Live Updates
Our live coverage of the election has moved here.
Sen. Mitt Romney, a Republican from Utah, wished President-elect Joe Biden “the very best” and urged Americans to support him.
“I think half the country thinks it’s a great idea. I think the other half thinks it’s not such a great idea, but the reality is given the fact that the statisticians have come to a conclusion at this stage, I think we get behind the new president, unless for some reason that is overturned,” Romney told CNN Sunday morning. “We get behind the new president and wish him the very best and and I send our congratulations and will keep this president, like the last president, in our prayers.”
Watch Sen. Mitt Romney’s message to Biden:
On Sunday, Bolivia’s President-elect Luis Arce congratulated Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on their victory in the US presidential election.
“With a new government, we predict better relations that translate into the well-being of our peoples,” Arce tweeted.
Some context: Arce, 57, will be inaugurated as president of Bolivia on Sunday after winning the national elections on Oct. 18.
The European Union “stands ready to intensify cooperation” with the next administration of the United States, president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said on Sunday.
Von der Leyen’s statement signals Brussels’ hope for a rejuvenated transatlantic partnership after strains on the relationship over the past four years.
“The European Union and the United States are friends and allies, our citizens share the deepest of links, the election of the President of the United States of America is therefore a moment of significance also on this side of the Atlantic,” von der Leyen said in a video statement.
“We have all been following the electoral process closely and it is clear now that the 46th President-elect is Joe Biden. I congratulate him and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on their victory,” she added.
Von der Leyen said that the EU-US partnership has “underpinned the rules-based international order for decades and remains a pillar of stability, security and prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic.”
“As the world continues to change and challenges and opportunities appear, our renewed global partnership will be critical. The European Union stands ready to intensify cooperation with the new administration and with the new US Congress,” she stated. “I look forward to driving this global agenda together with the next president of the United States, Joe Biden.”
President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are moving ahead with plans for their forthcoming administration on Sunday and have launched a transition website.
Biden’s website, BuildBackBetter.com now includes four “administration priorities” for the incoming presidency: Covid-19, economic recovery, racial equity and climate change.
The website lays out a seven-point plan to tackle the coronavirus, including “regular, reliable, and free testing” for all Americans and an “effective, equitable distribution of treatments and vaccines” once available. One point involves working with governors and mayors to implement a nationwide mask mandate.
“The American people deserve an urgent, robust, and professional response to the growing public health and economic crisis caused by the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak,” the website said.
There is also a Biden-Harris presidential transition Twitter account, named @Transition46.
President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris delivered speeches Saturday from Wilmington, Delaware, after winning the presidency, CNN projects.
If you’re just reading in, here’s what you need to know:
Biden makes an appeal for unity: He said he was humbled by the trust America had placed in him and reached out to those Americans who did not vote for him. “I understand the disappointment tonight. I’ve lost a couple of times myself. But now, let’s give each other a chance,” he said, adding later in his remarks, “This is the time to heal in America.”
Biden paid homage to his deep faith: Citing Biblical verses and a popular hymn, Biden said, “And he will raise you up on eagle’s wings, bear you on the breath of dawn, and make you just sigh like the sun and hold you in the palm of his hand. Now, together on eagle’s wings we embark on the work that God and history have called upon us to do with full hearts and steady hands. With faith in America and each other. With love of country, a thirst for justice. Let us be the nation that we know we can be. A nation united. A nation strengthened. A nation healed. The United States of America, ladies and gentlemen. There’s never, never been anything we’ve tried we’ve not been able to do.”
Harris noted the significance of her place on the stage: Harris, a senator from California, who will make history as the first woman, the first Black person and the first person of South Asian descent to become vice president, said, “While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last, because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities.” Harris also thanked Black women, saying they are “too often overlooked, but so often prove that they are the backbone of our democracy.”
She spoke about her mother and made a nod to suffragettes: She remembered her mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, who immigrated to the United States from India as a young woman. “When she came here when was 19, she could not have imagined this moment,” Harris said. The Vice President-elect also wore a white suit, a nod to suffragettes 100 years after women’s constitutional right to vote was guaranteed.
Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, has approached the President about conceding the election, two sources tell CNN.
The move comes following Trump’s assertion in a statement from his campaign – moments after CNN projected that President-elect Joe Biden will become the 46th president of the United States – that Biden is “rushing to falsely pose as the winner” and that the race is “far from over.”
“I will not rest until the American People have the honest vote count they deserve and that Democracy demands,” Trump said in the statement, which states that the campaign’s legal battle will begin Monday.
Biden-Harris deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield said Saturday night, as CNN has reported, that there has been no communication between Biden and Trump, or between any representatives from either campaign, since the race was called earlier in the day.
CNN’s Ryan Nobles reports:
Election officials in Gwinnett County, Georgia, are continuing to work to make sure votes are tabulated. CNN received the following statement from Joe Sorenson, Gwinnett County public information officer, on Saturday night:
“A total of 535 absentee by mail ballots that required a signature cure and three military/overseas ballots were not able to be tabulated on Saturday because Dominion Voting Systems technicians were unable to make the system adjustments needed to complete a results upload.
Additionally, 965 provisional ballots will have to be reviewed by the Gwinnett County Board of Voter Registrations and Elections to determine their eligibility to be tabulated. Dominion technicians continue work to resolve the situation so that ballot adjudication can begin again Sunday morning.
The Board of Voter Registrations and Elections is scheduled to review the provisional ballots on the morning of Monday, November 9.”
Gwinnett County is home to the suburbs northeast of Atlanta.
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, the daughter of an Indian immigrant mother and a Jamaican American father, became America’s first female, first Black and first South Asian vice president-elect on Saturday.
Her uncle, Gopalan Balachandran, lives in New Delhi. He spoke with CNN’s Vedika Sud about his niece’s win:
The wait is finally over. Kamala Harris is now vice president-elect. Your reaction?
I anticipated it. I told Kamala two days ago that they were going to win. We spoke for 10-15 minutes. The only difference this time was, there was tension involved … She will be an amazing VP. She has her values, she’ll stick to it.
Saturday was a historic day for Kamala Harris. Your thoughts.
Let me be honest, I think she is going to be one of the most active VP’s in US history. Right now the problems are so many civil rights: Black Lives Matter, coronavirus, the economy and so many things … Biden is a very responsible man, so I think he will offload quite a lot of these on Kamala’s shoulders, and she’ll be happy to do it. I think she’s going to very busy in the coming months in Washington.
Will you be flying down for Harris’ oath-taking ceremony?
Oh yeah! I will be going to Washington for her swearing-in. I was there when she was sworn-in as a senator. The whole family was there. I met Vice President Biden then. This time I hope to meet President Biden.
How much of an influence was your sister (Harris’ mother) Shyamala in Harris’ life?
Both Kamala and (her sister) Maya are like Shyamala, Kamala more so. She was a great influence, there is no doubt about it. She was the greatest influence.
Georgia’s Fulton County uploaded 5,012 ballots early Saturday morning according to information obtained from the Fulton County elections website.
The upload was a combination of cured provisional ballots and overseas and domestic military ballots that arrived by Friday’s close of business deadline.
“Fulton County has discovered an issue involving reporting from their work on Friday. Officials are at State Farm Arena to rescan their work from Friday. The Secretary of State has a monitor onsite, has sent additional investigators, and dispatched the Deputy Secretary of State as well to oversee the process to make sure to thoroughly secure the vote and protect all legal votes. Observers from both political parties are there as well,” the Georgia secretary of state’s office said of the ballots in a statement.
Gabriel Sterling, Georgia’s Voting Implementation Manager, was with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in the room at State Farm Arena observing the re-scanning process.
A statement from Fulton County spokesperson Jessica Corbin says in part: “In reviewing last night’s reporting of provisional ballots, Fulton County Director of Registration & Elections Richard Barron directed his staff to review to ensure that all provisional ballots were reflected in the results. In doing so he learned that some ballots were not captured in last night’s results. He also learned of a smaller number that were not scanned. Those are now being prepared for scanning. Out of an abundance of caution, all provisional, military and UOCAVA ballots scanned on Friday, November 6 will be rescanned tonight. The upload made last night will be pulled and replaced with tonight’s rescanned file.”
Remember: CNN projected Joe Biden will win the presidency. CNN has not yet projected a winner in the state of Georgia.
President-elect Joe Biden concluded his speech this evening by citing a popular Catholic hymn “On Eagles’ Wings,” saying it was a favorite of his deceased son Beau and has inspired him through the final days of the campaign.
He said he hoped the song would give comfort to the many Americans who are grieving a loved one as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
On Eagles’ Wings “captures the faith that sustains me and which I believe sustains America, and a hope, and I hope it can provide some comfort and solace to the 230,000 Americans who have lost a loved one due to this terrible virus this year,” said Biden, who is a practicing Catholic.
“My heart goes out to each and every one of you,” he said. “Hopefully this hymn gives you solace as well.”
He then recited the words of the song: “He will raise you up on eagle’s wings, bear you on the breath of dawn and make you to shine like the sun and hold you in the palm of his hand.”
“Now together, on eagle’s wings we embark on the work that God and history has called upon us to do,” said Biden. “With full hearts and steady hands, with faith in America and in each other, with love country and a thirst for justice, let us be the country we know we can be.”
Watch here:
As fireworks light up the sky here at the Chase Center, there is a subtle reminder that Beau Biden looms large over his father’s win tonight.
One of the songs that played — “Sky Full of Stars” by Coldplay — was by one of Beau Biden’s favorite bands. At his funeral in 2015, Coldplay’s Chris Martin performed “’Til Kingdom Come.” Martin offered to perform after learning that Beau was a fan.
