Live 2020 Elections Update: The US Decides Its Future Today

Trump addresses the U.S. people; claims victory and electoral fraud - 2:30 AM EST Wednesday

Trump, in an address to the U.S. people from the East Room of the White House, said that he has already won the U.S. presidential elections, despite pending results and millions of votes remaining to be counted from Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, Alaska, Georgia and North Carolina. He claimed that the continued counting of votes after Election Day constitutes "electoral fraud" and that he will take the case to the Supreme Court, now in the Republicans' favor with the recent appointment of Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Despite states' assurance that these valid mail-in or early votes will takes days to count, Trump, concerned that these majority Democratic voters will give Biden an irrefutable victory, seeks to invalidate them in a clear violation of U.S. electoral law and the Constitution of the United States.

Trump wins Texas, AP reports - 1:15 AM EST Wednesday

Accordingly to AP, Trump has won the 38 electoral college votes of the nation's second most populous state, Texas, with 5,613,695  votes (52.2%), in comparison to Joe Biden, who earned 4,988,587 votes (46.4%).

Biden addresses the American people; Trump secures Florida - 12:45 AM EST Wednesday

As Joe Biden expressed optimism for his chances at victory, claiming that results will not be known until at least tomorrow morning, CNN has confirmed that Trump has won Florida with 51.3% of the vote to Biden's 47.8%.

Biden secures Minnesota; Trump wins Iowa - 12:35 AM EST Wednesday

According to AP, Joe Biden has picked up the swing state of Minnesota, whereas Trump has won the swing state of Iowa. Biden thus picks up 10 more electoral votes and Trump wins 6 more. 

Trump secures the key swing state, Ohio - 12:20 AM EST Wednesday

According to NBC News, President Donald Trump has won the key swing state Ohio in the Midwestern United States. Trump will secure the state's 18 electoral votes, with over 53% of the state's voters in comparison to Biden's 45%. 

Fox calls Biden victory in Arizona; Trump wins Idaho - 12:00 AM EST Wednesday

According to Fox News, the conservative media outlet, Joe Biden has won the southwestern state of Arizona, a surprising upset. With about three-quarters of the votes counted, Biden has just over 53% of the vote in comparison to Trump's just over 45%. This would give Biden 11 more electoral votes.

That said, Trump has secured the Western state of Idaho, a Republican stronghold, giving him four more electoral college votes. 

Pennsylvania, Georgia won't be done counting ballots until Friday - 11:35 PM EST

Due to high volume of early and mail-in voters, Pennsylvania, a crucial swing state, has announced that it won't be done counting the states' ballots until at least Friday. Fulton County in the State of Georgia has said the same, citing 300,000 lost ballots by the U.S. Postal Service, which a federal judge has demanded they discover. Analysts report that these votes are very likely for Joe Biden.

Biden sweeps the West Coast—California, Oregon and Washington - 11:15 PM EST

According to NPR, Biden has won the entire West Coast of the United States, encompassing the three states of California, Oregon and Washington. Among the three states Biden picks up 55, 7 and 12 electoral votes, respectively, bringing his total, as of this writing, to 209, in comparison to Trump's 118 electoral votes. This means that Biden only needs 61 more electoral college votes in order to secure victory for the Democratic Party.

Trump wins Missouri, Kansas and Louisiana; Democrats retain control of the House - 11:00 PM EST

CNN projects that Trump has secured the midwestern and southern states of Missouri, Kansas and Louisiana, snagging 10, 8 and 6 electoral votes, respectively. The solidly Republican states were projected to go to the Republican incumbent. 

Meanwhile, ABC News reports that the Democrats have retained control of the House of Representatives, which they have controlled since 2018. Despite their majority, the Republicans control the Senate, and while the victory of Democratic senator John Hickenlooper in Colorado has given the Democrats hope in flipping the Senate, other Republicans senatorial candidates, such as Alabama Republican Tommy Tuberville, have won their races Tuesday night.  

