Election 2020: Live coverage

By Harker News Staff, The Harker Upper School
November 10, 2020

Current electoral vote count: Biden 290-214

Saturday, Nov. 7

5:30 p.m.

President-elect Joseph R. Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris addressed the nation at 5:30 p.m. PST at the Chase Center in Wilmington, DE.

Harris opened to hundreds of supporters, thanking campaign staff, volunteers, poll workers and voters for “choosing hope, unity, decency, science and truth.” She went on to talk about the historic nature of Biden’s win, encouraging young girls to “dream with ambition, lead with conviction and see [themselves] in a way others may not,” and commenting that “[she] may be the first female Vice President, but [would] definitely not be the last.”

Biden then addressed the crowd, saying that “the people of this nation have spoken … delivering a victory for [we the people], casting the most votes of any presidential election.” He then went on to thank Americans for the trust they placed in him as President-elect, stating that “[he] doesn’t see red states or blue states, [but] only sees the United States.”

He briefly detailed his plan to combat the coronavirus pandemic, declaring that he would appoint a transition team and coronavirus task force based on “bedrock science, compassion, empathy and concern” that would begin its work immediately on Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, 2021.

He then implored citizens to embrace bipartisanship, a reminder of the strict partisan gridlock in Congress that has halted much legislative progress the last four years and may continue to exist if the two parties do not cooperate.

“Let this grim era of demonization begin to end here and now,” Biden said. “The refusal of Democrats and Republicans to cooperate with each other is not some mysterious force, it is a decision to be made. We can decide to cooperate.”

Biden ended his speech with more messages of hope for the American people, asking them to not only keep the faith, but also “spread the faith.”

9:20 a.m.

The Associated Press reported that Biden has won Nevada, taking 49.9% of the vote compared to Trump’s 47.9%. Nevada’s six electoral votes pushes Biden to 290 electoral votes.

9:00 a.m.

Joseph R. Biden Jr. won the 2020 presidential election, beating incumbent Donald J. Trump 284 to 214 electoral votes as of 8:28 a.m. on Nov. 7, according to the Associated Press.

With Pennsylvania (20 electoral votes) being called 49.6% to 49.1% this morning for Biden, he was able to secure the 270 electoral votes needed for him to win the presidency. Currently, Nevada, Alaska, Georgia and North Carolina have not been called yet.

To win the presidency, Biden flipped several key swing states, including Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Arizona.

Biden has also won the popular vote by more than 4 million votes and is on track to win more than 300 electoral votes once the remaining states are called.

California Sen. Kamala Harris (D-C.A.) also made history this morning as being named the first female vice president and the first Black and Indian-American vice president.

Biden was declared the winner nearly an hour after Trump took to Twitter and Facebook to announce that he’d won the election.

The Trump campaign indicated that it would continue to pursue legal action against key swing states, including Pennsylvania and Georgia, where there will be recounts. Biden’s campaign team is currently staying at the Westin hotel in Wilmington, Delaware, and Biden is expected to address the nation later today.

Biden also took to Twitter shortly after results were announced, thanking the nation for choosing him as the 46th president.

As of 9:04 a.m., Trump refused to concede to Biden, promising unspecified legal challenges before giving up the presidency.

Friday, Nov. 6

11:45 a.m.

Biden’s lead in Pennsylvania (20 electoral votes) has increased to over 13,500 votes, but the remaining estimated 40,000 ballots from Philadelphia include military ballots that tend to skew Republican. However, the mail-in ballots that have been counted so far have skewed heavily towards Biden, as he regained the lead after trailing by 14% with 75% of votes reported in the state. If Biden holds onto his lead in Pennsylvania, he could potentially clinch the election by winning his home state later tonight.

Both candidates continue to hold 49.4% of the vote in Georgia (16 votes), but Biden holds a slight lead of 1,553 votes. Georgia’s secretary of state announced in a press conference this morning that the state will likely hold a recount due to the small margin between both candidates. Either campaign can request a recount when the margin is less than 0.5%.

In Arizona (11 votes), Maricopa County, which includes the city of Phoenix and has 142,000 outstanding ballots, expects to post its next update at 6 p.m. Updates from slightly-left-leaning Maricopa have favored Trump, although not to a degree significant enough for him to overtake Biden. Both Fox News and the AP called Arizona on election night itself, while other outlets like the New York Times have taken a more cautious approach.