“Sky Full of Stars” also played during the fireworks show after Joe Biden accepted the Democratic nominee this summer.
He also made reference to Beau tonight when he talked about his love of the hymn “On Eagle’s Wings.”
“We must restore the soul of America,” Joe Biden said while addressing the nation as president-elect.
“Our nation is shaped by the constant battle between our better angels and our darkest impulses. And what presidents say in this battle matters. It’s time for our better angels to prevail,” Biden said.
“Tonight the whole world is watching America, and I believe that at our best, America is a beacon for the globe. We will lead not only by the example of our power, but by the power of our example,” Biden said.
Watch here:
President-elect Joe Biden sent a message to those who voted for President Trump, calling for unity and reconciliation.
Biden claimed that he would be a president that would lead the entire nation, regardless of political party.
“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,” Biden said in his first remarks to the nation as President-elect.
The former vice president noted in his remarks that it is time both sides “listen to each other again.”
“It’s time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature, see each other again, listen to each other again, and to make progress, we have to stop treating our opponents as our enemies. They are not our enemies. They are Americans,” Biden said.
He continued: “The Bible tells us for everything there is a season, a time to build, a time to reap, and a time to sow and a time to heal. This is the time to heal in America.”
Watch here:
President-elect Joe Biden opened his speech in Wilmington, Delaware, Saturday evening saying the American people had made their choice clear.
“We’ve won with the most votes ever cast on a presidential ticket in the history of the nation,” he added. “74 million.”
He went on to say he was surprised by the celebrating in the streets across the country calling it an “outpouring of joy, of hope, renewed faith in tomorrow to bring another day.”
“I am humbled by the trust and confidence you have placed in me,” Biden added.
Watch:
The last thing President-elect Joe Biden wants to hear is that “it’s not possible in the United States,” he said during his first speech since being elected to the country’s top office earlier today.
“We’re reminded tonight of those who fought so hard for so many years to make this happen. Once again, America’s bent the arc of the moral universe more towards justice,” Biden said.
Biden went on to praise the poll workers who toiled tirelessly since Nov. 3 to count millions of ballots.
“To all those of you volunteered and worked the polls in the middle of this pandemic, local elected officials, you deserve a special thanks from the entire nation,” he added.
Watch here:
President-elect Joe Biden thanked his wife and future first lady Jill Biden in is address to the nation from Wilmington, Delaware.
“I’m Jill’s husband. And I would not be here without her love,” Biden said.
He highlighted her background as an educator and a military mother.
“Jill’s a military mom, an educator. She’s dedicated her life to education, but teaching isn’t just what she does. It’s who she is. For American educators, this is a great day for you all. You going to have one of your own in the White House. And Jill will make a great first lady. I’m so proud of her,” Biden said.
Watch:
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris said she reflects on the “struggle” and “determination” of women in America, including her late mother, Shyamala Gopalan.
She continued:
“So I am thinking about her and about the generations of women, Black women, Asian, White, Latina, Native American women, who through out our nations’ history have paved the way to tonight. Women who fought and sacrificed so much for equality and liberty and justice for all. Including the Black women who are often, too often overlooked but so often proven they are the backbone of our democracy. All the women who have worked to secure and protect the right to vote for over a century, 100 years ago with the 19th Amendment. Fifty five years ago with the Voting Rights Act, and now in 2020, with a new generation of women in our country who cast their ballots and continued the fight for their fundamental right to vote and be heard.”
“Tonight, I reflect on their struggle, their determination, and the strength of their vision to see what can be unburdened by what has been. And I stand on their shoulders,” Harris added.
Harris will become the nation’s first Black and South Asian vice president, and first woman to hold that office.
“What a testament it is to Joe’s character, that he had the audacity to break one of the most substantial barriers that exist in our country and select a woman as his vice president,” Harris said of President-elect Joe Biden.
Watch here:
History was not lost on Kamala Harris tonight during her opening remarks as the first woman to become vice president-elect in the US.
She added: “Because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities and to the children of our country regardless of your gender, our country has sent you a clear message: Dream with ambition, lead with conviction, and see yourselves in a way that others may not simply because they’ve never seen it before. But know that we will applaud you every step of the way.”
Watch:
Addressing the nation for the first time as vice president-elect, Kamala Harris thanked the American voters and organizers.
“To the American people who make up our beautiful country, thank you for turning out in record numbers to make your voices heard,” she said.
“I know times have been challenging. Especially the last several months. The grief, sorrow, and pain, the worries and the struggles, but we have also witnessed your courage, your resilience and the generosity of your spirit. For four years, you marched and organized for equality and justice, for our lives and for our planet and then you voted. And you delivered a clear message. You chose hope and unity, decency, science, and yes, truth. You chose Joe Biden as the next president of the United States of America,” Harris said.
Harris is the first woman, the first woman of color, the first Black person and the first South Asian to be elected vice president of the United States.
Watch:
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris invoked the life and legacy of the late Rep. John Lewis during her opening remarks tonight, reminding Americans that “democracy is not guaranteed.”
Democracy is “only as strong as our willingness to fight for it,” Harris said.
“To guard it and never take it for granted,” she added from Wilmington, Delaware. “It takes sacrifice. But there is joy in it. And there is progress, because we, the people, have the power to build a better future.”
Harris added: “And when our very democracy was on the ballot in this election with the very soul of America at stake and the world watching, you ushered in a new day for America.”
Harris’ speech comes less than 10 hours after CNN projected Joe Biden’s victory in Pennsylvania, putting him over the 270 electoral vote threshold needed for the presidency.
Harris will be the nation’s first Black and South Asian vice president, and first woman to hold that office.
Watch:
President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will soon address the nation at the Chase Center in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware.
Biden’s central message will be one of unity, advisers say. His remarks thematically draw from the final major speeches from his campaign – in Gettysburg and Warm Springs, Georgia, advisers say, as he urges Americans to come together and promises to be a president for all Americans.
His speech has been written for some time, but adjustments have been made as the week has progressed.
In case you missed it: It was Biden’s boyhood state of Pennsylvania that put him over the 270 electoral vote threshold today and delivered the White House.
Harris, a senator from California, will make history as the first woman, the first Black person and the first person of South Asian descent to become vice president.
As Americans across the United States prepare to watch President-elect Joe Biden’s victory speech, CNN’s Arlette Saenz highlighted the significance of the day he was projected the winner.
“It was 48 years ago today that Joe Biden first won his Senate seat here in Delaware and now 48 years later he’s heading to the White House,” Saenz said at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware.
Some background: Biden, who was Delaware’s longest serving senator, was elected to office in 1972. He was first elected to the Senate at age 29, defeating Republican Sen. J. Caleb Boggs and would win reelection in 1978, 1984, 1990, 1996 and 2002.
CNN’s Arlette Saenz reports:
On the night of Joe Biden’s projected victory over President Trump, Democrat Senate candidate Raphael Warnock said he’s confident that the President-elect will win Georgia and he will win his runoff with Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler.
“There is no question that Georgia is well on its way to solidifying its status as a blue state,” Warnock told CNN’s Erin Burnett. “We’ve been working on this for years. The other side knows it. That’s why they’ve been engaged for voter suppression for so long. We saw record voter turnout. 1.8 million Democrats showed up and showed out more than ever and we saw it again in this election. And I think our side is going to be very energized to show up for the January 5th.”
Warnock, who is a reverend and leader of Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, said his campaign website has received an uptick in internet traffic since Election Day.
“My campaign is fueled by ordinary people because that is who I’m standing up for,” Warnock said.
Georgia’s other Senate runoff race will be between Republican Sen. David Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff
Watch:
President-elect Joe Biden spent the majority of his time at home today with his family – taking in the moment they’ve worked for together for years.
In fact, it was his grandchildren who were the ones who informed him that the race was called in his favor, a source on the campaign says.
This photo posted by his oldest granddaughter Naomi was taken shortly after he learned he was now President-elect:
When he addresses the nation for the first time as President-elect, Joe Biden’s central message will be one of unity, advisers say.
His remarks thematically draw from the final major speeches from his campaign – in Gettysburg and Warm Springs, Georgia, advisers say, as he urges Americans to come together and promises to be a president for all Americans.
His speech has been written for some time, but adjustments have been made as the week has progressed.
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar said that President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will work on building a “big coalition” to unite Democratic and GOP lawmakers.
“I was buoyed by people like Mitt Romney and some of the Republicans who are coming out and making very clear they believe in our democracy. And I think that’s going to be really important when the celebrating ends, that the hard work begins. And that’s going to be my point when I do talk to Joe and Kamala in person … They’re going to have to build a big coalition and I am ready to help,” she said.
Biden has not reached out to her about a possible position in his Cabinet, the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate said.
Klobuchar said Biden has told her that will reach across the aisle to bring Democrats and Republicans together.
“One of the first things he’s going to do in these next few weeks will be calling Democratic and Republican governors, calling Democratic and Republican members of Congress to start talking about what he needs to do and getting advice on things. That’s what he does. I don’t think you saw Donald Trump doing a lot of that. You’re going to see Joe Biden doing a lot of that,” she said.
Biden will “seize, yes, the celebration today but also the hard work of governing,” she added. “We can’t wait anymore to do something about the pandemic and the economy — and to do something about climate change and immigration reform — he knows that.”
Klobuchar also spoke about Sen. Kamala Harris becoming America’s first female, first Black and first South Asian vice president-elect.
“Kamala, of course, as she has said, stands on the shoulders of so many, including Geraldine Ferraro and including Shirley Chisholm and… certainly Hillary Clinton have made this attempt before. … I can’t wait to see her tonight and mostly [to] see her lead,” Klobuchar said.
