverage:
Some storylines to consider:
- Election Day: Don’t worry, we’ll survive Election Day
- Trump and family policy: A look inside President Trump’s policies for U.S. families
- Biden and families: What family policy might look like if Biden and Harris are elected
- Mike Pence and the GOP: This is the biggest moment of Mike Pence’s career — and the future of the GOP
- Historic nominee: Who is Kamala Harris? A look at the Democrats’ vice presidential nominee
- Consider the polls: What the polls tell us, and what they can’t
- Foreign influence? Feds say hostile nations out to undermine ‘confidence in American democracy’: Here’s what you need to know
- State of the stimulus: No new coronavirus stimulus before election as Senate heads home
- Voting in a pandemic: My 60-something parents wanted to vote in-person Tuesday during the pandemic. Their state leaders had other ideas
- Latter-day Saints: The fight for ‘politically homeless’ Latter-day Saints continues
- Trump train, explained: Big flags on big trucks: What these displays say about the upcoming election
- Convenience voting: Why ‘convenience’ voting is controversial, even in a pandemic
- Populism: Donald Trump, populism and the GOP
- A changing GOP: Survey shows the difference between Republicans and ‘Fox News Republicans’
- Politics are everywhere: From Halloween to Amazon book reviews, politics are everywhere
- Social media shift: Facebook, bias and the battle over conservative and liberal content on social media
- Faith and the VP: Will the faith of Kamala Harris and Mike Pence impact voters?
- Pink slime journalism: ‘Pink slime journalism,’ the media landscape, and what both conservatives and liberals need to understand
- Kanye: Kanye isn’t going to win, but could he change the future of elections?
- Brock Pierce and 2024: He played the ‘First Kid.’ Now, he’s running for president
Some perspectives to consider:
Check out all the 2020 presidential election perspectives we’ve had so far.
- Boyd Matheson: No, this election is not a ‘battle for the heart and soul of America’
- Christian Sagers: Trump or Biden ... what would Jesus do?
- Jay Evensen: Trump or Biden isn’t the most important thing on your ballot
- Mike Pence: Americans deserve 4 more years of a president who keeps his promises
- Kamala Harris: Faith values bind us together. Joe Biden will restore them in our public life