In Nevada (6 votes), which has not been called yet by any major news outlet, Biden continues to widen his 1.6% lead, with most unreported ballots coming from the left-leaning Clark County, which includes the city of Las Vegas. County officials have said that they will post the next batch of results at 4 p.m.

Trump continues to hold a lead in North Carolina (15 votes) of 1.4%, or roughly 80,000 votes. With 6% of ballots uncounted, most of them mail-in, Trump seems likely to win the state.

Similarly, Alaska (3 votes) remains poised to go to Trump, who holds a commanding 62.9% to 33.0% lead with an estimated 56% of votes reported. Given that Alaska has not elected a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964, the state will almost certainly skew Republican again.

The Biden campaign has announced that both Biden and running mate Kamala Harris will be addressing the nation during prime time tonight.

7:00 a.m.

AP reported that Biden has gained a lead of around 6,737 votes over Trump in Pennsylvania (20 electoral votes) after Philadelphia released a batch of voting results earlier this morning. None of the mail-in ballots arriving in Philadelphia after Election Day have been counted yet, so there are still around 20,000 ballots left to count in the city.

Aside from Philadelphia, there are more than 100,000 ballots left to count in Pennsylvania. Allegheny County, where Pittsburgh is located, has at least 37,000, and the suburbs around Philadelphia have around 20,000. State election officials say they expect to finish counting most votes by the end of today. Many of the remaining counties that have uncounted ballots are Democratic strongholds, boding ill for Trump’s chances at reelection. If Biden wins Pennsylvania, he would automatically win the presidential election regardless of how any of the other remaining states are called.

Biden still maintains his slight lead over Trump in Georgia (16 electoral votes), after ballots from Clayton County pushed him ahead by 1,098 votes in the morning. More than 98% of the estimated vote total has been reported, with only absentee, provisional and overseas military ballots remaining. If Biden wins Georgia, he will become the first Democrat that the state has voted for in a presidential race since Bill Clinton in 1992.

2:30 a.m.

AP has not yet called the presidential election. Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Nevada and Alaska have not yet been called. Below is a list of where these states currently stand.

  • Pennsylvania (20 electoral votes): With 95% of the vote counted, Trump holds a 0.3% lead. Biden has gained significant ground in the state, closing the gap from 15% a few days ago to just under half a percent. Election officials expect most votes to be counted later today.
  • Georgia (16): With over 98% of votes counted, both candidates are neck to neck, with 49.4% of the vote. Biden currently holds an extremely slight lead, with 917 more votes than Trump as election officials have continued counting ballots late into the night. If Biden secures Georgia’s 16 electoral votes after the state is called, it is mathematically impossible for Trump to reach the required 270 electoral votes to win a second term.
  • North Carolina (15): With 95% of the votes counted, Trump holds a 1.4% lead.
  • Nevada (6): With 89% of the vote counted, Biden holds a 0.9% lead.
  • Alaska (3): With 56% of the vote counted, Trump holds a 29.9% lead.

Wednesday, Nov. 4

11:00 p.m.

The Associated Press announced today that they had not yet called the presidential election because neither candidate has reached the victory threshold of 270 electoral votes yet.

In Arizona, Biden had a 5 point lead over Trump with 80% of estimated votes reported. The remaining ballots, which include mail-in ballots, are not enough for Trump to close the margin. Many Republicans are looking to Cindy McCain, former Sen John Mccain’s (R-A.Z.) wife, and her endorsement of Biden as the reason that the former vice president was able to flip the state.

Biden secured most of his votes in Arizona in Maricopa County, which accounts for 60% of the state’s vote and houses key areas like Phoenix and its suburbs.

The AP has not yet declared a winner in Georgia because an estimated 4 percent of the vote still remains uncounted. These remaining votes include mail-in ballots from the Atlanta region that lean Democratic.

Trump tweeted earlier today that he had won a number of states that are too early to call, Georgia included.

With Biden’s victories in Michigan and Wisconsin, the focus of the election has centered on Nevada and Pennsylvania. Biden is currently leading in Nevada, while Trump is leading in Pennsylvania, where there are still 1 million votes uncounted, most of which are mail-in ballots.