Fulton County, Georgia, officials are rescanning their work from Friday after discovering a reporting issue, according to Walter Jones, spokesperson for Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
“Fulton County has discovered an issue involving reporting from their work on Friday. Officials are at State Farm Arena to rescan their work from Friday. The Secretary of State has a monitor onsite, has sent additional investigators, and dispatched the Deputy Secretary of State as well to oversee the process to make sure to thoroughly secure the vote and protect all legal votes. Observers from both political parties are there as well,” Jones said in the statement.
The Georgia Secretary of State’s office didn’t provide additional details beyond the statement. CNN has reached out to Fulton County for details.
As cities across the United States erupt in celebration after the projected victory of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, a physician in New York City told CNN’s Polo Sandoval that she’s “thrilled” to have a leader who will take the coronavirus pandemic seriously.
“I’m a pediatrician and can I not tell you, I’m not a single-issue voter, but the pandemic, I mean, just seeing how this pandemic ravaged our city, I am so thrilled that we’re going to have a leader who is going to take this pandemic and do what needs to be done — what needs to be done in the city and in the country so that we can get it under control,” she said.
What we know: Biden plans to announce his 12-person coronavirus task force on Monday, two sources with knowledge told CNN.
The task force will reportedly be lead by three cochairs: Former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David Kessler and Yale University’s Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith.
WATCH:
We’ve sketched out the legal mechanisms that lead from Election Day to Inauguration Day.
Here’s a timeline of what happens after Election Day:
Emerson College student journalist Andrew Brinker captured the mood as crowds sang “We Are the Champions” at Boylston and Charles streets in Boston.
“A lot of people saying they’re feeling relief after the last four years,” Brinker wrote to CNN. “Tons of young people in this crowd. At one point we had at least 1,000 people here. Also to note, lots of folks saying they don’t have to worry now about having a president that’s attacking their fundamental human rights.”
If you want to put some numbers around how Joe Biden’s popular vote margin is growing, here’s an interesting way to slice it. As of 6 a.m., Wednesday, the national popular vote looked like this:
Everything that has been counted since 6 a.m., Wednesday looks like this:
That’s with about 147 million votes cast, so there are likely around 10 million more to count.
A family said they were motivated to bring their two small daughters to celebrate the projected win of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
“We’re excited to be here to celebrate democracy today. And we brought our half-Indian girls here. They’re too young to vote, but they can be part of the process and they can see that a woman can make it to the White House — and a half-Indian woman can make it to the White House,” their mother told CNN’s Vivian Salama at Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington DC.
Harris is America’s first female, first Black and first South Asian vice president-elect.
Watch the moment:
The cars have started to arrive in the parking lot of the Chase Center for the biggest show in Wilmington, Delaware, tonight: A drive-in rally for the victory rally for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
“Welcome, welcome,” an advance staffer in a blue Biden-Harris mask, said to the first few cars. “Thank you for being here!”
It’s a hometown crowd, with longtime supporters and top contributors given preference. But most people were urged to watch from home, given the pandemic.
Biden is expected to deliver a call for unity in the face of the nation’s challenges. But there will be fireworks. A truck filled with the festive explosives has been parked all week at a neighboring baseball field. A light show from drones is also expected. And a confetti cannon, aides say.
The show is scheduled to begin around 8 p.m. ET.
Meanwhile, Biden’s eldest granddaughter Naomi Biden tweeted a photo showing the President-elect being embraced by his family. The caption reads “11.07.20.”
CNN’s Arlette Saenz contributed to this post.
With Kamala Harris projected to be the next vice president-elect of the United States, her Senate seat will soon become vacant.
Here’s what it means for the Senate and the state of California:
Under California law, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom would have the sole power to appoint a replacement for Harris. That appointee would serve until 2022, when Harris’ term expires — at which point he or she would have to run for a full term in their own right.
CNN’s Chris Cillizza looked at the potential candidates who could replace Harris. Here’s the list he came up with:
President Trump will win one of Maine’s four electoral votes, CNN projects, while Joe Biden will win three electoral votes.
Maine allows electoral votes to be split. In Maine, two of four electoral votes go to the statewide winner and one electoral vote goes to the winner in each of the two congressional districts.
CNN projected earlier that Biden has won the presidency after he carried Pennsylvania.
Who won in 2016: Former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton carried the state with three electoral votes. President Trump received one electoral vote.
From California to New York, people are celebrating President-elect Joe Biden’s projected win today.
Here’s what those celebrations looks like:
California
Delaware
Florida
New York
Pennsylvania
Washington, DC
Ambar Pinto, a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program recipient, celebrated Joe Biden’s victory with scores of others in Washington, DC, this afternoon.
“It’s a moment of a lot of emotion and a lot of hope,” Pinto told CNN. “We took Trump out of office and now there’s hope and a future for immigrants.”
Some context: In early August, acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf told lawmakers he stands by the Trump administration decision to limit the DACA program following the Supreme Court’s decision in June.
“In no way did the Supreme Court decision tell the department to process new DACA applicants,” Wolf told the Senate Homeland Security Committee. Legal experts have opposed that argument, saying that the decision allowed for new applicants and a Maryland judge eventually directed the administration to take new applications.
In July, Wolf issued a memo saying that new applications for DACA, the Obama-era program that shields certain undocumented immigrants from deportation, would not be accepted and renewals would be limited to one year instead of two amid an ongoing review.
Supporters of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris flocked to midtown Atlanta, Georgia, to celebrate their projected victory over President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.
“This is a very progressive, liberal, young, growing community of mid-town Atlanta and you can see right after we made our projection today, this area, which is the center of Atlanta started off in a spontaneous celebration,” CNN’s Gary Tuchman said as he stood among a large crowd of Biden supporters.
“It has been absolutely jubilant and it’s quite a unique celebration seeing this very busy section of Atlanta so full of people having a good time celebrating,” Tuchman added.
Remember: CNN is yet to project a winner in Georgia. There are 16 electoral votes at stake in the state.
See video from Atlanta:
Along with her conversation with President Barack Obama, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris also spoke with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today, a campaign aide says.
A giant man-made eagle was seen parading around the streets of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, following President-elect Joe Biden’s victory over President Trump today.
The city is home to the Philadelphia Eagles NFL team which won the Super Bowl in 2018 and currently has a record of 3-4-1.
Cindy McCain, the widow of longtime Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, tweeted her congratulations for President-elect Joe Biden for his projected win over President Trump.
McCain endorsed Biden in September after she appeared in a video about Biden’s relationship with McCain at the Democratic National Convention in August.
Today, McCain said she knows “Joe will unify the country toward a better future.”
Former Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake, a longtime Trump critic who has before argued that the Republican Party should not support Trump in the 2020 election, also welcomed Biden’s win.
Hundreds of Joe Biden supporters flocked to the iconic Freedom Tower in downtown Miami today to celebrate his victory over President Trump.
Freedom Tower is considered the “Ellis Island of the South” for its role in welcoming Cubans who fled Fidel Castro’s communist regime.
The Cuban-American vote is credited with slimming Biden’s edge in Miami-Dade County.
And on the day Biden was projected to be president, hundreds drove to Freedom Tower to honk their horns, wave their “Biden 2020” signs, while others sang “We Are The Champions.”
Delaware Sen. Chris Coons said his state is “jubilant” about the Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris’ victory.
“There were tears of joy, cow bells, cars honking, people cheering in my neighborhood when the announcement was made that a number of major news organizations had called the election for Joe Biden,” Coons told CNN’s Jake Tapper.
The first state in the union has never elected a president in United States history, Biden will be its first.
“Joe Biden is not just a Delawarean,” Tapper said. “He is the most famous Delawarean in the world.”
Coons, one of Biden’s first congressional endorsers for his presidency and his successor in the Senate, went on to explain why the Biden-Harris victory is “historic.”
“This is an historic day not just for Joe and Delaware, but for Kamala Harris and for all of us who are excited to see the first Black woman who is the daughter of immigrants ascend to the vice presidency,” Coons said.
Watch Sen. Coons reaction:
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ sister Maya tweeted to her sister “Madam Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. I am so very proud of you, sis.”
Read the tweet:
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders congratulated President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on their win today.
This election “was about whether or not we remain a country that believes in the Constitution, that believes in the rule of law and that believes in democracy,” the former Democratic presidential candidate said to CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “And thank God, democracy won out. So I just wish Joe and Kamala the very, very best in leading our country.”
Sanders said Biden’s challenge will be bringing Americans together.
“I don’t envy Joe Biden in terms of the enormous, enormous challenges he faces, including systemic racism, including climate change, a crumbling infrastructure, you name it. That’s what he’s going to have to deal with. And our job right now is to bring people together, it seems to me, around an agenda that works for all people,” Sanders said.
“The challenge is to reach out to people and say, ‘we hear your pain’ … Now it’s time for working people to be heard and for their pain to be addressed,” Sanders added.
Biden has a “very strong mandate” to implement a progressive agenda around issues like immigration, the minimum wage and health care, Sanders said.
“If you look at this country issue by issue, and what the American people want, they want an agenda that stands up for them, for working families — Black, White and Latino. That’s the agenda they want, and they want Congress to have the courage to take on the powers that be,” Sanders said.
Watch Sen. Sanders:
President Trump’s motorcade arrived back at the White House at 3:13 p.m. ET, after spending the morning golfing at his golf course in Virginia.
Trump waved to the pool reporters as he walked back into the White House.
The President was on the golf course when CNN and other networks called the race for former Vice President Joe Biden.
Among the people celebrating President-elect Joe Biden’s victory today in Raleigh, North Carolina, was Nina Simone, who called his win a “relief.”
