Live Updates on Number and News Regarding US Elections 2020

DONALD TRUMP		JOE BIDEN
Electoral Votes	214	Electoral Votes	284
Total Votes	70,591,853	Total Votes	74,847,963
Update Time: 12:12 PM, Eastern Time (ET) (7th November, 2020)
Sources: The Guardian

---

Major News of US Elections 2020:

---

Joe Biden wins United States presidential elections 2020

Reported by The Guaridan at 12:10 PM, Eastern Time (ET):

Joe Biden has been elected as the 46th president of the United States defeating the incumbent president Donald Trump, reported by the Guardian and other U.S. media outlets. Morever, Mrs Kamala Harris, will be the first women and half South Asian vice president of United States of America.

---

Election is not over yet: These are the 6 states that have yet to be called

---

How Trump’s $300 million ground game may have helped narrow the race: CNN

Reported by CNN at 4:45 AM, Eastern Time (ET): Republican insiders are crediting a $300 million get-out-out the vote effort organized by the Trump campaign and allies for narrowing the gap in many states, CNN’s Ryan Nobles reported early this morning.

“Republicans are talking about… the ground game that the Republican National Committee and the Trump Victory Organization put into place shortly after President Trump was inaugurated,” said Nobles.

Nobles reported on Friday that the campaign had spent more than $300 million on a data and ground operation and less on television and digital advertising in the final leg of the campaign.

“They firmly believe that that ground game was going to be a big part in narrowing the gap, in many of these key states and they’re now saying that we’re seeing that play out in realtime as these votes come,” added Nobles.

---

Updates on 4th November, 2020

---

We’ll soon start getting results. But remember: Early results can change dramatically.

Reported by CNN at 6:55 PM, Eastern Time (ET): Early returns could suggest a strong night for either President Trump or former Vice President Joe Biden.

But this year more than most, it’s important to emphasize that these returns are early. And the mail-in votes, a larger portion of votes in this pandemic year, could prove decisive in each of these states.

Election officials in some Pennsylvania counties won’t even start processing mail-in ballots until Wednesday. Republican-controlled portions of the state legislature objected to changing the rules and processing the vote faster, compounding the problem.

But we’ve seen this in other races in recent years. In Florida in 2018, mail-in votes made the governor’s race tighten substantially in the days after Election Day. In Arizona, another close battleground state, the 2018 Senate race saw a decisive lead change after Election Day and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat, won the race.

This phenomenon, known as the “blue shift,” is common in recent US elections and it’s a big reason why Trump, despite election law and common decency to the contrary, has argued that whoever appears to have won on Election Night should be crowned the winner. That’s not the way it works, of course. Ballots in North Carolina and Pennsylvania can arrive in the days after Election Day as long as they have a November 3 postmark.

---

Maine on track for record turnout, top official says

Reported by CNN at 6:40 PM, Eastern Time (ET): It looks like Maine set a record for turnout this year, Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap told CNN.

The previous turnout record was 72%. Before the polls opened on Tuesday morning, more than half of all registered voters in the state had cast mail ballots. The state will not get exact turnout totals for several days when the vote is certified, but Dunlap said everything he has seen suggest this will be a record.

“When I voted this morning in the city of Old Town the line was 50 deep, and at 7:30 in the morning that’s not something I expected in the middle of a snowstorm,” said Dunlap, a Democrat.

Despite concerns about trouble at polling places, there have been no disruptions during the day.

“We were prepared to talk about public safety. We talked with Maine emergency management and the attorney general’s office about how to deal with possible disruptions at the polling stations,” Dunlap said. “We just haven’t seen it. And that’s because we’re a small town. And people know each other and they take care of each other and we don’t see some of the threats to election disruption of election disruption that you’ve heard about in other states.”

---

Biden campaign urgently working to get more people to the polls in final hours of Florida voting

Reported by CNN at 6:05 PM, Eastern Time (ET): Both sides are seeing tremendous Election Day turnout in key battleground states. That, of course, cuts both ways, considering more Republicans have said they preferred to vote today.

At this hour, the Biden campaign is urgently working to get more people to the polls in several places – Florida chief among them, including in the Miami-Dade area, Jacksonville and the Tampa/St. Petersburg area.

Those are the parts of the state where a surge in turnout after 5 p.m., when more Democrats have historically voted, could provide a much-needed boost for them in Florida.

The Biden campaign does not need Florida to win, but it would make for a smoother evening ahead.

A Biden adviser believes the Southern battlegrounds – Florida, North Carolina and Georgia – present the biggest challenges tonight. They feel much better about the so-called blue wall states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

---

Trump voters are strongly voting for President rather than against Biden, early exit polls show

Reported by CNN at 5:45 PM, Eastern Time (ET): Voters who back President Donald Trump are strongly voting for their candidate rather than against his opponent, with around 4 in 5 saying so, early exit polls show.