In Nevada, about 75 percent of votes have been reported, and Biden is leading by less than 8000 votes. Nevada voting laws allow for late ballots as long as they were postmarked by yesterday.

The margin between Trump and Biden in Pennsylvania has continued to narrow throughout the day. Biden’s increasing votes in the state are a result of Pennsylvania laws that prohibit any processing of mail-in ballots until Election Day. With early in-person and Election Day votes counted first, the results skewed heavily in Trump’s favor yesterday as mail-in ballots take more time to process.

In North Carolina, Trump has less than a 77,000 vote lead, but there are still 116,000 mail-in ballots yet to be counted and thousands of other provisional ballots. State election laws allow officials to count these ballots by Nov. 12 as long as they were postmarked by yesterday.

3:00 p.m. 

The Nevada secretary of state’s office has indicated that they will release more results later today rather than waiting for 9 a.m. tomorrow as originally planned. With its six electoral votes, winning Nevada would put Biden at 270 total votes, the exact figure needed for him to win the presidency.

With an estimated 89% of votes reported, Biden is clinging onto a 0.6% lead in the state, a figure that dwindled over the course of last night. If enough votes from Nevada come in and Biden maintains his lead, he can claim victory as early as tonight barring legal challenges and recount requests from the Trump campaign.

2:00 p.m.

AP called Michigan (16 electoral votes) for Biden, who won by a margin of 1.2%. Biden has now flipped both Wisconsin and Michigan, which voted for Trump in 2016. He is currently six votes away from securing 270 electoral votes, which is required for him to win the presidency.

Nevada (6 electoral votes) has not yet been called, but Biden is leading by 0.6% with 86% of the vote counted. Trump is leading Pennsylvania (20) by 5.3% with 84% of the vote counted, North Carolina (15)  by 1.4% with 95% of the vote counted, Alaska (3) by 29.9% with 56% of the vote counted and Georgia (16) by 1.4% with 94% of the vote counted.

11:30 a.m.

AP called Wisconsin (10 electoral votes) for Biden, who won by a narrow margin of 0.6%. The Trump campaign has announced that they will be requesting a recount of votes in Wisconsin.

9:45 a.m.

AP has not yet called Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia, North Carolina, Nevada and Alaska. Below is a list of where all of these states stand currently.

  • Pennsylvania (20 electoral votes): With 80% of the vote counted, Trump holds a 8.3% lead.
  • Wisconsin (10): With 97% of the vote counted, Biden holds a 0.7% lead. 300 votes have yet to be counted, but Biden currently holds a 20,000 vote lead.
  • Michigan (16): With 92% of the vote counted, Michigan has flipped, with Biden holding a 0.6% lead.
  • Georgia (16): With 93% of votes counted, Trump holds a 1.8% lead.
  • North Carolina (15): With 95% of the votes counted, Trump holds a 1.4% lead.
  • Nevada (6): With 86% of the vote counted, Biden holds a 0.6% lead.
  • Alaska (3): With 36% of the vote counted, Trump holds a 26.7% lead.

8:20 a.m.

AP has called California (55 electoral votes) for Biden, who has a comfortable 32 point lead over Trump. 73% of votes have been reported, and late-arriving mail-in ballots and provisional ballots will continue to be counted in the coming days and weeks.

In Santa Clara County, Biden holds a 46.7 point lead over Trump with 63 percent of votes reported.

Here are the results for California ballot measures, which you can read more about here:

  • Prop 14 (bonds for stem cell research): Yes (51% to 49%)
  • Prop 15 (change commercial property taxes to fund education): No (52% to 48%)
  • Prop 16 (repeal ban on affirmative action): No (56% to 44%)
  • Prop 17 (give vote to felons on parole): Yes (59% to 41%)
  • Prop 18 (allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries): No (55% to 45%)
  • Prop 19 (change rules for property tax assessments): Yes (52% to 49%)
  • Prop 20 (reclassify some misdemeanors as felonies): No (62% to 38%)
  • Prop 21 (expand rent control by local governments): Yes (60% to 40%)
  • Prop 22 (define app-based drivers as contractors): Yes (58% to 42%)
  • Prop 23 (add requirements for dialysis clinics): No (64% to 36%)
  • Prop 24 (expand consumer data privacy): Yes (56% to 44%)
  • Prop 25 (end cash bail): No (55% to 45%)

Dave Cortese defeated Ann Ravel in the race for California State Senate with 54 percent of the vote. Incumbent Evan Low also defeated Republican opponent Carlos Rafael Cuz in the race for the California State Assembly with a 48 point lead.