“Tears. Tears streaming down my face. I am so proud and hopeful for the next generation,” Simone told CNN. “Last couple of days, we’ve been very anxious. A lot of stress eating! The last four years, have been scary. We’ve been fearful. Even traveling here with my shirt on… I was fearful. What if somebody tried to do something?”
Simone added: “This is just one step, and it’s a battle ahead … but it’s a good one”
President-elect Joe Biden’s supporters flocked to Philadelphia City Hall today to celebrate his projected win over President Trump.
Sherry Viggs of Philadelphia, who held a sign that read “Good things happen in Philly,” was one of those supporters. She said Biden’s win “was just a release from stress, to know that the country would get back to civility and decency.”
Reza Zergani, who worked as a poll worker in Montgomery County, said he was celebrating “Donald Trump getting kicked out of office.”
“For Donald Trump to say that they weren’t doing a good job—I was a poll worker in Montgomery County. We had protocols for people who didn’t want to wear a mask, we made sure that they could still vote,” he said.
Robert Moore chanted “Donald Trump is out, Donald Trump is out.”
Asked what today means for him, he said, “It’s not about me, it’s about the whole United States of America.”
And what does this mean for Philadelphia, Moore went on to say that “You’re going to see. Stress off the people’s shoulders.”
Voters who sued over the use of Sharpies to fill out ballots in Maricopa County in the battleground state of Arizona have dropped their lawsuit after claiming the permanent markers could have invalidated ballots there.
The filing in a state court Saturday came hours after CNN projected Joe Biden as the President-elect.
The Trump campaign had joined in the lawsuit.
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, a Republican, determined on Thursday that after an investigation, there was nothing to claims that the use of the markers invalidated any ballots.
“Based on correspondence and conversations with Maricopa County officials, we are now confident that the use of Sharpie markers did not result in disenfranchisement for Arizona voters. We appreciate the county’s prompt insight and assurances to address public concerns,” Brnovich tweeted.
Groups of people were seen popping bottles of champagne and celebrating Joe Biden’s victory over President Trump today.
The crowd was also seen at one point singing “We Are The Champions.”
CNN’s Omar Jimenez captured the revelry:
Joe Biden will win Nevada, CNN projects, picking up another state after winning the presidency.
There are six electoral votes at stake in Nevada. This brings Biden’s current electoral vote total to 279.
Who won in 2016: Former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton carried the state, and President Trump won the general election.
There are both Trump and Biden supporters gathered outside Trump National Golf Club in Potomac Falls, Virginia, according to pool reports.
Some supporters are holding signs that say “You’re fired,” according to pool reports.
Trump was on the golf course when CNN and other networks called the race for the former vice president.
A USPS employee driving down a street in Brooklyn, New York, was cheered on by people standing nearby following President-elect Joe Biden’s victory over President Donald Trump today.
Biden benefited from a late surge of mail-in ballots that was preferred by Democrats amid the pandemic. Trump spent months on the campaign trail, falsely blasting mail-in ballots as prone to fraud — one reason why GOP voters have proven far less likely to use them.
The video of the cheering was taken by Joe Altenau who said he’s “incredibly thankful for all the work they have done to safely deliver millions of votes for Americans throughout the country during this pandemic.”
For Altenau, Biden’s win means returning to a focus “on science, truth and empathy and a president who will look out for the best interests of all Americans, not just those who voted for him.”
Watch the video of the USPS driver:
Former President Barack Obama spoke with both President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris following their victory over President Trump today.
“President Obama spoke separately this afternoon with President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. He congratulated each of them on their historic victory and told them how proud he was of the campaign they ran in unprecedented times,” an Obama spokesperson told CNN.
Cafe Versailles is the heart and pulse of the Cuban-American community in Miami, which is credited for keeping Florida red for Trump.
And on the day Joe Biden was projected to win the presidency, the restaurant became the go-to place for Biden supporters to honk their horns and hold up their fists out their windows.
“We love Biden,” screamed another man as he whizzed by.
One truck drove by with a Trump flag. Then a car with a “Cubanos for Biden,” sign or “Cubans for Biden.”
As Biden supporters screamed from their cars, some people having lunch at Versailles clapped and cheered.
“Black lives Matter,” screamed another as he honked his horn and held up his fist.
“Ganó Biden,” or “Biden Won,” screamed another man who made several drives around Cafe Versailles.
During his second drive by he screamed, “Arriba la democracia” with his fist stretched out of his window. It translates to “Up for democracy.”
More from the scene:
More than two hours after Joe Biden was projected as President-elect, he has not yet heard from President Trump, a person familiar with the matter tells CNN.
Jill Biden has tweeted a photo of her and her husband President-elect Joe Biden, who is wearing a hat that reads “We just did” and “46.”
“He will be a President for all of our families,” Biden tweeted alongside a photo where she holds a sign and covers the word “vice” of vice president.
See her tweet:
Joe Biden plans to announce his 12-person coronavirus task force on Monday, two sources with knowledge told CNN.
The task force will reportedly be lead by three cochairs: Former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David Kessler and Yale University’s Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith.
Some context: The announcement, which will come just days after Biden was projected to win the presidential election, signals how seriously he plans to focus on the coronavirus pandemic from the outset of his transition.
Biden is not expected to announce cabinet nominations for weeks and may wait until control of the Senate is clear, the sources said. Biden has potential people in mind for most every top position, but the announcement of coronavirus underscores the priority he intends to place on that challenge.
Majority Whip Rep. Jim Clyburn said he’s “pleased” and “ecstatic” that Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election.
“My investment in Joe Biden had everything to do with the restoration of our pursuit towards a more perfect union. I know this is not a perfect country. My God, I’m here. I’m living testimony that the country is not perfect. But we cannot give up on the country. I could not sit idly by and watch this country take backward steps in that pursuit of perfection. And so I am pleased that we can now get back on course,” he told CNN’s Dana Bash.
Clyburn also revealed that he privately urged Biden to pick to a Black woman as his running mate and discussed the historic nature of Kamala Harris ascending to the second highest office in the country.
“I’m the father of three daughters. And I have two granddaughters … So I was very, very moved by this. Now, Joe and I talked about it several times when he was trying to make his decision. He said it would be a woman. And I don’t mind saying now, I said to him in private that I thought that a lot of the results would turn on whether that woman be a Black woman. I never said that publicly because I thought, I don’t think you ought to diminish your candidate. When you ever tell a candidate what he must do publicly, that diminishes his standing with the public. So I gave him all my advice to him in private. But I’m very pleased that a Black woman was selected,” Clyburn said.
Watch the moment:
President-elect Joe Biden is fielding congratulatory phone calls one after another. He has now spoken to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, an aide says.
Schumer, who spends weekends at home in New York, was joining the call from the streets of Brooklyn. He held up the phone so Biden could hear the cheers, an aide says.
At the same time, Biden has just sent a note to his supporters and donors, with an admonition about the road ahead: “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.”
Susan Rice, former national security adviser to President Obama, called the election of Kamala Harris, the nation’s first Black and South Asian vice president, a “historic, groundbreaking moment.”
“It’s amazing. It’s amazing. It brings tears to my eyes and joy to my heart. And my, you know, almost 18-year-old daughter that feels thrilled. I know there are young girls, and I hope young boys all over this country who see themselves in her and the opportunity for them to be who they want to be,” Rice said.
Rice added: “I could not be more proud of Kamala Harris and all that she represents for all of us. This is — it’s a historic, ground-breaking moment.”
Watch Susan Rice’s emotional response:
Sen. Mitt Romney, a Republican from Utah and 2012 Republican presidential nominee, and his wife extended their congratulations to President-elect Joe Biden this afternoon.
“Ann and I extend our congratulations to President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. We know both of them as people of good will and admirable character. We pray that God may bless them in the days and years ahead,” Romney tweeted.
See his tweet:
President-elect Joe Biden has emailed supporters saying,
Biden is scheduled to speak at 8 p.m. ET tonight from Wilmington, Delaware.
Here’s the email:
“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.
First lady Melania Trump is not expected to make any sort of public statement or comment today, neither in support of her husband’s efforts to challenge Joe Biden’s win, nor to acknowledge the Biden victory, a White House official tells CNN.
Behind the scenes, she has been “keeping to herself,” and she has not engaged in any strategy sessions with other Trump family members or senior administration officials, a source with knowledge of Trump’s activities tells CNN.
Trump has not been heard from publicly since Tuesday morning when she cast her ballot in Florida, telling reporters she felt “great.” While she appeared with President Trump at his Election Night remarks in the East Room, she said nothing.
The first lady is currently at the White House, according to the official.
On Friday, the first lady tweeted about “Be Best” in a message unrelated to the election. Unlike her stepchildren and her husband, Trump has not publicly uttered or indicated anything about the election, which is notable for a first lady.
Former President Bill Clinton said President-elect Joe Biden will “serve all of us and bring us all together,” according to a tweet he sent after Biden received more than 270 electoral votes.
“America has spoken and democracy has won. Now we have a President-elect and Vice President-elect who will serve all of us and bring us all together. Congratulations to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on your momentous victory!” Clinton said.
Read the tweet:
CNN projects the Democratic Party will retain control of the US House of Representatives.
Even though some House races remain undecided, CNN can make this projection based on statistical models tracking races that Democrats already have won and an analysis of races where they are leading significantly right now.
Former President Jimmy Carter released a statement congratulating President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. He said he looks forward to the “positive change” they will bring.
Here’s the full statement:
“Rosalynn joins me in congratulating our friends President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. We are proud of their well-run campaign and look forward to seeing the positive change they bring to our nation.”
President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have changed their Twitter bios.
John Kasich, former Republican governor of Ohio who has spoken in support of Biden, says that President-elect Joe Biden will work to unify the country — but he will need to listen to Republicans’ concerns, particularly around the economy.
