These Key Battleground States Are Still Counting Votes as White House Race Too Close to Call
Steve Warren, Emily Jones : Nov 4, 2020
CBN News
As of Wednesday morning, neither candidate had the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win.
[CBN News] Americans [woke up] on Wednesday morning with no clear winner yet from Tuesday's Election Day. Millions of voters hit the polls, in addition to the 95 million other Americans who cast their ballots in advance. Voter turnout has been historic in many ways, and the votes may still be counted for several days to come. (Screengrab image: via CBN News)
As returns come in from all 50 states, the magic number that Democrat Joe Biden and Republican President Donald Trump are looking for is 270 electoral votes. The Electoral College was a system set up in the US Constitution and has been refined over the last two centuries. As of Wednesday morning, neither candidate had the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win.
SWING STATE WINS
All eyes are on three critical battleground states—Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania—that could determine who will win the presidency. Biden has a narrow lead in Wisconsin, but the race is too close to call. It is also too early to call in Michigan and Pennsylvania. Full results for Pennsylvania will not come until later Wednesday or as late as Friday.
So far, Biden is leading in the electoral and popular votes, and The Associated Press reported Wednesday morning that the former vice president won Arizona, turning the red state blue and making it much harder for Trump to win the White House.
Trump won the key swing states of Ohio and Florida, and he's pulled off a big win in Texas which hadn't been seen as a swing state in the past. He's also leading in the key states of North Carolina and Georgia, but those races are very close so they haven't been decided yet.
CHECK OUT our LIVE Election Map for the latest results
Both men told supporters during speeches early Wednesday morning that they are on the path to victory.
"We believe we are on track to win this election," Biden told supporters in Delaware, urging them to be patient.
Shortly after, in a speech at the White House, Trump said he believed he had won the election and vowed to go to the Supreme Court over disputed ballots.
OVERALL STATE WINS
The Associated Press is reporting President Donald Trump has won Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri, Idaho, Utah, Florida, Texas, and Iowa.
Democrat Joe Biden has carried Hawaii, Maine, Arizona, Virginia, Vermont, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Delaware, Rhode Island, Maryland, New Mexico, New York, the District of Columbia, Colorado, New Hampshire, California, Oregon, Washington state, Hawaii and Minnesota.
CURRENTLY, Biden has 238 electoral votes. Trump has 213.
Swing states are the key to winning enough electoral votes to win this election, so here's what you need to know so far about them:
DECIDED:
Florida - President Trump wins this battleground state with its 29 electoral votes. It's the biggest prize among the perennial battleground states.
Arizona - According to AP, Joe Biden wins Arizona with its 11 electoral votes.
Ohio - Donald Trump has won in Ohio. This state is important because no Republican president has ever won the White House without carrying The Buckeye State's 18 electoral votes.
UNDECIDED:
Pennsylvania - In 2016, The Keystone State surprised a lot of people when its citizens voted for Trump. The race is close again this year for the state's 20 electoral votes, according to pre-election polls. Although, only one poll ultimately counts -- the one taken on Election Day at the ballot box. State officials have said it may take a few days before the final results are known.
North Carolina - Both candidates and their stand-ins included frequent visits to North Carolina seeking its 15 electoral votes. This is not a red or blue state - it's now considered a purple state. Back in 2008, Barack Obama barely won by 0.3 percent and then lost the state in 2012 to Mitt Romney by 2 percent. Western Carolina University political scientist Chris Cooper told the Citizen Times, North Carolina was the most-important swing state in deciding the election.
Georgia - Another state to watch closely, the Peach State has gone red for nearly the last 30 years. Trump has a slight lead in Georgia. Both campaigns scheduled events in the state, including President Trump who held a large rally on Sunday.
Wisconsin - Wisconsin is another purple state to watch. It flip-flopped from blue to red in 2016. One thing to remember about The Badger State with its 10 electoral votes is that it has not been constantly blue. "In fact, in 2000 and 2004, Wisconsin was decided by very very close margins," Beloit College Professor Philip Chen told WREX-TV. "Wisconsin is not what we think of in a traditionally long-term blue state." It's an important enough state that Trump visited Wisconsin eight times this year.
Michigan - The Wolverine State has 16 electoral votes at stake and is a battleground that many political pundits see as one of the states that will determine the outcome of the election. Trump had a very narrow victory here in 2016. Polls show Trump leading in Michigan, but as Alvin Tillery, a Northwestern University political scientist told VOANews.com, voter turnout is hard to predict during a pandemic. "People have shown a willingness to put it all on the line to go out and vote," he said. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here