Check out this reaction from alumni Kathy Fang (’20) yesterday evening about waiting for results in California:

3:30 a.m. AP reported that Biden holds a 238-213 lead in electoral college votes over Trump, needing 32 more votes to win compared to Trump’s 57. With seven states left to confirm results, the election will likely not be decided until at least later today or possibly within the next few weeks, with Republicans filing lawsuits in Pennsylvania to challenge absentee ballots. Three of those states are expected to announce most winners by later today, while four will announce within the next week. Here is a list of all the states and where they stand:

  • Pennsylvania (20 electoral votes): With an estimated 75% of the vote counted, Trump holds a seemingly formidable 11.5% lead. Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar said the state is nearing 50% of all mail-in ballots counted, but these expected to be fully counted until Friday, with most of these votes leaning heavily Democratic.
  • Wisconsin (10): After trailing for much of the night, Biden has taken a narrow lead of 0.2% in Wisconsin with an estimated 89% of votes reported. Final vote tallies are expected later this morning
  • Michigan (16): Trump continues to hold a 51.3% to 47% lead in Michigan, although his lead has dropped from 7% earlier tonight to just 4.3%. Michigan is slated to announce results by tonight, with most remaining ballots skewing heavily Democratic.
  • Georgia (16): Although Trump has maintained a 2.2% lead in Georgia with an estimated 92% of votes reported, Biden could still win Georgia with mail-in ballots and ballots from urban areas undercounted so far. Most results should be available by tonight.
  • North Carolina (15): Trump holds a narrow lead, 50.1% to 48.7%, in North Carolina. However, mail-in ballots postmarked by yesterday received up to Nov. 12 will be accepted, leading to room for fluctuation in a tight race.
  • Nevada (6): Biden’s lead in Nevada has thinned to just 7,500 votes, which translates to a 0.6% lead. The state has announced that no more results will be updated until 8 a.m. on Thursday, with mail-in ballots set to arrive over the course of next week.
  • Alaska (3): Trump maintains a 61.4% to 34.7% lead in Alaska, although no mail-in or absentee ballots will be counted until next week. Still, given that Alaska has not elected a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964, it remains likely that Trump will maintain his lead.

Check out this reaction from freshman Arissa Huda yesterday evening about the battleground states:

Check out this reaction from upper school history teacher Donna Gilbert yesterday evening:

12:10 a.m.

With 69% of votes reported, AP confirmed that Biden won three electoral votes from Maine, maintaining a 12.2% lead over Trump in the state.

12:00 a.m.

Biden wins Arizona (11 electoral votes), becoming the second Democratic candidate since 1948 to win the Republican stronghold, according to the AP.

Tuesday, Nov. 3

10:30 p.m.

AP reported that Trump has won Texas (38 electoral votes) with 93% of the votes reported.

10:15 p.m.

AP reported that Biden has won Minnesota (10 electoral votes). The election still very much up for grabs, with the swing states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona, Texas, Nevada and Georgia still undecided. Twitter attached a label of misinformation to Trump’s latest tweet, where the President claimed that he is “up BIG” in polls. Results for Pennsylvania and Nevada will likely not be finalized until the end of the week, although results for the rest of the states are likely to come in by tomorrow.

Incumbent Anna Eshoo (D-C.A.) is leading over rival Rishi Kumar by 34 points with 63 percent of votes accounted in California’s 18th congressional district. Incumbent Ro Khanna (D-C.A.) is leading by 52.4 points over Republican opponent Ritesh Tandon in California’s 17th congressional district.

Check out this live reaction from senior Benjamin Gicqueau about possible election unrest:

9:45 p.m.

The AP reported that Trump has won Florida (29 electoral votes) with 96% of the votes reported, an important victory in a key swing state.

