US Presidential Election 2020 updates: Patience's the buzzword as counting continues

With a voting percentage of over 67 per cent, the United States has seen its biggest turnout in the last 112 years. However, with many voting before the election day and several choosing the postal option, it will take some time for the world to know who will be next President of United States.

AFP warns that the battle to achieve a majority 270 electoral votes could be too close to call. This could also mean that we Indians could come to know of the full results late on Wednesday or mid- Thursday.

If there are legal battles over the counting of votes, then the electoral fight could reach epic proportions too. In fact, both parties have geared up for legal fights in several states where a favorable court judgment could tilt the results one way or another, AFP reports.

UPDATES

Tally as of 8.30 pm (IST)

While Biden leads with 238 electoral voters, Trump has 213 in his kitty.

There are seven states still left uncalled, including major ones like Pennsylvania (Trump leading) and Wisconsin (Narrow Biden lead).

What if Trump refuses to quit -- a popular YouTube channel explains

German defence minister reacts, fears about 'crisis' in US

German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer on Wednesday warned the United States was facing a "very explosive situation" and a possible systemic crisis after President Donald Trump prematurely declared election victory. She said Trump could create "a constitutional crisis in the USA".

When will we find out?

Officials in many of the states have indicated how long it will take to count the ballots, with the situation complicated this year by the Covid-19 pandemic that has led to record mail-in voting.

Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin, have all indicated a final picture could emerge Wednesday, Pennsylvania has said it could take up to November 6, while in North Carolina mail ballots postmarked election day are accepted until November 12.

But in reality things remain uncertain. In an open letter to voters, Philadelphia mayor Jim Kenney asked citizens of Pennsylvania's biggest city to exercise "patience."

The battle goes on

The battlegrounds states of Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are still up in the air -- as well as the easier to predict states of Alaska (Republican) and Nevada (Democratic).

Biden camp reacts

Biden camp: Trump bid to stop vote counting 'outrageous,' 'unprecedented'

WATCH: Trump's bizzare claims

Why is it taking such a long time to declare the results?

Indians may bewildered to see the delay in counting of votes and the declaration of winners. However, there are some factors responsible for the slow process.

If put simply, unlike India, many states in the US have their own rules regarding voting and counting. Additionally, the US largely votes via ballot box unlike India which has moved to EVMs. So, it takes time for counting.

Moreover, this election at least 100 million have already voted before the election day due to various reasons, including the pandemic and fears of irregularities. So, this has led to a situation where there are three different vote streams -- pre-election, postal and election day votes. With each states having their own rules about this system, this has added to the delay.

Additionally, as observed by CNN, military personnel are allowed to vote until seven days after the election day. As per federal law, their voting rights cannot be denied. Hence, an official tally will take at least a few days to come out.

Tally Update (2 pm)

In the race to the 270 electoral votes needed to win, Biden has 238 while Trump has 213. Meanwhile, Biden has won 11 electoral votes from Arizona.

Biden also takes Maine

In the first results after the Trump press conference, Democrat Joe Biden has won at least three of Maine’s four electoral votes in his bid to unseat President Donald Trump.

Asian stock markets jittery

Asian markets mostly rose Wednesday as traders tracked results of the US presidential election, but investors were on edge over worries that the outcome might not be as clear-cut as hoped.

Shares have rallied this week as traders piled bets on Joe Biden winning the White House, with opinion polls showing him with a big national lead though with slim advantages in battleground states.

While the former vice president was still favourite, trading floors grew nervous as it became apparent Donald Trump was performing much better than expected.

With key states too close to call, the final outcome might not be known until later this week and it also throws up the chances of a challenge to the result, which could spell fresh market turmoil and legal chaos.

Fox News projection triggered Trump's anger?

Fox News, apparently a preferred channel of Trump, gave Arizona to Biden. This could have led to Trump's tirade against vote counting. Trump has believed that Arizona will be a Republican state.