“Now is the time for Democrats — and I believe Joe Biden will do this — to begin to listen to what the other half of the country has had to say. I think that the other half of the country, in many respects, has felt as though they have not been listened to. They feel stuck economically, and it’s going to be up to the Democrats to listen,” Kasich said during CNN’s special coverage.
“If all sides can begin to really listen and think, this country can be healed, in my opinion,” Kasich added.
Kasich said he predicts Biden will govern as a moderate. He said that he believes Congress can get deals done on climate change, tax policy and infrastructure, but it should be focused on helping middle-to-lower income Americans.
“The far left can push him as hard as they want. And frankly, the Democrats have to make it clear to the far left that they almost cost him this election. That people in this country are basically center, center right, center left. They’re not far left and they’re also not far right. We’ve got to hope the far right will act responsibly now that this election is over,” Kasich added.
Former President Barack Obama has issued a statement congratulating Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
“I could not be prouder to congratulate our next President, Joe Biden, and our next First Lady, Jill Biden,” Obama writes.
“We’re fortunate that Joe’s got what it takes to be President and already carries himself that way. Because when he walks into the White House in January, he’ll face a series of extraordinary challenges no incoming President ever has – a raging pandemic, an unequal economy and justice system, a democracy at risk, and a climate in peril,” he continued.
See his full statement:
Three advisers to the President said Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic was a massive factor in his election loss. A senior adviser said Trump’s dismissive attitude and misinformation about the virus alienated senior voters who rejected the President’s performance on Covid-19.
The adviser said Trump could never understand elderly voters were the most at-risk for contracting and succumbing to the virus, making them fearful of how the President was responding to the pandemic.
A separate adviser said Trump chose to reopen the economy rather than get the virus under control and suffered the consequences on Election Day.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo congratulated President-elect Joe Biden today following his victory over President Trump.
“This is a historic day. After the darkness, division and hate of the past four years, America has spoken and rejected more of the same. Congratulations to my good friend President-elect Joe Biden and to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Today we go forward in hope and progress,” the governor said in a statement.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who ran for the Republican presidential nomination against Donald Trump in 2016, tweeted congratulations to President-elect Joe Biden.
Here’s his full message:
California Gov. Gavin Newsom congratulated President-elect Joe Biden and his “dear friend, and now Madame Vice President-elect,” in a series of tweets today.
“This was truly the victory America needed, to be the America we know we can be. From America’s largest state: Congratulations to the next President and Vice-President of these United States, @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris,” Newsom tweeted.
Read more of the governor’s tweets:
Reactions are beginning to come in from political leaders around the world to the news that Joe Biden has won the US presidential election.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson:
London Mayor Sadiq Khan on Facebook:
“Congratulations Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on your well-deserved win.
London looks forward to working with you — it’s time to get back to building bridges, not walls. 🇺🇸 🇬🇧”
Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg:
Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa:
Claudia Lopez, mayor of Bogota, Colombia:
“You did it!
How proud that a woman, Afro, Indian, Jamaican, great professional and extraordinary leader, became the Vice Presidency of the United States for the first time!
With every woman who wins, we all win! #TheChangeIsImparable
They won! We won!”
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo:
India:
Rahul Gandhi, a senior leader of India’s main opposition Congress party:
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau:
Nicola Sturgeon, first minister of Scotland:
First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford:
Kyriakos Mitsotakis, prime minister of Greece:
Robert Abela, prime minister of Malta:
Germany:
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Twitter:
“Good that finally we have some clear numbers. We look forward to working with the next US government. We want to invest in our cooperation for a new transatlantic beginning, a new deal.”
President of Zimbabwe Emmerson Mnangagwa:
France:
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo tweeted:
Ireland:
The Irish premiere – known as the Taoiseach – Michael Martin said on Twitter:
Ireland’s Foreign Minister Simon Coveney:
The Biden campaign will have to focus on inclusion as they look forward to their transition team, CNN’s Van Jones said.
“Not just the left, I’m talking about the grassroots of this party. The people that you see out here,” Jones noted.
“This was the Avengers versus Thanos … You had every grassroots organization standing up,” he said.
Jones noted groups like Mi Gente, Lucha, Mi Familia Vota, The Latino Victory Fund, the Latino grassroots groups, “they expect to have a seat at the table.”
Jones also highlighted how Native Americans groups played a big role in Arizona. “The Native American community played a tremendous role … These are groups that expect to be treated with respect because they are responsible for the victory,” he added.
Finally, Jones discussed the African American and Black communities across the country and how they “threw down.”
“You have a new infrastructure in the Black community,” Jones explained.
“You have a massive movement around Biden that’s going to want to be respected and seen and included. Not just left, but bottom up. And I think part of what has to happen is the bottom-up inclusion from the left does not have to come at the expense of bottom-up inclusion from working folks and Trump country. Those things can go side by side,” he said.
Watch Van Jones:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi released a statement praising Joe Biden’s projected win.
“Today marks the dawning of a new day of hope for America. A record-shattering 75 million Americans cast their ballots to elect Joe Biden President of the United States – a historic victory that has handed Democrats a mandate for action,” Pelosi said in the statement.
Pelosi also reacted on Twitter, saying “it’s a time to heal and time to grow together.”
See her tweet:
It’s very quiet here at the White House in the hour after Joe Biden became President-elect. President Trump is out golfing at his Sterling, Virginia, club. On the North Lawn, where a small fraction of the election night press are assembled doing live shots, cheers and honking are very audible.
In the briefing room, a press aide is giving a tour.
At 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, an access point for press and staff to the currently fenced-in White House, cars are honking, with one parked and blasting Kool and the Gang’s “Celebration” at the intersection. Pedestrians are cheering every time the honking starts. Waves of cheering from the nearby Black Lives Matter Plaza are also audible.
A Secret Service agent observing the scene joked that the honking was bad, but better than the alternative: “I had my riot gear.”
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris tweeted a video of herself on the phone with President-elect Joe Biden. She congratulated him on winning the US presidency and for the success of their campaign.
This video was taken by her husband Doug Emhoff, according to a Harris aide.
President-elect Joe Biden will address the nation at 8 p.m. ET Saturday in Wilmington Delaware, according to a press release from the Biden-Harris campaign.
Celebrations are taking place in the streets of Washington, DC, near the White House.
On a street near the White House known as “Black Lives Matter Plaza” — which has become a place of gathering and demonstrations — CNN’s cameras captured crowds celebrating.
See it:
Joe Biden intends to spend much of the day with his family at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, where is also expected to field calls from longtime allies and world leaders.
His victory speech for tonight has been written, but he will be making adjustments until the very end.
But even though the pandemic dramatically changed the course of the presidential campaign, his themes will be the same as when he announced his bid: To restore the soul of the nation.
“We must put the anger and the demonization behind us,” Biden said last night – in a line expected to be renewed tonight.
Americans have flooded the streets to celebrate President-elect Joe Biden crossing the 270 electoral vote threshold.
In Philadelphia, a woman was spotted crying and saying, “I’m so happy. I don’t know what to do,” according to CNN’s Kate Bolduan.
Pennsylvania was the state to push Biden over 270 electoral votes.
Other celebrations were seen in New York City, Chicago and Atlanta.
Watch the celebratory scenes:
Sources inside and outside the campaign say don’t expect President Trump to accept reality and concede the race anytime soon.
Trump is dug in, sources say, feeling embittered that he has lost the race. Advisers describe Trump as grasping any straw that he sees reported on Fox News.
He may never accept this reality, one adviser conceded.
Another indication of how alone Trump is at the moment: Vice President Mike Pence’s advisers are not eager to get the vice president behind Trump as he drags this out.
A source familiar with the situation said Pence wants to preserve his options for 2024.
Joe Biden will become the 46th president of the United States, CNN projects, after a victory in the state where he was born put him over the 270 electoral votes needed to win.
With Pennsylvania’s 20 electoral votes, Biden now has a total of 273 electoral votes.
Kamala Harris will be the United States’ next vice president.
She will be the first woman to hold the office. She will also be the nation’s first Black and South Asian vice president.
We want to know how you feel. Leave us a message in the text box below or leave us a voicemail with your thoughts.
Kamala Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff just tweeted a photo of him and Harris.
An aide confirms this photo was taken today. Here’s his message:
There are no plans for President Trump to invite president-elect Joe Biden to the White House in the coming days, according to a source familiar with the matter. Traditionally, there is an Oval Office meeting between incoming and outgoing presidents.
Trump has often referenced his Nov. 10, 2016, meeting with Obama, including what he was told about North Korea.
Trump, as made clear in his statement, is still contesting the election, so those traditional steps of a transition won’t happen anytime soon.
Less clear is whether the other, more granular aspects of the transition will occur, particularly at agencies and among staff. One person familiar with the matter said there haven’t been explicit instructions disseminated from the White House on how to proceed.
“It’s easier to be a parent this morning,” CNN’s Van Jones said in an emotional reaction to Joe Biden winning the 2020 presidential race.
“It’s easier to tell your kids character matters, it matters. Tell them the truth matters. Being a good person matters,” Jones said.
“I just want my sons to look at this … It’s easy to do it the cheap way and get away with stuff, but it comes back around. It comes back around. And it’s a good thing for this country. I’m sorry for the people who lost, for them it’s not a good day. But for a whole lot of people it’s a good day,” he said.
Jones noted that, for many people in the country, especially minorities, life will be made easier.
“If you’re Muslim in this country, you don’t have to worry if the President doesn’t want you here. If you’re an immigrant, you don’t have to worry if the President is going to be happier to have babies snatched away or send DREAMers sent back for no reason,” he said.