Check out this live reaction from senior John Lynch:

9:30 p.m.

Biden has won Hawaii (four electoral votes), while Trump has won in Montana (three electoral votes) with 49.5% of precincts reported, Ohio (18 electoral votes) with 53.3% of the precincts reported and Iowa (6 electoral votes) with 52.7% of the precincts reported according to the AP.

In Wisconsin, Trump leads Biden 51.6% to 46.7% with 69% of votes in, although the urban area of Milwaukee may be the latest to report.

Check out this live reaction from senior Julia Biswas:

9:00 p.m.

Biden leads Trump in California (55 electoral votes) with 68.5% of precincts reported, Oregon (7 electoral votes) with 58.3% of precincts reported, Washington (12 electoral votes) with 60.7% of precincts reported, Illinois (20 electoral votes) with 55.9% of precincts reported, according to the AP.

Trump leads Utah (6 electoral votes) with 56.1% of precincts reported, Idaho (4 electoral votes) with 52.7% of precincts recorded.

Check out this live reaction from sophomore Keesha Gondipalli:

8:30 p.m.

Biden leads Trump in Minnesota by thirteen points with 56 percent of precincts reported, according to the AP. Democratic candidate Theresa Greenfield is ahead of Republican incumbent Sen. Joni Ernst (R-I.A.) by 3.6 points with 66% of the vote in.

More than one million votes have yet to be counted in Pennsylvania, where Trump still manages a lead of 14 points. Half of Pennsylvanians voted with absentee ballots, but those cannot be processed until 4 a.m. PST tomorrow. Some counties have said they won’t even start counting absentee ballots until they finish counting Election Day ballots, pushing out Pennsylvania’s results for a couple days. Election officials estimate that the majority of votes will be counted by Friday, but the final deadline for counties to stop counting is Nov. 23.

Check out this live reaction from alumni Eric Fang (’20) about the election process:

8:05 p.m.

AP reported that Trump is projected to win Missouri (10 electoral votes). Biden is projected to win New Hampshire (4 electoral votes). Republican Governor Mike Parson won re-election in Missouri, and Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper won re-election in North Carolina. Republican Roger Marshall won the U.S. Senate seat in Kansas. Gov. Jay Inslee won re-election in Washington State. Jeff Merkley (D-O.R.), running for U.S. Senate in Oregon, won re-election.

Trump is leading in North Carolina by 1.3 points with 95% of votes reported, in Ohio by 7 points with 84% of votes reported and in Pennsylvania by 15 points with 41% of votes reported. Biden is leading in Arizona by 9 points with 75% of votes reported.

Check out this live reaction from freshman Gordy Sun:

Check out this live reaction from Isabella Murano, a sophomore at Quaker Valley High School in Leetsdale, PA:

7:30 p.m.

AP reported that Trump is projected to win Kansas (6 electoral votes).

Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, running in New York’s 14th Congressional District, has won re-election. Republican John Cornyn, running for U.S. Senate in Texas, has won re-election. Republican Tommy Tuberville won against Democratic incumbent Doug Jones in the race for the U.S. Senate seat in Alabama.

Check out this live reaction from upper school history teacher Byron Stevens:

7:00 p.m.  AP reported that Trump is projected to win Kansas, with 60% of precincts reporting. Trump has taken a 2% lead in Texas (38 electoral votes) with 76% of votes in, and has continued to maintain a solid 3.5% lead in Florida (29 votes) with 93% of votes.

“Being from South Florida, Broward County specifically, the political climate that I live in is leaning Democrat, however, when leaving the county, more in the north, it is more Republican. Personally, this makes me feel like the state is very divided, and I have never felt this before,” Nadia Murillo, the social media editor for Marjory Stoneman Douglas’s student-run publication The Eagle Eye, said.

Democrat Ilhan Omar, running in Minnesota’s fifth congressional district, has won re-election, as has Democrat John Hickenlooper in Colorado.

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has won re-election, defeating challenger Jamie Harrison.

Check out this live reaction from senior Ethan Choi, co-president of Youth Activism Club:

6:35 p.m. AP reported that Trump is leading by 3 points in Florida with 91% of votes recorded and in Georgia by 15 points with 42% of votes recorded. Biden is leading in North Carolina by 1.8 points with 82% of votes recorded and in Ohio by 3 points with 65% of votes recorded.