CNN Chief White House correspondent attacks Trump

CNN's Jim Acosta blasts Trump over false claim of counting fraud, says US founding fathers are likely 'rolling in the grave today'

Trump claims victory in US Presidential election 2020

In addition, Trump has said that he will approach the US Supreme Court to stop the counting process across the states due to alleged fraud. "We did win this election," Trump said in an extraordinary speech from the ceremonial East Room of the White House. "This is a fraud on the American public," he said.

Trump's wild claim

Trump claims that 'some sad group of people', apparently Democrats, are trying to disenfranchise Republican supporters. He says that the authorities are not including Georgia and Texas in the tabulation, where he claims the Republicans have won.

All four Democratic Indian-American lawmakers re-elected to House of Representatives

In an impressive show, all the four Indian-American Democratic lawmakers -- Dr Ami Bera, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna and Raja Krishnamoorthi -- have been re-elected to the US House of Representatives.The Indian-American community has emerged as a force to reckon with for the first time in the history of the US presidential election.

Trump wins in Texas

President Donald Trump has won Texas, US networks forecast early Wednesday, taking the rich prize of 38 electoral votes in the Lone Star state.

Texas is traditionally a staunchly Republican state but Democrat Joe Biden made major inroads in the campaign and it was thought the state could go blue for the first time since 1976.

Electoral votes so far (12 pm IST )

TRUMP (213)*

Alabama (9)

Arkansas (6)

Florida (29)

Idaho (4)

Indiana (11)

Iowa (6)

Kansas (6)

Kentucky (8)

Louisiana (8)

Mississippi (6)

Missouri (10)

Montana (3)

Nebraska (4) *

North Dakota (3)

Ohio (18)

Oklahoma (7)

South Carolina (9)

South Dakota (3)

Tennessee (11)

Texas (38)

Utah (6)

West Virginia (5)

Wyoming (3)

BIDEN (224)

California (55)

Colorado (9)

Connecticut (7)

Delaware (3)

District of Columbia (3)

Hawaii (4)

Illinois (20)

Maryland (10)

Massachusetts (11)

Minnesota (10)

Nebraska (1) *

New Hampshire (4)

New Jersey (14)

New Mexico (5)

New York (29)

Oregon (7)

Rhode Island (4)

Vermont (3)

Virginia (13)

Washington (12)

STATES NOT YET CALLED

Alaska

Georgia

Michigan

Nevada

North Carolina

Pennsylvania

Wisconsin

* Nebraska splits its five electoral votes -- two electors are assigned based on the plurality of votes in the state, and the other three are awarded based on congressional district. Biden took one vote, in the 2nd congressional district.

Twitter flags Trump campaign's tweet for claims of victory' in South Carolina

Twitter has pinned a warning on a Trump campaign tweet declaring victory in the battleground state of South Carolina, saying it was premature and not confirmed by official sources.

A message under the tweet, in which the campaign trumpeted that Trump had won the Southern state, said official sources may not have called the race when this was Tweeted," the Politico reported.

The action came even as multiple news outlets - including The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN and POLITICO - have similarly projected that President Trump will win the state, the report said.

The tweet, said the social media giant, violates a rule rolled out for this election that requires such tweets to be backed by calls from at least two of seven specified news organisations.

Biden says believes he is 'on track' to win US election

Democrat Joe Biden said early Wednesday he believes he is "on track" to defeating US President Donald Trump, and called for Americans to have patience with vote-counting as several swing states remain up in the air.

"We believe we are on track to win this election," Biden told supporters in nationally broadcast remarks delivered in his home city of Wilmington, Delaware, adding: "It ain't over until every vote is counted."

The 77-year-old former vice president also said he was "confident" about the state of Arizona, a battleground that Trump won in 2016 but which Biden was substantially leading in with about 77 percent of ballots counted.

Trump wins Florida, biggest battleground prize

President Donald Trump has won Florida and its 29 electoral votes, the biggest prize among the perennial battlegrounds and a state crucial to his reelection hopes, AP reports

A victory in Florida means reelection is within Trump’s grasp. A loss in the state would have made it nearly impossible for Trump to reach the 270 electoral votes needed to retain the White House.