Jones also highlighted how Biden winning the election is a “vindication” for a lot of people who have really suffered throughout President Trump’s term.
“The ‘I can’t breathe,’ that wasn’t just George Floyd. That’s a lot of people have felt they couldn’t breathe. Every day you’re waking up and getting tweets and you’re going to the store and people who have been afraid to show their racism are getting nastier and nastier to you and you’re worried about your kids and you’re worried about your sister, and can she just go to Walmart and get back into her car without somebody saying something to her. ”
After CNN projected Joe Biden’s presidential win, Van Jones, a former adviser in the Obama administration, and former GOP Sen. Rick Santorum both agreed that working-class voters still feel forgotten by both parties — and that is a hill that politicians will need to climb.
“From the Republican point of view, we’re not convinced it’s over yet and we’re going to wait and see how the rest of these states play out,” Santorum said.
“I think a lot of folks on our side are feeling the fears … on the economic side, people are afraid that Joe Biden is going to what the Boris Johnson is doing, and Angela Merkel is doing in Europe and shutting down the economy,” he said.
“A lot of blue-collar Americans felt that neither political party really cared about them,” Santorum added.
Santorum said Republicans are worried about globalism, religious liberty and free speech, among other issues.
“As much as people are concerned, I understand you’re feeling relieved, there’s a lot of people now on our side who are feeling concerned,” he said.
Jones said people should take Santorum’s remarks “very seriously.”
“Those working-class folks who felt that neither party cared about them weren’t wrong. People were sacrificed for an agenda that didn’t help a lot of people. And I know poor folks in Appalachia and poor folks in South Central [Los Angeles], they’ve got the same problems,” Jones said.
“And cultural wars notwithstanding, there’s a moment here. Do your lawsuits, that’s your right. But there is a moment here where we can reset, and I think Joe Biden wants us to reset. And I will do everything I can. We’ve got a lot of fear and a lot of pain — we got a lot of promise, too. … If we could sit down at the same table, we could get something done together,” Jones added.
Rick Santorum and CNN’s Van Jones discuss what Joe Biden’s win means for the country:
Kamala Harris, who will be the nation’s first Black and South Asian vice president, and first woman to hold that office, reacted on Twitter to their projected win.
“This election is about so much more than @JoeBiden or me. It’s about the soul of America and our willingness to fight for it,” Harris tweeted alongside a video.
“We have a lot of work ahead of us. Let’s get started,” she added.
See her tweet:
President-elect Joe Biden has issued a statement, saying he is “honored and humbled by the trust the American people have placed” in him and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
Here’s the full statement:
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised Joe Biden for his presidential victory on Twitter today.
“The voters have spoken, and they have chosen @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris to be our next president and vice president,” Clinton tweeted. “It’s a history-making ticket, a repudiation of Trump, and a new page for America. Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen. Onward, together.”
Read the tweet:
Moments after networks, including CNN, called the presidential race for Joe Biden, President Trump said in a statement from his campaign that Biden is “rushing to falsely pose as the winner,” and call the race “far from over.”
The statement says the campaign’s legal battle will begin Monday:
“Beginning Monday, our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated.”
“I will not rest until the American People have the honest vote count they deserve and that Democracy demands,” Trump says in the statement.
Trump is currently at his Virginia golf course.
After days of waiting, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer called the presidential race for Joe Biden at 11:24 a.m. ET.
“After four long tense days, we’ve reached a historic moment in this election. We can now project the winner of the presidential race. CNN projects Joseph R. Biden Jr. is elected the 46th president of the United States, winning the White House and denying President Trump a second term,” Blitzer said. “We’re able to make this projection because CNN projects Biden wins Pennsylvania.”
Blitzer added: “The former vice president, in his third run for the highest office, pulling off a rare defeat of the sitting commander in chief. With this victory, Kamala Harris is set to become the first woman and the first person of color to be the vice president. Again, CNN projects Joe Biden will become the 46th president of the United States. Jake, he is now president elect Joe Biden.”
Watch the moment Blitzer announced CNN’s projection:
As Kamala Harris made history as the first woman of color to be Vice President, CNN’s Dana Bash commented on Black women finally seeing representation:
“The Democratic Party has been alive on the backs of — and through the hard work of — Black women for many, many years, and now, they finally see representation. And that is a huge thing,” she said. “100 years ago, this year, women got the right to vote. 55 years ago this year, Black Americans were told that it could be easier for them to vote with the Voting Rights Act. That was after so much bloodshed, so much protests, and now, after all of that time, a Black woman has made history. ”
CNN’s Abby Phillip commented on what this moment represents to millions in this country:
“Her path to this moment, I think, is fairly unconventional. She was one of the first major candidates to drop out of the Democratic field, but was someone who, I think, in the Party believed always had so much promise,” she said. “One of the roles that she will play for Joe Biden is helping him bridge that gap between the Joe Biden who has been in Washington for decades and decades, the old guard, the 70 something-year-old White man, with the younger part of the party that is clambering to be heard. They feel like their futures are on the line, especially after the last four years. And I think a lot of them are looking to Kamala Harris to give voice to that.”
CNN’s Jake Tapper added:
Moments before CNN projected that Joe Biden will win the presidency, President Trump’s campaign manager insisted to staff that their candidate still has a path to victory.
While providing an update on the legal challenges surrounding the election, Bill Stepien told officials:
“He is in this fight. He is in this fight…These are razor thin margins. We are not giving up the fight in these places. We are not giving up the fight.”
It was a private call, but CNN was provided access by a source affiliated with the reelection effort.
Stepien argued Trump still has a path to victory in Arizona and Pennsylvania while providing an overview of where things stand as vote counting is ongoing.
He railed against the high volume of mail-in voting and insisted officials believe they stand “a very good chance” of emerging as the winner if the race proves to be close.
Stepien insisted the call wasn’t about fundraising but then solicited donations to the legal defense fund. “Again, this is not a fundraising solicitation, but that is an avenue to help.”
Biden Campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon was on a run. Her mother called to tell her about CNN’s call for Joe Biden, she said told the print pool in Wilmington, Delaware, as she returned.
Asked how she felt about Joe Biden becoming the 46th president of the United States, she said:
Joe Biden was spending the morning with his family at his home in Delaware when he saw the news that he was projected the winner of his native Pennsylvania and will be the 46th president of the United States.
He will address the nation tonight, an official tells CNN.
A line from Biden’s speech last night will be a theme of his remarks: “Never forget: the tallies aren’t just numbers. They represent votes and voters, men and women who exercise the fundamental right to have their voice heard.”
After CNN projected Joe Biden to win the presidency, Dana Bash said the “conventional” Biden path has been “so unconventional.”
“He’s the most conventional of politicians, but in this election cycle his path has been so unconventional. Remember, he beat out the biggest, most diverse field in the Democratic primary and he is an older white man who did that,” Bash said.
“He lost Iowa, he lost new Hampshire, and it was Democratic Black voters who saved him and propelled him to this point,” Bash added.
Bash noted that Biden’s promise to “heal” the United States will be an uphill battle.
“He made a comeback just this year like we’ve never seen. And also remember, Joe Biden is defined by his personal loss. His calling card is knowing how to heal himself and what he ran on and what he says he’s going to do is try to heal this nation. Now he’s got to turn his attention to that and, can you imagine a more arduous task?”
Watch CNN’s Dana Bash react to projection:
President Trump’s reelection defeat makes him the 11th sitting president in US history to lose the White House in a general election campaign.
Ten of those were outright reelection bids. Gerald Ford, who ascended to the presidency following Richard Nixon’s resignation, also lost his campaign to remain president in 1976.
The last president to lose a reelection bid was George H.W. Bush in 1992.
Grover Cleveland lost his reelection campaign in 1888 but won back the White House four years later by defeating sitting President Benjamin Harrison. He is the only president to have served two nonconsecutive terms.
This list does not include sitting presidents who did not receive their party’s nomination for the next general election.
10 elected presidents lost their reelection campaigns:
1 non-elected president lost in the following general election:
*Cleveland later won a second, nonconsecutive term
**Ford was not elected vice president or president
Kamala Harris will be the United States’ next vice president, CNN projects.
She will be the first woman to hold the office. She will also be the nation’s first Black and South Asian vice president.
Harris, who has represented California in the Senate since 2017, is the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, and she grew up attending a Black Baptist church and a Hindu temple.
She was the first Indian-American and second Black woman to serve as a senator.
Joe Biden will become the 46th president of the United States, CNN projects, after a victory in the state where he was born put him over the 270 electoral votes needed to win.
With Pennsylvania’s 20 electoral votes, Biden now has a total of 273 electoral votes.
Before becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, Biden served as vice president under former President Barack Obama. He is also Delaware’s longest-serving senator.
Throughout his campaign, Biden has argued that the “soul of the nation” is at stake, and has promised that he would seek to heal a country fractured by Trump’s presidency.
It’s “crunch time” in Pennsylvania, CNN’s John King says.
Joe Biden leads by more than 28,000 in the Keystone State, with 3,336,887 votes to President Trump’s 3,308,054.
“When you’re going that deep into the decimal points, that tells you you have a very close race. … It was a heavyweight fight four years ago — Donald Trump won it by 44,000 votes — it is a heavyweight fight this time as Joe Biden moves in,” King said.
As ballot numbers from Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are expected to be released today, “the question is can Joe Biden build up a little more to that lead to get to the point where the math tells you it is virtually impossible or impossible for the President to catch up,” King explained.
Biden currently holds about 81% of the vote in Philadelphia. “This is where a Democrat has to have the big building block in the city of Philadelphia. But it’s not just there. It’s the suburbs around Philadelphia,” King said.