Biden is projected to win Colorado (9 electoral votes), and Trump is projected to win Arkansas (6 electoral votes).

North Carolina is first counting in-person early votes and mail ballots received by Nov. 2 and will count absentee ballots that arrive up until Nov. 12.

Check out this live reaction from juniors Sinaya Joshi and Angela Gao:

Check out this live reaction from alumni Katherine Zhang (’19):

6:10 p.m. AP reported that Trump is the projected winner for Indiana (11 electoral votes), Nebraska (5 electoral votes), Wyoming (3 electoral votes), South Dakota (3 electoral votes), North Dakota (3 electoral votes) and Louisiana (8 electoral votes).

Biden is the projected winner for New York (29 electoral votes) and New Mexico (5 electoral votes). Polls are currently closing in Wisconsin, New York and Arizona.

Biden is leading Texas by 0.6 points, with 65% of votes recorded. Trump has secured a 3-point lead in Florida with 93% of votes reported.

In an interview with Harker Aquila earlier today, upper school English teacher Brigid Miller expressed her concerns about voter suppression in these battleground states.

“I’m worried about intimidation at polling places. If you’re paying attention, you see that there is one party trying very hard to make voting difficult,” she said. “Texas, for example, in Harris county, there have been several lawsuits that keep getting shot down. They don’t get what they want in the state, so they go to the federal level.”

Check out this live reaction from alumni Alyssa Huang (’20):

5:40 p.m. AP reported that polls have closed for Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio, all three of which are swing states vital for both candidates. Trump is leading by two points in Florida with 90% of votes recorded and 13 points in Georgia with 22% of votes recorded. Biden is leading in North Carolina by nine points with 62% of votes recorded and in Ohio by 10 points with 44% of votes reported. Biden is also leading in Texas with a 51.15% lead over Trump’s 47.43%, with a current 42% of the votes recorded.

AP reported that Graham and Harrison are now close in South Carolina’s U.S. Senate race, with 7% of votes currently recorded. Graham holds 49.49% of the votes while Harrison holds 49.42%.

Democrat Cal Cunningham is leading Republican incumbent Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) by 7 points, with 7% of precincts reporting.

Check out this live reaction from junior Josh Field:

Check out this live reaction from senior Akshay Manglik:

5:30 p.m. Watch freshman Arjun Moogimane react to the results:

5:10 p.m. AP reported that Biden is the projected winner for Maryland (10 electoral votes), New Jersey (14 electoral votes), Vermont (3 electoral votes), Massachusetts (11 electoral votes), Connecticut (7 electoral votes), Rhode Island (4 electoral votes) and Washington, D.C. (3 electoral votes). Trump takes Oklahoma (7 electoral votes), Mississippi (6 electoral votes), Alabama (9 electoral votes), Tennessee (11 electoral votes), Kentucky (8 electoral votes), West Virginia (5 electoral votes) and South Carolina (9 electoral votes).

Incumbent Mitch McConnell (R-K.Y.), who is the current Senate Majority Leader, won reelection to the Senate in Kentucky. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is currently leading against his Democratic rival Jaime Harrison by three points, with only 5% of precincts reporting so far.

Check out this live reaction from sophomore Emmett Chung:

See what Harker teachers had to say about the election earlier this week:

4:50 p.m. AP reported that Biden has a strong lead of 32 points in Ohio, with 17 percent of the votes counted.

In Ohio, each county is required to announce the results of all absentee and early in-person ballots by 5 p.m. EST. The state also counts absentee ballots that arrive through the mail until Nov. 13, but those results will not be announced until Nov. 14 to Nov. 18.

Check out this live reaction from junior Harshil Garg:

4:45 p.m. AP reported that with 73% of votes counted, Biden has regained the lead in Florida, 50.4% to 48.7%.

4:30 p.m. AP reported that Trump is leading in the key swing state of Florida 50.3% to 48.3%, with 48% of votes counted so far, accounting for 29 electoral votes.

Florida is allowed to count its mail-in ballots 22 days before Election Day, so it may be confirmed relatively early tonight, unlike Pennsylvania, where it may be days before a confirmed outcome. Pennsylvania, with 20 electoral votes, is another key swing state that both candidates hope could turn the tide.