Democrat Joe Biden’s campaign had hoped the devastating toll of the coronavirus pandemic, particularly among older adults, would put him in a strong position in a state popular with retirees.

Niraj Antani becomes first Indian-American to be elected to Ohio state Senate

Niraj Antani, a 29-year-old Republican, has created history by becoming the first Indian-American to be elected to the Ohio state Senate.

Antani, currently the State Representative, defeated Mark Fogel of the Democratic Party on Tuesday and was elected as the state Senator for the Ohio Senate's 6th District, which encompasses most of Montgomery County.

Once sworn-in, he will create history by becoming Ohio's first Indian-American state Senator.

President Donald Trump has won Iowa and Montana

The Republican nominee on Wednesday was awarded six electoral votes from Iowa and three electoral votes from Montana.

Trump won Iowa by more than 9 percentage points four years ago against Democrat Hillary Clinton, but his support eroded significantly over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the overall direction of the country.

Trump rallied in Iowa in the final stretch of the campaign, going so far as to announce he would be awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Iowa wrestling legend Dan Gable. In an appeal to the state's farmers, he told them he was responsible for $28 billion in aid designed to help offset damage stemming from his trade war with China.

Trump wins Ohio and Iowa, Biden bags Minnesota

President Trump wins the battleground states of Ohio and Iowa, while Democrat Joe Biden wins Minnesota.

Trump wins in hotly contested Ohio

President Donald Trump on Tuesday prevailed in the hotly contested Rust Belt state of Ohio -- one he seized in 2016 and which is key to his efforts to win reelection over Democratic challenger Joe Biden.

Fox News and NBC News called the Midwestern state -- which has 18 electoral votes -- for the incumbent.

Biden bags Hawaii

Democrat Joe Biden has won the state of Hawaii.

He was awarded its four electoral votes on Tuesday.

Hawaii is a reliably Democratic state and last went for a Republican presidential candidate in 1984, when it was won by Ronald Reagan.

QAnon backer wins seat in US House

Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, who expressed racist views and support for QAnon conspiracy theories in a series of online videos, has won a US House seat representing northwest Georgia.

Her candidacy was bolstered by President Donald Trump, who has called her a future Republican Star.

AOC wins

Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez a.k.a. AOC has won her 2nd term as a Representative, defeating John Cummings of the Republican Party.

Trump slows down Biden juggernaut

President Donald Trump appears to have held off predictions of a sweeping Democratic wave but Joe Biden has also scored key wins.

Against a backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic that has claimed more than 230,000 lives in the United States, a quick Biden triumph -- dreamed of by some Democrats -- looked unlikely with key states too close to call.

Pennsylvania is swinging wild

Things are turning interesting in Pennsylvania. Initially, Biden had a huge lead here. Now, Trump is catching up quite fast. Pennysylvania was one of the largest states to swing to Trump in the 2016 election. He won the state by a margin of just 0.7 percentage points, turning it Republican for the first time since 1992.

Democrats will control House of Representatives

In a major boost for the Democrats, the party will retain control of House of Representatives, as per projections by Fox News and NBC.

Biden crosses 200 mark as per AP tally; bags California

Joe Biden has won California, Oregon and Washington state, while Donald Trump has won Idaho, projected AP.  The electoral college count stands at 209 votes for Biden and 112 votes for Trump.

Sarah McBride is first transgender state senator

Democrat Sarah McBride has won a state Senate race in Delaware, and would become the first openly transgender state senator in the country when sworn in. McBride defeated Republican Steve Washington to win the seat that became open following the retirement of the longest-serving legislator in Delaware history.

It's still early, but the vote count is turning dramatic

CNN is now projecting 192 seats for Biden and only 108 for Trump. The gap has suddenly widened. But these are early hours.

