United States election updates as at 2:37 p.m. ET, which is about 7.30pm Nigerian time, November 5, 2020 has it that Joe Biden is nearing 270 electoral votes.
Six states remain too close to call. Here’s why delayed election results show us the system IS actually working, according to CNN report.
President Trump claimed some legitimate tallying efforts should stop and tried to assert victory in the election. Joe Biden urged patience as the votes continued to be counted.
Joe Biden is cutting into President Trump’s lead in Georgia and Pennsylvania, but the race in those states is still too early to call as votes continue to be counted.
Paths to 270 remain for both Biden and Trump.
CNN says it is yet to project a winner in these six states:
Pennsylvania (20 electoral votes at stake)
Georgia (16 electoral votes at stake)
Arizona (11 electoral votes at stake)
Nevada (6 electoral votes at stake)
North Carolina (15 electoral votes at stake)
Alaska (3 electoral votes at stake)
Biden currently has 253 electoral votes while Trump has 213.
President Trump’s lead in Pennsylvania is steadily shrinking
President Trump’s edge in Pennsylvania is growing smaller each day. As votes have continued to be counted in the hours since Tuesday, Democratic rival Joe Biden has been inching closer, says CNN’s John King.
“Every time we get new votes, the President’s lead is going down,” King noted, whilst digging into various Pennsylvania counties at the Magic Wall.
A lead that was once as large as 500,000 votes, has dwindled to a figure slightly north of about 114,000.
With 92% of the votes counted, the President still holds an edge — 50.2% to 48.5% — but Biden’s pursuit has been steady.
“Every time we’ve gotten significant amount of votes, Joe Biden has exceeded that bar that he has to be over to keep tracking on that lead, and to have a chance to win the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” King noted.
With other outstanding states, including Nevada and Arizona, still tabulating votes, locking up the Keystone State could be the fastest way for Biden to reach 270 electoral votes and stamp his ticket to the White House.
“If you’re Joe Biden and you get this,” said King, pointing to Pennsylvania on the map, “then you’re done.”
“We definitely could” know Pennsylvania’s results by end of day today, secretary of state says
“I think we definitely could” know the result in Pennsylvania by the end of the day today, Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar told CNN Thursday.
“I think there’s about 550,000 some-odd — plus or minus — ballots that are still in the process of being counted today. Some of those may have already been counted but are not yet uploaded. But yeah, they’re coming in,” she said, adding that the counties are ahead of schedule.
There are approximately 370,000 ballots left to count in Pennsylvania, according to the state’s website.
“I have been saying that we’ll have the overwhelming majority counted by tomorrow but it is looking like [we’ll have] the overwhelming majority counted by today,” she told CNN.
The largest number of outstanding votes remain in the big population centers, she said.
These figures already updated. To come later.
Michigan state judge dismisses Trump campaign lawsuit about canvassing observation
A state court judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit brought by the Trump campaign that asked for an immediate halt to the vote counting until its representatives had “meaningful” access to ballot counting and adjudication.
Judge Cynthia Stephens was highly skeptical throughout a virtual hearing on Thursday about the lack of admissible evidence in the case and whether the campaign had sued the right party (Secretary of State Benson).
“What I have is, at best, a hearsay affidavit that addresses a harm that would be significant,” said Judge Cynthia Stephens. “We’ve got an affidavit that is not first-hand knowledge.”
The lawyer representing the state, Heather Meingast, said the case was essentially moot because the counting had already concluded. “The ship has really sailed on the relief that they’re requesting in this case.”
The judge said that the Trump campaign’s request is going to be denied in a written order, which will not come today, but she was not convinced of any substantial likelihood of success on the merits of the case. She said she will get an order out tomorrow afternoon if she can.
The judge seemed to express exasperation that this case was brought by the Trump campaign and ended the hearing by saying she adjourns the matter “where everyone here seeks to have a full and fair election process.”