4:15 p.m. As polls have begun to close in some Eastern states, the Associated Press (AP) has called Vermont (3 electoral college votes) and Virginia (13 votes) for Biden, while Kentucky (11 votes) and Indiana (8 votes) have been called for Trump.

See what Harker students had to say about the issues that matter the most for them this election:

When will results come in?

As Election Day goes on, state results will come in during varying times, and not all states will be reporting full results by tonight. Because of this year’s unprecedented number of mail-in ballots cast, counting ballots may take longer than previous years. Here is a breakdown of how eight battleground states will be counting their votes, according to FiveThirtyEight.

Arizona: Early in-person ballots and mail ballots will start to be reported likely around 6 p.m. PST.

Florida: Last polls close at 5 p.m. PST, and results will be nearly complete within hours after poll closing, according to FiveThirtyEight.

Georgia: Last polls close 4 p.m. PST.

Michigan: Last polls close 6 p.m. PST, and counting will take a few days.

Minnesota: Last polls close 6 p.m. PST, and most results are likely to be in on election night.

North Carolina: Last polls close at 4:30 p.m. PST, and 80% of all votes, which includes mail votes that were sent in by Nov. 2 and early votes that were done in-person will be reported soon after 4:30 p.m. Counting for votes from election day and absentees sent before Nov. 12 will occur over the next nine days.

Pennsylvania: Last polls close 5 p.m. PST, and results will be in by Nov. 23.

Wisconsin: Last polls close 6 p.m. PST, and results will likely be in by next morning.

3:30 p.m. As we wait for results to begin rolling in, check out Harker Aquila’s pre-election coverage under our Elections 2020 section.

Wondering what will happen to California’s Senate seats if Kamala Harris is elected to the office of Vice-President? Scroll here to find out.

Scroll here to learn more about the 12 propositions on the California state ballot and here for a comparison of the two presidential candidates.

Tracking the Senate and House races

Senate:


35 out of the 100 seats in the U.S. Senate are up for grabs tonight. Democrats need to gain four seats in order to claim a blue majority in the Senate after six years of a Republican majority. Important Senate races in battleground states to look out for today are Georgia, Iowa, Maine and North Carolina.

 

What happens to California’s representation in the Senate if Biden-Harris win?

California’s two Senate seats are filled by Diane Feinstein, serving since 1992, and Kamala Harris, who was elected in 2017. Although neither seat is up for grabs, if Harris is elected to the office of Vice President, Governor Newsom would appoint a replacement who would serve until end of Kamala’s six-year term in 2022. 

The Constitution requires that vacated House seats be filled by special election, but the Senate is more complex. Senators have only been appointed by direct election beginning in 1913, following the passage of the 17th amendment; they were earlier appointed by state legislatures. 

States each have their separate laws for filling Senate seats. California allows gubernatorial appointment for a replacement who serves the remainder of the term until the next general election, following the model of 35 other states. 

Nine states allow temporary gubernatorial replacement until a special election occurs, and five states require the seat to remain vacant pending a special election. Additionally, six states require that the appointee be of the same political party as the original Senator, but California is not one of them. 

The last Senate vacancy from California to be filled occurred in 1991, when Pete Wilson (R) resigned to assume the position of governor, appointing John Seymour to replace him. Seymour served until the next general election in 1992, losing the election. 

Although Gov. Newsom has not commented on replacements for Harris, some analysts believe that the appointee, almost certainly a Democrat, would likely be a woman of color to preserve the historic representation that Harris has represented. Candidates include Secretary of State Alex Padilla, Representative Ro Khanna (CA-17), and Mayor London Breed of San Francisco.

House of Representatives:

In the House of Representatives, Democrats are expected to keep their 232-197 majority over the Republicans and perhaps even expand their control. Many Republicans are focusing on Democrat representatives elected during the 2018 midterms, while Democrats are also competing in traditionally conservative strongholds. Important things to watch out for are more elected women, continuing the trend from 2018, North Carolina’s 11th congressional district, and Georgia’s 14th congressional district.

This story was originally published on Harker Aquila on November 3, 2020.