Trump's electoral votes so far (11 am IST )

TRUMP (138)*

Alabama (9)

Arkansas (6)

Florida

Idaho (4)

Indiana (11)

Kansas (6)

Kentucky (8)

Louisiana (8)

Mississippi (6)

Missouri (10)

Montana

Nebraska (5) *

North Dakota (3)

Ohio (18)

Oklahoma (7)

South Carolina (9)

South Dakota (3)

Tennessee (11)

Utah (6)

West Virginia (5)

Wyoming (3)

BIDEN (213)

California (55)

Colorado (9)

Connecticut (7)

Delaware (3)

District of Columbia (3)

Hawaii (4)

Illinois (20)

Maryland (10)

Massachusetts (11)

New Hampshire (4)

New Jersey (14)

New Mexico (5)

New York (29)

Oregon (7)

Rhode Island (4)

Vermont (3)

Virginia (13)

Washington (12)

* Nebraska splits its five electoral votes -- two electors are assigned based on the plurality of votes in the state, and the other three are awarded based on congressional district. Biden could eventually peel at least one of these votes away.

Trump improves performance in Florida -- courtesy Hispanic votes

Florida is turning out to be an interesting battleground, with Trump narrowly leading Democratic rival Joe Biden. Part of Trump’s strength in Florida came from an improved performance relative to 2016 in the state’s counties with large Latino populations.

Biden was leading in counties where Hispanics make up more than 20% of the population, but Trump’s share of the vote in those counties was larger than it was in the 2016 election. More than four in 10 Hispanic voters in Florida said they cast a ballot for Trump, according to an Edison Research exit poll.

Polls largely a smooth and peaceful affair

Americans by the millions flocked to the polls on Tuesday amid a deadly pandemic in a mostly calm, orderly show of political determination and civic duty that belied deep tensions shaping one of the most polarizing presidential races in U.S. history. The masks worn by many voters and the sight of boarded-up storefronts in major city centers were reminders of two transformative issues defining the 2020 election, with COVID-19 still ravaging parts of the country after a summer of mass protests against racial injustice. A few developments stood out during a day that was freighted with anxiety but otherwise mostly tranquil.

Maine's unique voting process

11 States will also get new governors

New York remains Blue!

Nation by nation, the world watches Election Day in the US

Longtime alliances have been strained, agreements wiped away, tariffs erected, funding withdrawn. Some nations have been the objects of presidential derision. Others, like North Korea, have been on the receiving end of diplomatic overtures once considered unthinkable.

For countries around the planet, the presidency of Donald Trump in its first term has been, it is safe to say, a singular experience to watch. Now that an inflection point in Trump's time in office is at hand with Tuesday's U.S. election, what's at stake if his presidency ends _ or if it continues?

BIDEN WINS ( As of 8 am)

Connecticut (7)

Delaware (3)

District of Columbia (3)

Illinois (20)

Maryland (10)

Massachusetts (11)

New Jersey (14)

New York (29)

Rhode Island (4)

Vermont (3)

Virginia (13)

TRUMP WINS (As of 8 am )

Alabama (9)

Arkansas (6)

Indiana (11)

Kentucky (8)

Louisiana (8)

Mississippi (6)

North Dakota (3)

Oklahoma (7)

South Dakota (3)

Tennessee (11)

West Virginia (5)

Wyoming (3)

Biden leads in electoral votes

As per AP projections, Biden leads in electoral votes while Trump has won more states so far.

Tally update (7.30 am )

President Donald Trump has won the state of Arkansas. The Republican nominee was awarded its six electoral votes. Arkansas is a reliably Republican state that hasn’t gone for a Democratic presidential candidate since Bill Clinton in 1996. Trump is up to 80 electoral votes in all and Biden 117. A candidate needs to reach 270 electoral votes to win the presidency.

Trump has won Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Tennessee, while Democrat Joe Biden has won Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island. The results were not a surprise. Biden is very strong in the states that went for him, just as Trump is strong in the states he won.

Trump has won the state of South Carolina. Biden has won the state of Virginia. He was awarded its 13 electoral votes on Tuesday. Trump has coasted to victory in West Virginia, taking its five electoral votes. The Republican nominee defeated Biden in a reliably conservative state. Trump has won Kentucky, and Biden has carried Vermont.

