Trump Campaign Mounts Legal Challenge
Democratic candidate Joe Biden was leading US President Donald Trump in the US presidential race on Thursday and was closing in on the 270 Electoral College votes that would win him the White House. The Trump campaign has mounted legal challenges even as votes are still being counted. Follow events as they unfold in our live blog below.
- FRANCE 24 has partnered with the Associated Press (AP) for US election news. Biden currently has 264 electoral votes against Trump’s 214, according to an AP tally, which has predicted Arizona will go to Biden. Other US media outlets, including CNN, have yet to call Arizona for either candidate.
- Among the states that remain undecided,Biden leads in Nevada (which would give him exactly 270 electoral votes) while Trump is currently ahead in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Alaska and Georgia. If he were to win all four states he would rack up 268 electoral votes, just shy of the 270 needed to win.
- Trump is suing to stop vote counting in Pennsylvania and has announced a similar lawsuit in Michigan. His team is also seeking a recount in Wisconsin; recounts in other states are also possible.
- Trump has predicted a “big win”, claiming – without evidence – that Democrats are trying to “steal” the election.
- Biden has called for patience, saying he is “on track” to win the White House if all votes are counted.
- America is set for its highest voter turnout in a century, with more than 100 million votes cast even before Election Day. But results have been slowed, in part, by the unprecedented number of mail-in ballots this year due to the coronavirus.
- Congressional race results are also trickling in, with Democrats set to retain their majority in the House, albeit with a slimmer margin. Republicans appear poised to hold on to their majority in the Senate.