Joe Biden snags New Hampshire; Trump wins Utah - 10:45 PM EST

According to NBC News, the Democratic candidate Joe Biden has won the New England state of New Hampshire, securing its four electoral votes. Meanwhile, sources confirm that President Donald Trump has won the Republican stronghold of Utah, snagging its 6 electoral votes. As of this writing, Biden has won a confirmed 131 electoral votes whereas Trump has secured 108, accoring to AP. In order to secure the presidency, the candidates need to reach at least 270 electoral college votes.

First transgender state senator elected to the Delaware State Legislature - 10:30 PM EST

Sarah McBride, a Democrat, has been elected to the state senate in Delaware and is now the highest-ranking transgender official in the country, according to the NYT and multiple other news outlets.

Democrats flip first Senate seat in Colorado with victory of John Hickenlooper- 10:00 PM EST

The Democrats still have three seats left needed to win in order to flip the Senate to their favor. In order to have a majority in the Senate, the Democratic Party will need at least 50 members of their party elected to the upper house of the U.S. Congress. The former governor of the state, Democrat John Hickenlooper, has beat incumbent Republican Senator Cory Gardner. This victory is this first step in acheiving a majority for the liberal party in both the Senate and the House. 

Biden wins Colorado, Trump wins North Dakota and South Carolina - 9:45 PM EST

According to CNN, Joe Biden has won the nine electoral votes of the solidly Democratic state of Colorado, wheras Trump has claimed the nine electoral votes from South Carolina and three electoral votes from North Dakota. At this point, according to AP, Joe Biden has earned 131 electoral college votes to Donald Trump's 92. 

Fights break out between Trump supporters, Black Lives Matter protestors at White House, Alina Duarte reports - 9:30 PM EST

Despite celebrations amongst Black Lives Matter activists outside of the White House in DC, as our collabortor Alina Duarte reports, Trump supporters have provoked acts of violence and confrontation, as well. While these moments of conflict come amidst a generally peaceful and celebratory environment, Duarte reports the large march in the capital city will begin at 10:30 PM. 

Biden wins New York, New Mexico, leads in Texas, but too close to call - 9:15 PM EST

AP reports that Biden wins New York and New Mexico, two Democratic strongholds, with 29 and 5 electoral votes, respectively. Texas, an extremely close race with a current difference of less than 100,000 votes, is still too close to call. The battleground state boasts 38 electoral votes, the second most in the country. More updates on this close race will come soon.

Biden wins Illinois by nearly 20 points; Trump takes Arkansas, Alabama  - 9:00 PM EST

According to AP, Joe Biden has taken the state of Illinois, home state of former president Barack Obama, by nearly 20 percentage points, giving him twenty more electoral votes. Meanwhile, Trump has won the Republican states of Arkansas and Alabama, which were to be expected. The close races in battleground states Florida, Ohio and North Carolina are too early to call, as not all votes have been counted, let alone the early mail-in votes, which may not be fully counted until the end of this week, if not later.  

Both candidates, their campaigns and allies urge voters to stay in line even after polls close - 8:45 PM EST

Despite polls having now closed in the majority of U.S. states, electoral regulations assure that voters already waiting in line before closing time are still allowed to vote. The candidates of both parties, as well as their campaigns and allies, have urged voters to remain in line and not leave despite the polls closing, as every vote counts.  

Biden wins New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Maryland; Trump wins Tennesse, Oklahoma, Mississippi - 8:30 PM EST

As results begin to trickle in from the nearly two dozen states whos polls closed at 8:00 PM EST, Biden has won the solidly liberal East Coast states of New Jersey, Conncticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts,  according to US media. Trump, on the other hand, has won the solidly conservative strongholds of Tennesse, Oklahoma and Mississippi. 