King noted that the numbers show that Biden did not flip a substantial amount of Trump voters in the state, including near his birthplace of Scranton.
“So you’re not blowing it out, it’s not a game-changing election, but you move the dial a little bit in a close state, that’s what makes the difference,” he said.
President Donald Trump arrived at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, at about 10:30 a.m. ET, according to the reporters who travel with him. Meanwhile, voting results continue to get tallied.
This visit marks the 410th day Trump has spent at one of his namesake properties since taking office. It’s the 299th day he’s spent at a golf club, per CNN’s tally.
Trump, who last golfed on September 27, is at his club as he waits to see if he will serve a second term. Based on the states CNN has projected so far, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden currently leads Trump by 253 to 213 electoral votes.
Results coming in from Pennsylvania in the next few hours could decide the election in Joe Biden’s favor. With 20 electoral college votes, the Keystone State would put Biden over the 270 threshold needed to win the presidency. This could very well happen while Trump is on the golf course.
According to a reporter who saw him, Trump was dressed in a white “Make America Great Again” cap, windbreaker, dark slacks, a non-dress shirt and “shoes that look appropriate for golfing.”
Meanwhile, the President continues to spread information on Twitter, baselessly claiming he has won the election, when, in fact, that determination has not yet been made.
Arizona’s Maricopa County — which includes the Phoenix area — just released a new batch of results.
Here’s where the numbers stand now:
Remember: Arizona is one of six states where CNN has not yet projected a winner. Alaska, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina and Pennsylvania are also still too close to call.
Erika Flores from the Maricopa County Elections Department says the bulk of ballots are anticipated to be counted by the 9 p.m ET (7 p.m. MT) ballot update.
Maricopa spokesperson Megan Gilbertson says, “This is the last large release of results.”
The county is the state’s largest and includes the Phoenix area.
Votes are still being counted across parts of Pennsylvania, including in Allegheny County, which includes the Pittsburgh area.
Reporters, including from CNN, at the Allegheny election warehouse saw all the observers from in middle of the room gather together on the other side, where they had a back and forth with an election official.
A county official told reporters what happened: The observers asked if the election workers — who at that time were extracting ballots from envelopes — could move closer to the middle of the room, because most of the election workers were working at tables on the far side of the room, making it difficult for the observers to see because of the distance.
The county elections official said he would accommodate that request, and the elections workers picked up the materials they were working on and moved closer.
The workers only had about five more minutes of work to do. Once they were done with the extraction process, they all moved to a separate room where they will start processing the ballots.
Joe Biden and those around him believe today is the day they move forward and accept victory.
However, the former vice president is looking beyond the drama of election vote-counting and towards a transition.
Biden is taking a more patient stance than many Democrats surrounding him, a close ally tells CNN. He knows that these next days are critical to his remarkably difficult challenge of trying to unify the country.
He’s a “traditionalist,” in the words of one ally.
Biden rejected advice from some advisers and supporters to deliver his big victory speech last night — instead choosing to deliver another brief set of remarks.
Aides say the coronavirus crisis is occupying the majority of his time, and to look for announcements on that front to be among his first.
They say has no plans of announcing Cabinet nominations for a few weeks, but to look for a far earlier announcement on the Biden version of a Covid-19 taskforce.
CNN’s Jeff Zeleny reports from Biden campaign’s headquarters:
While Joe Biden has “consistently exceeded the numbers in any county, even in the red counties where President Trump is winning,” John King explained why CNN has not projected the state of Pennsylvania.
“At some point, the trajectory gets you past any probability that the President of the United States is going to come back. And for those who say, ‘Well, you’re already at that point, the President is attacking this process. We have our own rules, we have our own process, but especially when the process is under attack, sticking to the rules, using your building blocks, methodically getting to the finish line and being cautious is a great way to do it,” King said.
“We completely get the frustration and the anticipation out there. It’s just important to have rules and not bend them, especially at a time, the integrity of the system is being unfairly attacked by the candidate, who, if he loses this state, is a one-term President,” King added.
A Philadelphia city official told CNN that 2,000 to 3,000 more ballots should be counted by noon ET today.
Mail-in ballots have overwhelmingly skewed Democratic, and Biden leads Trump by more than 28,000 votes right now.
CNN’s John King breaks down latest numbers out of Pennsylvania:
Twitter has applied warning labels to more than a third of President Trump’s tweets since the final polls closed Tuesday evening, reflecting how Trump and his allies continue to spout misinformation on social media days after Americans cast their ballots.
As of 10 a.m. ET on Saturday morning, 16 out of 43 Trump tweets, or 37%, had been labeled by Twitter cautioning users that “some or all of the content shared in this Tweet is disputed and might be misleading about an election or other civic process.”
That figure does not begin to capture the overall universe of Trump allies and family members, many of whose own posts on social media have also been labeled by online platforms.
It’s the Saturday after the election, and votes are still being counted in several key states.
CNN has not yet projected a winner in the presidential election. Currently, Joe Biden has 253 electoral votes, and President Trump has 213. It takes 270 to win the election.
Here’s the latest look at where the vote stands in four key states where CNN has not yet projected winners:
Watch update of vote counts in critical states:
A Philadelphia city official told CNN that 2,000-3,000 more ballots should be counted by noon today.
Another source says the results will be reported between 11 a.m. and as late as early afternoon.
CNN’s Kate Bolduan reports from Philadelphia:
Philadelphia City Commissioner Omar Sabir said more results on ballots in Philadelphia County would come “sometime today,” and that ballots can’t be processed “like a microwave dinner.”
When pressed, he did not give more specific details on timing.
“Okay, it’ll be at some point today. Stay tuned,” Sabir said while speaking to CNN’s John Berman and Phil Mattingly.
Sabir said workers are going through about 20,000 “problem child” ballots now. These are ballots that have issues with them – such as missing a signature or having a wrong date. These ballots must be reviewed and then decided on whether or not they can be counted by a panel of three commissioners. Then there are about 18,000 provisional ballots issued on Election Day to count, Sabir said.
Sabir encouraged people to remain calm and be patient while the county works to finish the count.
“It’s not like a microwave dinner. It’s not like you just throw around and get instant gratification. It takes time, we’re going to be meticulous. We’re going to be accurate. You know, believe me, I want to go home just as much as everyone else wants to go home, but we have to take our time. We have to do it right,” Sabir said.
Philadelphia city commissioner gives update on latest ballot count:
The state of Pennsylvania has 20 electoral votes — if President Trump fails win it, he cannot reach the crucial 270 necessary to secure the presidency.
Based on the states CNN has projected so far, Biden currently leads Trump by 253 to 213 electoral votes.
With a win in Pennsylvania, Biden would be over the 270 electoral vote threshold. But Biden can also hit 270 without the Keystone State via a combination of the other states that have not been called but he is currently leading in.
A combination of winning at least two states of these three states — Arizona, Georgia and Nevada — would get Biden into the White House.
Remember: CNN has not yet projected a winner in Pennsylvania.
CNN’s Phil Mattingly breaks down latest Pennsylvania numbers:
Ellen Weintraub, with the Federal Election Commission, wants Americans to know that “there really has been no evidence of fraud” in the election this year.
“State and local officials and poll workers throughout the country really stepped up. And there have been very few complaints about how this election was run,” Weintraub told CNN Saturday morning. “Very few substantiated complaints, let me put it that way. There is no evidence of any kind of voter fraud. There is no evidence of illegal votes being cast. In fact, and you don’t have to take my word for it, because people throughout the country, nonpartisan election experts, have come out and handled this election and how it was run.”
Weintraub added: “There really has been no evidence of fraud. None of the complaints have attached any evidence of fraud.”
FEC official discusses election security:
Workers at Philadelphia’s convention center are blaming the “problem child ballots” for slowing the counting process, CNN’s Kate Bolduan reports.
Overnight, around 60 workers were prepping these ballots for review. That includes “grouping those ‘problem child ballots’ into buckets to address a specific issue at hand,” Bolduan reported.
The review process should have begun already per the schedule and while there are also some 18,000 provisional ballots to be counted, workers are entirely focused on getting through these “problem child ballots.” While some updates can be expected today, it is unclear how many of these ballots the workers will be able to get through and when, she added.
CNN’s Kate Bolduan reports from Philadelphia:
An Atlanta-area election worker is in hiding after receiving threats related to a viral video that shows him crumpling and throwing away a piece of paper, leading to false accusations of him tossing out a ballot, a local election official said in a press conference Friday night.
Richard Barron, the Fulton County, Georgia Director of Registration and Elections Barron said officials reviewed the video taken by someone in the ballot processing area of the center and uploaded to Twitter, and determined that the worker did not discard a ballot.
The footage shows a county poll worker assigned to the absentee ballot processing who is operating one of five ballot cutting machines, Barron said, adding that the devices are used to cut envelopes in order to separate the outer envelope from the inner envelope. The paper that is being crumpled and thrown away is a list of instructions that was placed into one of the envelopes, Barron said, adding that the voters often return the “list of instructions, like the one discarded in the primary absentee ballot envelope, when submitting their ballots in the mail and or drop boxes.”
The video, which has been shared on social media, has been viewed millions of times with a number of people falsely accusing the worker was tampering with a ballot.
“At no time was the poll worker able to extract a ballot. I operated one of those machines,” Barron said. “The only thing you do at that station is separating the envelopes and cutting them. The ballot extraction happens at the next stage of the process, and valid extraction only occurs with the workers who are assigned to those sorting duties.”
After reviewing the footage, Barron said he contacted the worker, who told him he has left his home, is staying with friends and is “afraid to drive his car because the information about his car and his license plate is out there.