Some Joe Biden voters are doing the same, but to a lesser extent. Around two-thirds of Biden voters say they’re voting for their candidate, while around one-third say they are voting against Trump.

One-third of voters want a candidate who is a strong leader, while around one-quarter say they want someone with good judgment. Around 1 in 5 want someone who “cares about people like me,” while another 1 in 5 want someone who can unite the country.

---

First polls to close in less than an hour: Financial Times

Reported by CNN at 5:40 PM, Eastern Time (ET): The first polls will close at 6pm eastern time in the conservative states of Kentucky and Indiana. Donald Trump is expected to win Kentucky, which carries eight electoral votes, and Indiana, which carries 11 electoral votes.

The first signs from the key swing states will start to emerge when polls close in Georgia (16) at 7pm. Record early voting, with more than 100m Americans having cast their ballots before election day, has complicated the tallying votes.

And if this proves to be a close race, a victor is unlikely to be announced on election night given that the crucial states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin are not expected to complete their ballot counts for several days.

---

Voters confident votes will be counted accurately, early exit polls show

Reported by CNN at 5:30 PM, Eastern Time (ET): Voters in the 2020 election are confident that votes will be counted accurately, with slightly less than 9 in 10 who say so. Another 9 in 10 voters report that voting in their state is easy, with those who report it is difficult in the single digits.

More than 9 in 10 voters report they decided on their vote for president before last week, while very few voters decided in the last week.

And more than 1 in 10 were first time voters in 2020, which is relatively stable compared to the makeup of voters in the 2016 election.

---

Joe Biden has an air of confidence today: CNN

Reported by CNN at 4:12 PM, Eastern Time (ET): Democratic nominee Joe Biden has an air of confidence today, his final day of his third presidential campaign.

He wanted to spend the day on the road — he asked his advisers specifically —to get a sense of something he’s missed during this pandemic campaign. He wanted to see the crowds and hear the chants. It belies a nervous energy that he has heading into the final hours

Democrats are confident, but they also know their decision to campaign carefully in the coronavirus crisis took away a central part of the party’s backbone: traditional field organizing, the get out the vote effort that won the White House for Obama and Biden twice before.

“We have no regrets how we ran this campaign,” a campaign official tells CNN, but adds they will wonder if a virtual campaign was enough until the final votes are counted.

---

---

Robocalls telling voters to “stay home and stay safe,” in US to reduce American voters turnout: DHS agency official

Reported by CNN at 4:00 PM, Eastern Time (ET): The FBI is investigating robocalls that are being reported on Election Day that urge voters to “stay home and stay safe,” according to a senior official with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security agency.

“There were some robocalls that were being reported … robocalls happen every election. We are aware of that. Those calls, the FBI is investigating,” said a senior CISA official.

When pressed on which states had received calls and who was behind the calls, the CISA official deferred to the FBI, saying “they are tracking down this issue.”

“Robocalls of this nature happen every election and so I think what would be most helpful is repeating that message to the American public that… they happen every election cycle. Be mindful of people that are trying to intimidate you, undermine your confidence, but keep calm, vote on.”

Asked whether FBI is investigating reports of robotexts as well, the CISA officials again deferred to FBI.

Iowa Secretary of State spokesman Kevin Hall confirmed to CNN that the office has shared information with the FBI regarding a recorded phone call urging Iowans to “stay home and stay safe.”

He did not know how many Iowans have received the call. The Iowa Secretary of State also forwarded the information to the state’s Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center, which supports law enforcement, according to Hall

CNN has reached out to the FBI for comment.  “USTelecom’s Industry Traceback Group is actively tracing these calls. You’re right, it has been around for a bit,” Brian Weiss, spokesman for USTelecom tell CNN.

---

Voting is going “very smooth” in Minneapolis: Election Director

Reported by CNN at 3:50 PM, Eastern Time (ET): The city of Minneapolis is having a “very smooth” voting day so far with no incidents of equipment malfunction or voter intimidation, said the city’s director of elections.

Minneapolis Elections and Voter Services director Grace Wachlarowicz said that as of noon, an estimated 206,876 ballots have been cast for this election in Minneapolis, with voter turnout hitting around 76%.

In 2016, the city had about 79% voter turnout but with approximately 26,000 less registered voters than in 2020.

Minneapolis is the largest city in Minnesota with a population of at least 435,885 residents in 2019, according to government data.

The wait times within the city are minimal to none, attributed it to the large early voter turnout this year, Wachlarowicz said.

In a typical voting year, approximately 30% of the vote is absentee, while 65 to 70% is in person on election day. This year the numbers are switched, she said, and approximately 65 to 70% of ballots cast so far was done by absentee voting.