Biden wins Virginia and Delaware, Trump Wins South Carolina - 8:15 PM EST

According to Fox News, CNN and AP, Joe Biden is projected to win the southern state of Virgina, with 13 electoral votes, and the state for which he served as a senator for decades, Delware, with 3 electoral votes, whereas Donald Trump has won South Carolina, with 9 electoral votes. 

Polls close in almost half of all U.S. states- 8:00 PM EST

The following states' polls have now officially closed: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, D.C.

Many of these states are crucial battleground states that both of the candidates must win in order to have a shot at winning the necessary 270 Electoral College votes, and thus, the elections. 

Trump wins West Virigina, gains 5 electoral votes - 7:45 PM EST

According to AP, President Donald Trump has won West Virginia, a solidly Republican state. The southern state will give Trump five electoral votes and adds to his already confirmed victory in Kentucky. 

Biden wins Vermont, gains 3 electoral votes- 7:30 PM EST

NBC News, Fox News and AP report that Joe Biden is projected heavily Democratic state of Vermont in the New England region of the United States. The state gives Biden 3 electoral votes and is his first victory of the night.

With 48% of votes counted, Biden leads in battleground state Florida - 7:20 PM EST

With nearly half of the votes in Florida counted, Biden leads Trump with 2,951,822 votes (51.3%) vs. Trump's 2,756,483 (47.9%). The state is a hotly contested swing state who's victor has a strong change of winning the general election. 

Polls close in five East Coast states; AP calls Trump victory in Kentucky - 7:10 PM EST

Polls have officially close in the states of Vermont, Virginia, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia. Results will begin coming in shortly.

Meanwhile, AP has called a victory for Trump in Kentucky, a Republican stronghold, with just 16% of the votes counted thus far. Donald Trump has received 187,960 votes (54.6%) in comparison to Biden who has received 150,707 votes (43.8%).

Crowd start to gather outside of White House - 7:00 PM EST

Crowds protesting President Donald Trump have gathered outside the White House this evening, and at least one protestor has already been arrested. The president will be spending the rest of election night in the White House, protected by imposing fences erected in the past days as a response to the anticipated protests. Protests are expected to last late into the night and organizers are stocking up on food, water and medicines. 

First results start to trickle in from Kentucky and Indiana - 6:30 PM EST

As of 6:30 PM EST, between 2% and 3% of the votes in Kentucky and Indiana have been tallied, showing a significant lead for Trump. Indiana, a Republican majority state which has 11 electoral votes, has cast 28,549 votes in favor of Trump (66.5%) as opposed to 13,547 for Biden (31.5%). Kentucky, also a solidly Republican state with 8 electoral votes, shows Trump ahead with 46,741 votes (69.4%) in comparison to Biden's 19,676 votes (29.2%). 

Puerto Rico confirms issues with results transmission - 6:15 PM EST

The Puerto Rico State Elections Commission (CEE) has confirmed problems with the external system for transmitting results of the general elections, held this Tuesday, November 3 on the island. Reports affirm that the island's results website has crashed due to so many people trying to access it. Puerto Rico tonight will vote on whether it shall become the 51st state in the United States, among other issues. 

First polls close in parts of Kentucky and Indiana - 6:00 PM EST

The portions of the states in the Eastern time zone close at 6 PM EST, while other parts of those state that observe Central Standard Time (CST) will close at 7:00 PM EST. There will then be a steady stream of polls closing every half an hour until the final polls close in Alaska at 1:00 AM EST.

Polls suggest elections could result in biggest gender gap in 100 years - 5:40 PM EST

According to NBC News, the 2020 presidential elections could result in the widest gender gap in the 100 years since women won the right to vote. The news outlet states that it's not just Trump's demeanor, but also the impacts on the COVID-19 pandemic that have led them to prefer Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.