“He is currently in hiding because he’s had threats. He’s had to shut down all of his social media, and … all of his personal information was released,” Barron said. “Personally, I think it’s shameful.
Barron said the worker, who has not been officially identified, was among election employees who trained others how to use the cutting machines “because he was very good at it and he was the fastest one.”
“We depended on him, and he’s no longer out there right now,” Barron said. “I expressed my sorrow and that all of this has happened to him, simply for wanting to be an election worker and doing nothing but a good job during that.
Barron added that no threats have been sent to his office, adding that there are “preliminary discussions” underway to provide the worker security.
Lawyers for the Democratic Party of Pennsylvania told the Supreme Court late Friday that they objected to any order blocking the eventual tally of ballots received after the election.
The legal filing came in response to Republicans in the state, who are asking the court to order the counties to take “no action” on the ballots in question, while a legal dispute plays out.
Earlier Friday, Justice Alito, acting alone, preserved the status quo by ordering the counties to follow current guidance that directs the counties to segregate the ballots – if they are counted they should not be added to current tallies. He referred the matter to the full court for its consideration.
Lawyers for Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar are expected to respond by 2 p.m. today.
These legal filings come as the court considers whether to take up an appeal to a Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision from before the election. That decision allowed ballots received 3 days after the election, even without a valid post mark, to be counted. The justices have not yet decided whether to take up the dispute.
Critics of the President and other Republicans say he is continuing legal challenges to suggest that the courts could impact election results, even though the numbers, so far, suggest otherwise.
As the count continues – and narrows in key states – election officials are starting to throw around technical terms most voters don’t usually hear.
Here’s a quick glossary:
It’s Saturday morning – four days after the election – and the race for the White House is still too close to call.
Ballots are still being counted in several key states that will determined the outcome of the presidential race.
Those states are: Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania.
Joe Biden is currently leading in all four battleground states.
Based on the states CNN has projected so far, Joe Biden currently leads President Trump by 253 to 213 electoral votes.
A win in Pennsylvania would give him enough electoral college votes to win the presidency.
Remember: Either candidate need 270 electoral votes to win the presidency.
CNN’s John Berman breaks down latest numbers:
Allegheny County in Pennsylvania has about 20,000 ballots left to count, County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said today, adding that those results will start coming in batches starting later this morning or early afternoon.
On processing the 20,000 ballots, he said:
“[It’s] painstaking because they have to be done by hand so they can match them up to make sure that those votes did not already get counted,” he explained.
Mail-in ballots in the county have been running about 80-20, with 80% for Joe Biden and 20% for President Trump, he told CNN.
There are also an estimated 17,000 provisional ballots to count that will be counted by early next week, Fitzgerald added.
Allegheny County executive discusses latest numbers:
It’s four days after the election and the race for the White House is still too close to call.
Ballots are still being counted in several key states that will determined the outcome of the presidential race.
Those states are: Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania.
Here’s what to expect from those four states today:
Pennsylvania
Georgia
Arizona
Nevada
Based on CNN projections, Joe Biden currently leads President Trump by 253 to 213 electoral votes.
Remember: Either candidate need 270 electoral votes to win the presidency.
Georgia and Pennsylvania are among six states where CNN has not yet projected a winner in the presidential race. Here’s what you need to know about how potential recounts would work there.
There is no automatic recount in Georgia. A candidate has to request a recount after results are certified.
Here’s how that process works:
Counties have to certify their elections by Nov. 13 at the latest. Then the state conducts “a risk limiting audit.” Then the state has to certify it election by Nov. 20 at the latest. Whoever comes in second place – be it Trump or Biden – can request a recount only after state certification and only if results are within 0.5%.
In Pennsylvania, there is an automatic threshold for a recount if candidates are within a margin of 0.5% or less. Democrats say this margin would grow as more ballots are counted.
Remember: In the history of the United States, it’s very rare that a recount flips an election.
There could be votes in the single digits or even a few hundred, but the idea that there would be thousands of votes that would change an election is very unlikely, if not completely impossible, CNN’s Kristen Holmes explained.
CNN’s Kristen Holmes explains the rules surrounding potential recounts:
Philadelphia election workers are still wading through the last 20,000 to 25,000 mail-in ballots, according to a city official.
These ballots are the most difficult – a signature in the wrong place, or an envelope that has the wrong barcode scanned, mean they simply can’t go through them as quickly as the others.
Workers have been prepping those ballots throughout the night and starting at 7 a.m. ET they will be reviewing, flattening them out and scanning the ballots.
It’s hard to project how many will be done Saturday because that depends how many are prepped overnight. The answer to that is not known yet.
As far as provisional ballots, the city has 18,000 ballots that need to be dealt with, but that will happen next week. Those ballots – you get them for showing up to the wrong polling place, or not getting a mail-in ballot, or not turning your mail-in ballot to a polling place where you’re going to vote – have the most potential to drag since they each need to be verified through their Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors system to make sure no one is voting twice. These will take the most time and will be tackled starting next week.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden delivered remarks in WiIlmington, Delaware, last night as votes continue to be tallied in four key battleground states.
In a short address to the American people, which he had hoped would be a victory speech, Biden professed confidence that his win over President Trump would soon be declared.
“The people spoke – more than 74 million Americans – and they spoke loudly for our ticket. And while we’re waiting for a final result, I want people to know we’re not waiting to get work done,” he said.
Biden acknowledged that waiting for votes to be counted in states with neck-and-neck races “can be numbing.” But, he said, it’s becoming clearer by the hour that a record number of Americans “chose change.”
“We don’t have any more time to waste on partisan warfare,” he added.
The former vice president called for calm and patience at a moment of flaring national tensions, as Trump warns he will dispute the result of the election if he doesn’t win.
In his speech Biden also painted a picture of a nascent administration that was already preparing to take on the pandemic and to help revive the economy on its first day in office.
“The numbers tell us a clear and convincing story. We are going to win this race,” he said.
Biden’s remarks capped a day of watching and waiting for his campaign, which is eager to see the former vice president declared the winner, as his lead grows in Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania and remains sizable in Arizona. If he wins all four states, he would earn 306 electoral votes. According to CNN’s projections, Biden currently has 253 electoral votes – 17 shy of the 270 he needs to become president-elect.
You can watch Biden’s full speech here.
CNN’s Maeve Reston reacts to Biden’s speech:
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, who tested positive for Covid-19, was at a number of public events without a mask, including what was supposed to be an election night victory party for President Trump, CNN’s Ryan Nobles reports.
This comes just weeks after President Trump recovered from the virus himself. The White House hasn’t provided more details except that they’re contact tracing.
While the election is on top of everyone’s minds, the coronavirus pandemic remains a serious threat in the country, with the US reporting more than 1,000 deaths for four straight days this week.
CNN’s Ryan Nobles reports from the White House:
CORRECTION: This post has been updated with the number of coronavirus-related deaths in the US.
It’s four days after Election Day, and CNN has not yet projected who will win.
Here’s how CNN projections work: There’s a team of dedicated statistical analysts that helps decide when CNN can make a call on election results, CNN’s political director David Chalian explains.
“All they do is, every single time vote comes in from one of these states, they plug it into their models and their formulas, trying to ascertain a very high level of confidence,” in the results so that whoever is the number two person in these contests doesn’t have a real possibility to overtake the number one person, Chalian said.
The reason why CNN is not projecting the results in states like Georgia, Pennsylvania, Nevada and Arizona, “it’s because of the math and getting to the highest level of confidence before any projection is made,” Chalian added.
CNN’s David Chalian explains how the network projects who will win the presidency:
As election officials whittle down the piles of ballots cast in the 2020 election, they are turning their attention to the outliers — including damaged ballots, military ballots and a category of ballots that are called “provisional.”
Provisional ballots are cast when there’s a question about a voter’s eligibility, and are specially held for counting until officials are certain the vote should be accepted. If a voter, for example, forgets their ID at home, or isn’t showing up in the voter rolls, they can cast a provisional ballot.
Under federal law, any US resident should always be able to cast a provisional ballot at a polling place, even if their registration status is not clear. That allows officials to accept the ballot but hold it aside while any questions are worked out.
Once cast, election officials determine whether the voter was eligible to vote. If they were, the vote will be counted just like any other.
Why these ballots take longer to count: Different states handle provisional ballots in different ways.
Generally, though, these ballots are kept separate from all other ballots while they are investigated by election officials and are counted last.
Here’s how the National Conference of State Legislatures describes the investigation process once a provisional ballot has been cast:
“This process entails verifying the voter’s identity and eligibility to vote, and may require the voter to provide further information. If the identity of the voter and the voter’s eligibility can be established through reviewing the voter rolls or verifying a signature, all or a portion of the ballot will be counted. If their eligibility cannot be established, the ballot will not be counted.”
As a result, voters often need to be their own biggest advocate when it comes to provisional ballots — following up with local elected officials to confirm they have looked into their qualifications and have counted their vote.
Read more about provisional ballots here.
Ballots are still being counted in several key states that will determined the outcome of the presidential race.
Joe Biden currently leads President Trump by 253 to 213 electoral votes, CNN projects. Biden and Trump each need 270 electoral votes to win the presidency.
CNN has not projected a winner in six states: Arizona, Alaska, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
CNN has projected a winner in these states:
Former Vice President Joe Biden is piling up votes in Western battlegrounds Nevada and Arizona and in the “blue wall” state of Pennsylvania, moving ever closer to finalizing the path to 270 electoral votes that he needs to win the presidency.
Biden currently leads President Trump by 253 to 213 electoral votes, CNN projects.
If you’re just reading in, here’s where things stand:
And here’s a look at where the numbers stand this morning:
CNN’s John Berman breaks down latest numbers:
To see more live election coverage from overnight, go here.