Highest voting percentage in a century

The US appears to be on track to see over 160 million votes cast in the 2020 presidential election, a turnout rate of about 67 per cent, which is higher than the country has witnessed in more than a century.

New York investigating allegations voters are receiving robocalls spreading election disinformation

New York Attorney General Letitia James on Tuesday said her office is actively investigating allegations that voters are receiving robocalls, spreading disinformation and encouraging people to stay home on Election Day.

"Voting is a cornerstone of our democracy," James said. "Attempts to hinder voters from exercising their right to cast their ballots are disheartening, disturbing and wrong. What's more is that it is illegal and will not be tolerated." James said every voter must be able to exercise his fundamental right to vote without being harassed, coerced or intimidated. "

Early trends of a deeply divided nation

Preliminary figures showed a deeply divided nation and mixed signs for each candidate, with Biden appearing to underperform in the crucial state of Florida as Trump made inroads in Cuban-American-dominated Miami. But Biden was also outpacing Trump in suburban areas that have traditionally tilted to the president's Republican Party including around Atlanta in Georgia.

Biden's three major headaches

Based on projections for the "decided" states, it is possible that if Biden captures Florida, Georgia and North Carolina, he could be judged the overall winner of more than 270 electoral college votes early in the night. These three states are generally considered conservative in political orientation.

Pennsylvania seems to be in favour of Biden

Pennsylvania, with its 20 electoral college votes, is turning out to be an one-sided match -- if the CNN projections are to be believed. The "Keystone state" backed Trump in 2016 but seems to overwhelmingly backing Biden this time.

Be patient, says US media

Probably for the first time, millions have already voted in person before the election day. In addition, there are postal votes across the country. So, it is too early to call the election, says US media.

CNN shows Trump trailing in Texas

In Texas, a major state for both the parties, Trump is trailing by over 10 percentage points, CNN projection shows.

By 6.30 am IST, several states will close polling

At 20:00EDT (01:00GMT) polls close in the states of Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Tennessee.

Melania Trump votes in Florida, without face mask

WATCH THE ELECTORAL MAP CHANGE

Joe Biden tweets

President Trump seems positive

Florida is key to both candidates

A political science professor Kathryn ePalo-Gould is quoted by WUWF 88.1, a local Florida publication, as saying, "So Florida's considered a battleground state or a swing state because a lot of our statewide elections are decided within one to two percentage points." Florida has 29 electoral votes. In the last elections, the winner, Trump and Obama, won the state by just about 1 percentage point.

What are swing states?

Swing state (or battleground state) refers to any state that could reasonably be won by either the Democratic or Republican presidential candidate by a swing in votes. These states are usually targeted by both major-party campaigns, especially in competitive elections.

Kentucky goes to Trump

AP calls Kentucky for the Republican Party, Trump gets 8 electoral votes.

DO not go by early trends, warns New York Times report

As per a New York Times report, states which count in-person votes first, like Pennsylvania, will probably be skewed toward President Trump. States that count pre-Election Day votes first, like Florida, will probably be skewed toward Joe Biden.

Georgia is an interesting case

The so-called peach state has voted solidly Republican in all but two presidential elections since 1960. Biden seeks to win this state this year.

Biden takes Vermont

AP projects the ex-VP has won Vermont, which has 3 electoral votes.

CNN, NBC projects Indiana for Trump

Indiana has 11 electoral votes.

When will all polls be closed?

Most close by 9:00 pm EST ( 7-7.30 am), opening the way for a gusher of vote tallies over the following hours, with some districts and states reporting faster than others.

The 538 factor

There are 538 electors in the 50 states of America and the District of Columbia. States with bigger population have more number of electors. Hence, a candidate needs to win at least 270 electors.

How to Americans vote?

According to an Al Jazeera article, voters do not directly elect the president, but the members of the US Congress are directly elected. This means that voters in each US state vote for “electors”, who vote for a presidential and vice presidential candidate. However, such a system has led to a candidate winning the nationwide popular vote but losing the Electoral College, like it happened in 2016 and 2000.