Whereas Hilary Clinton won the female vote in 2016 by 15 percentage point, recent polls suggest Biden may secure 20, and upwards of 30 percentage points more than Trump. Historically, Black and nonwhite women have supported the Democratic Party, and the last time white women backed a Democratic candidate was for Bill Clinton in 1996. The 2020 election could be the first time in nearly 25 years they decidedly back a Democratic candidate. 

Vermont's Republican Governor Phil Scott voted for Joe Biden - 5:15 PM EST

Vermont Governor Phil Scott, a Republican incumbent, has publicly announced that he has voted for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.

This makes him the only incumbent Republican governor in the country to disclose his support for Biden. Vermont, a solidly Democratic state, has frequently elected moderate Republican governors, similar to Massachusetts, making Scott's vote for Biden not as potentially surprising. That said, the GOP defection is noteworthy, nonetheless, as he joins the scores of Republican elected politicians, national security officials and ex-Bush administration advisers who have similarly cast their support for Biden. 

First exit polls to be released in 10 minutes, according to CNN - 4:50 PM EST

According to CNN, the first exit polls will be released at 5 PM EST. While analysts believe these polls will not prove reliable due to the volume of early voters, the majority of whom voted for Joe Bien, they are the first, unofficial indications of how the two candidates compared on Election Day.  

teleSUR English collaborator Jorge Gestoso updates from Washington DC- 4:30 PM EST

Jorge Gestoso, teleSUR English collaborator in Washington DC, bring us the latest update on Election Day in the US. He explains that Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris has been in Michigan campaigning whereas President Donald Trump from Virgina has stated he's cautiously optimistic in his chances.

Gestoso states that we need to focus on six key swing states that could decide the election results tonight, and that the area outside of the White House, recently renamed Black Lives Matter Plaza, has been completely boarded up in anticipation of electoral violence.

Gestoso also notes that at least 50% of voters believe that this will be a fair election process despite Trump's repeated claims that it will be fraudulent. 

Four North Carolina polling centers will remain open 45 minutes later than planned - 4:00 PM EST

Due to technical difficulties at a number of polling locations in the state of North Carolina, the North Carolina Board of Elections has decided to extend the time available to voters by upwards of 45 minutes. This will delay the statewide reporting of results until at least 8:15 PM EST. 

FBI investigating mysterious robocalls telling people to stay home and safe - 3:45 PM EST

Reuters reports that the FBI is now leading investigations into mysterious robocalls that voters in Michigan, Pennsylvania and other states have received, urging them to avoid long line, stay safe and vote on Wednesday, after the polls are closed. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson warned voters to only follow official information and to be in lines today by 8pm if they would like to vote. 

Flint, Michigan has a large African-American and Democratic voter base, and the eery calls are another in a long line of voter suppression tactics to discourage likely Biden supporters from voting. 

Trump says he's doing well in Florida, Arizona and Texas; Pelosi claims solid Democratic majority in the House- 3:30 PM EST

teleSUR collaborator Alina Duarte reports from Washington D.C. that Trump has claimed he's doing well in Florida and Arizona, and "incredibly" well in Texas. Meanwhile, U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi says the Democrats will have a strong majority in Congress. 

Due to massive drives of early voters, the early afternoon lines in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of D.C. are sparse, Duarte reports, with the majority of people outside polls working for one of the many local, state and federal campaigns. 

She notes that amidst the other races and referenda on the ballot, four U.S. states, including New Jersey and Montana, will vote to decriminalize marijuana.

National Guard activated in at least ten states given prospect of electoral violence - 3:15 PM EST 

National Review reports that the U.S. National Guard has already been activated in at least ten U.S. states on Election Day, and that 15 more states will likely deploy National Guard troops later this week. 

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has said that 1,000 troops will be deployed, whereas Illinois Governor J.B. Pritsker has said that Chicago will have troops in the city as a precautionary measure, with currently no plans for them to be deployed.

Business in New York City and Washington D.C. have boarded up their window in fear of looting and electoral violence. The final results of tonight's election may not be definitively known for days or even weeks, givent the historic volume of mail-ballots to count.