While there was a slight slowdown with poll pads uploading absentee data this morning, it was solved before polls opened and didn’t affect voters, according to Wachlarowicz.

There have also been no reports so far of issues with voter intimidation or political clothing in polling places, and mask-wearing has been adhered to in most situations, she continued.

While there are some instances of people not wearing masks, the voter was either provided one or complied with the designated area away from most voters.

---

Griswold told that Colorado is having turnout of 76.6% of active registered voters: CNN

3:30 PM, Eastern Time (ET): At least 2,893,295 Coloradans turned out to the polls as of 10 a.m. local time, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said in a virtual news conference on Tuesday.

Griswold said the turnout “is that 76.6% of active registered voters, so that is really high. It’s very exciting.”

Griswold said the state surpassed the 2016 voter turnout this morning.

She detailed voter turnout in the state, saying it included at least 930,452 from registered Democrats, 833,215 from registered Republicans, and 1,088,369 from unaffiliated voters. “So, we’re just seeing continued high voter engagement,” she said.

Griswold added that they expect to report 70 to 80% of the total ballots cast tonight.

Griswold also reminded voters that eligible Coloradans can still register and vote today at any voting center in the state. Coloradans can drop off their ballots at a ballot dropbox or voting center

When asked about voter security the Secretary of State said, “everything is going really well” and that there were no incidents to report. She also added that the state was working with the National Guard to help monitor and protect the election support system.

“I’m in the office right now we are here with the National Guard and our security team monitoring all networks.,” Griswold said.

Griswold also said there were no physical security issues to report other than one incident yesterday that included two men in military clothes filming voters at a drop box and a male with open carry. Griswold said police were dispatched and the incident is being investigated by the Attorney General. She also said there was no major campaign disinformation to report.

Ballots in Colorado have to be received by 7 p.m. local time.

---

North Carolina results to be delayed after some polling locations have vote extended: CNN

2 minutes ago on CNN: North Carolina’s election results will be delayed by at least 45 minutes after the board of elections extended voting at four locations that were having problems this morning.

The State Board of Elections voted on Tuesday to extend voting at four precincts that opened late on Election Day.

The NCSBE voted 3-2 to extend a polling place in Sampson County, near Fayetteville, for 45 minutes after the precinct experienced printer issues.   The extension means that results statewide will be delayed by at least 45 minutes tonight, holding results until all polls have closed.

The board also voted 3-2 to keep a second Sampson County precinct open for 24 minutes, a Cabarrus County precinct open for 17 minutes, and a Guilford County precinct open for 34 minutes.

Any voter that shows up at theses precincts after 7:30 p.m. ET would vote a provisional ballot.

---

Connecticut voter turnout near 75%, secretary of state says: CNN

6 minutes ago on CNN: Connecticut is experiencing very high voter turnout, Secretary of State Denise Merrill told reporters Tuesday.

Speaking outside a West Hartford polling location, Merrill said that state-wide in-person turnout was approaching 50% of registered voters by midday.

“If you combine that with the 25% of the voters who voted absentee ballot, you’re looking at something like 75% already, and it’s only noon,” Merrill said.

“I think it’s wonderful,” she added. “I can throw away all those speeches I used to make about the apathy of voters.” Total voter turnout in Connecticut for the 2016 election was 75%, according to Merrill.

“Of course, we have the biggest number of registered voters we’ve ever had,” Merril said, “a couple hundred thousand more than we usually have.” Merrill said that there had been some delays Tuesday morning caused by a loss of power to a few polling stations, which she attributed to overnight wind storms. She said power had been “quickly restored.”

---

Trump indicates that he doesn’t have acceptance or concession speech prepared: CNN

3 minutes ago on CNN: President Trump suggested on Tuesday that he does not a have a concession or acceptance speech prepared. A member of the press asked Trump at the RNC annex in Arlington, Virginia, whether he had written an acceptance or concession speech.

The President responded, “No, I’m not thinking about concession speech or acceptance speech yet.” “Hopefully we’ll be only doing one of those two and you know, winning is easy. Losing is never easy. Not for me it’s not,” he continued.

---

Dollar weakens around the world as investors bet on Trump defeat – Financial Times

3 hours ago on FT: The dollar weakened substantially against trading partners’ currencies as investors wagered on a Joe Biden victory that would unleash a huge borrowing and spending package to revive the pandemic-stricken US economy.

The dollar index, which measures the performance of the US currency against six major global currencies, fell almost 0.7 per cent, its biggest drop in more than a month. Against the euro, it fell 0.6 per cent, to purchase 85.4 euro cents.

In Pakistan, interbank rate has reached 159-160 PKR which is highest decline in last six month. It is expected that dollar price may fall upto 158 before closing time, one of the most complicated and imported US elections.

---

Nearly 100M People Have Voted in the Election Already: US News