Joe Biden has won Pennsylvania, giving him the 20 electoral votes he needed to surpass a clear majority of 270.
According to Nelsdaily, Joe Biden secured 284 electoral votes and his ticket to win the election after earning the popular vote in Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Incumbent President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has 214 electoral votes.
Election officials in several states are still counting ballots and the race is tight in some states. However, with the electoral college system, a candidate can be projected as the winner of the election if they earn the popular majority in enough key states and acquire at least 270 electoral votes.
The day after the election, November 4, Joe Biden had a lead in electoral votes. He had 238 over Trump’s 213, according to the projections of most media outlets, as well as a 1.2% lead in the popular vote.
But with Trump leading in key swing states where 67 electoral votes were at stake — Michigan, Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania — Biden’s outlook was not exactly promising. He led in only two states, Nevada and Wisconsin, which account for 16 electoral votes.
Scales tipped and margins thinned in several states, however, as election officials in some states only began tabulating mail-in ballots after counting in-person votes.
Joe Biden was able to clinch Wisconsin and Michigan and their combined 26 electoral votes, according to AP, two vital steps towards winning the presidential election.
Also essential in his win was Arizona. AP called Arizona for Biden early Wednesday morning, although hundreds of thousands of ballots are still uncounted and Trump is confident he has a shot at securing the state after a final tally.
AP called Wisconsin for Joe Biden Wednesday afternoon, giving the candidate another 10 electoral votes for a total of 248.
The Trump campaign announced that it would ask for a recount in Wisconsin, claiming “irregularities in several Wisconsin counties.” Biden earned 49.6% of the popular vote in the state while Trump earned 48.9%.
AP then called Michigan for Biden at 6 p.m. EST, adding 16 electoral college votes to the Democrat’s tally for a total of 264—only six shy of the total needed to project victory.
The Trump campaign has filed a lawsuit in Michigan to demand better access for campaign observers to locations where ballots are being processed and counted. Biden won 49.9% of the popular vote in the state compared to Trump’s 48.6%. Trump’s camp previously filed similar suits in Nevada and Pennsylvania.
Biden got the final push to 270 when AP called Pennsylvania in his favor on Saturday, giving him the 20 votes he needed for a clear electoral majority and dashing Trump’s hopes of reelection.
The Trump campaign is seeking to intervene in a Supreme Court case concerning whether Pennsylvania ballots can count ballots received up to three days after the election and postmarked on or before November 3.
The Trump campaign released a statement on November 6 stating it disputes Biden’s lead and would challenge the final tally. Trump campaign attorney Matt Morgan said “this election is not over, once the election is final, President Trump will be re-elected.”
AP is yet to call Alaska, Georgia, North Carolina, and Nevada as election officials and postal service workers are still delivering and counting ballots. Biden is leading in Nevada and has been gaining in Georgia, but Brad Raffensperger, Georgia’s secretary of state, has confirmed there will be a recount in the state.
The Trump campaign is gearing up to challenge results in several states, in line with Trump’s premature victory speech and claims of rampant voter fraud early on Wednesday morning and Thursday evening.
President Trump falsely called Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina in his favor on November 4. He also claimed Michigan should be his “if, in fact, there was a large number of secretly dumped ballots as has been widely reported!”
Swing states officially called in Trump’s favor include Florida (29 electoral votes), Iowa (6 electoral votes), Ohio (18 electoral votes), and Texas (38 electoral votes).
Those favoring Joe Biden in the presidential election, according to AP projections, include Arizona (11 electoral votes), Michigan (16 electoral votes), Pennsylvania (20 electoral votes), and Wisconsin (10 electoral votes).
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