Trump: "I'm not thinking about concession speech or acceptance speech yet" - 3:00 PM EST

Addressing Republican National Commitee staff in Arlington, VA, Trump has that he is not thinking about an acceptance or confession speech at this point in the day. He said that winning is easy for him, and losing is never easy, at least not for him. 

Trump Campaign: The vote so far in Pennsylvania is "not ideal" - 2:45 PM EST

According to two sources close to the Trump Campaign, what is happening today in Pennsylvania is "not ideal" for their campaign. Pennsylvania is a crucial and decisive state in determining the winner of the US election.

Federal Judge orders Postal Service to send inspectors to key battleground states - 2:30 PM EST

A U.S. Federal judge has ordered the Postal Service (USPS) to send inspectors to key swing states, including Pennsylvania, Florida and Michigan, to assure that no mail-in ballot is left uncounted.

Melania Trump went to vote without a mask

The U.S. first lady Melania Trump went to vote in Palm Beach (Florida) without wearing a mask and without her husband. Previously, on Oct. 24, President Donald Trump voted near the Mar-a-Lago residence, where the couple is registered to take part in these elections.

Technical problems mark the start of election day in Georgia

Technical problems with the voting machines in some counties marked the beginning of the electoral day in Georgia, a traditionally Republican stronghold but which became a battlefield in the 2020 elections.

Authorities in Spalding County, south of Atlanta, reported widespread equipment failures and had to request thousands of provisional ballots so that voters could vote manually while mishaps were fixed.

There were also problems in some voting centers in the Atlanta metropolitan area, such as the Buckhead area, where voters cast their ballots on paper ballots, and in Morgan County, where lines were longer than usual.

Polling stations opened early in eight states

The first polling stations opened this Tuesday at 6 a.m. local time (11 a.m. GMT) to start a historic day in which the country decides between current President Donald Trump or Democratic candidate Joe Biden.

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Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia began voting at 6 a.m., while some voters could cast their ballot an hour earlier in Vermont, where polling places opened at 5 a.m. local time.

The 2020 U.S. elections, including presidential and congressional races, came amid a surging COVID-19 pandemic in the country, with over 9.2 million cases and over 230,000 deaths reported as of Monday evening, both the highest in the world.

The raging pandemic has partially contributed to an unprecedented early voting turnout. More than 97 million Americans have cast ballots ahead of Election Day by ways of early voting or mail-in ballots, according to the U.S. Elections Project website.

Moreover, many voters are worried by the reality of an increasingly divided nation suffering from bitter partisan fights, violent racial conflicts and worsening social injustice

Voting begins with first ballots cast in New Hampshire

Election Day voting kicked off in the United States early Tuesday morning with first ballots cast in Dixville Notch and Millsfield, two small towns in the northeastern state of New Hampshire.

Voters are choosing their preferred candidates for U.S. president and New Hampshire governor, as well as federal and state legislative seats in the midnight voting, a tradition that began in Dixville Notch in 1960.

In the makeshift "Ballot Room" at Dixville Notch's Balsams Resort, Les Otten, one of the only five local registered voters, cast the first ballot.

Otten, identifying himself as "a lifelong Republican," said that he is voting this time for Democratic candidate Joe Biden, who's challenging sitting President Donald Trump.

"I don't agree with him on a lot of issues," Otten said of Biden in a video posted on Twitter before the voting. "But I believe it's time to find what unites us as opposed to what divides us."

Biden maintains the lead in the polls

At the start of Election Day, Joe Biden had the support of 51 percent of the U.S. citizens in voting intention, compared to 44.1 percent for Trump, according to the average of the polls collected by RealClearPolitics.

These polls reflect direct voting intention. The figures are not indicative of the final result because the 538 members of the electoral college will define who the next U.S. President will be. This final decision cannot be known on Nov. 3.