ABC News
By LAUREN KING, CATHERINE THORBECKE, MORGAN WINSOR, LIBBY CATHEY, MICHELLE STODDART and ADIA ROBINSON, ABC News
(WASHINGTON) — It’s too early to call it either way.
Election Day is turning into election week as the counting of votes continues across the country while several battleground states are slated to resume counts Wednesday morning.
In the early hours of Wednesday morning, former Vice President Joe Biden briefly addressed the nation from Wilmington, Delaware, projecting confidence in the race, before President Donald Trump teased he would make a statement from the White House.
Trump invited about 400 people to the White House East Room for an indoor watch party as the election, considered by many a referendum on his handling of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, unfolded before them.
In the weeks leading up to Election Day, more than 100 million early votes were cast, shattering early turnout records across the country.
Here’s how Election Day is unfolding. All times Eastern:
Nov 04, 4:57 am
Biden projected to win Hawaii
ABC News projects Biden will win Hawaii’s four electoral votes, bringing his standing in the Electoral College to 225. Trump’s count stands at 213.
A candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win the presidency.
Nov 04, 4:48 am
Exit poll shows Biden gains in key groups, but with results awaiting the vote count
The election that changed how Americans vote also changed the speed with which some of their votes are counted, leaving the country hanging for an official outcome even as Biden improved on Hillary Clinton’s performance nationally in a range of voting groups.
An unprecedented 64% of voters cast their ballots early, including 34% by mail — with those votes still being counted in several key states. Winners weren’t projected by the wee hours in states including Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Nevertheless, the national exit poll supported some broad conclusions. One was the still-growing share of racial and ethnic minorities in the electorate — 35%, up from 30% in 2016 and from 10% when the first exit poll was produced in 1976. The diversity train rolled on.
Trump improved in some gauges. Less than half of voters — 44% — said he has the temperament to serve effectively as president, but that figure was up from 35% four years ago. And while 53% saw him unfavorably, that figure was down from 59% in 2016.
At the same time, the exit poll found Biden winning independents — often swing voters in national elections — by 14 percentage points, 54-40%. Trump won them by 6 points in 2016. Biden won moderates by 31 points in exit poll results, 64-33%. Hillary Clinton won them by 13 points.
Biden also won first-time voters by 34 points, compared to Clinton’s 20 points. Voters who have served in the military backed Trump by 7 points, down from his 24-point margin in this group in 2016. Biden was +3 points in the suburbs versus Trump’s +4 four years ago. The gender gap narrowed considerably, but largely because Trump won men by 1 point compared with 11 points four years ago.
Trump’s approval rating — 47-51% approve-disapprove — was underwater, but mildly so. The only two presidents with negative approval ratings at the time of their second election both lost — Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush — but they had much lower approval than Trump.
Trump and Biden fought essentially to a standstill on who is better able to handle the economy, while Biden led — 51-43% — as better to handle the coronavirus pandemic. And voters by about the same margin — 51-42% — sided with Biden on stopping the spread of the virus as a priority, rather than with Trump on rebuilding the economy as a priority.
That’s even though 55% said the pandemic had caused them financial hardship; those who said so supported Biden by 30 points.
The public was divided evenly on whether the U.S. response to the pandemic has gone well or badly, with big state-to-state differences. At the same time, twice as many said it has gone very badly — 34% — as very well — 17%.
In a much larger disconnect for Trump, voters by 67-30% saw wearing a face mask as a public health responsibility rather than a personal choice, with sharp vote differences between the two groups.
Among other results from the national exit poll, 66% of voters called global warming a serious problem; 57% expressed a favorable opinion of the Black Lives Matter movement; 52% said the Supreme Court should uphold Obamacare, compared with 43% who said it should be overturned; and 51% said abortion should be legal in all or most cases, a low in exit polls back to 1992.
Lastly, two results were heartening, perhaps, across partisan lines: 93% said their state makes it somewhat or very easy to vote, and 87% were somewhat or very confident that their vote would be counted fairly. Eventually.
Nov 04, 4:25 am
Biden’s campaign manager calls Trump’s statement on trying to stop vote counting ‘outrageous, unprecedented, and incorrect’
Biden’s campaign manager, Jen O’Malley Dillon, said Trump’s call to shut down vote counting was “outrageous, unprecedented, and incorrect.”
“It was outrageous because it is a naked effort to take away the democratic rights of American citizens,” Dillon said in a statement early Wednesday morning.
“It was unprecedented because never before in our history has a president of the United States sought to strip Americans of their voice in a national election,” she continued. “Having encouraged Republican efforts in multiple states to prevent the legal counting of these ballots before Election Day, now Donald Trump is saying these ballots can’t be counted after Election Day either.”
“And it was incorrect because it will not happen,” she added. “The counting will not stop. It will continue until every duly cast vote is counted. Because that is what our laws — the laws that protect every Americans’ constitutional right to vote — require.”
Nov 04, 3:37 am
Daines projected to keep his Senate seat
ABC News projects Republican Sen. Steve Daines will win reelection in Montana against the Democratic challenger, Gov. Steve Bullock.
Bullock, a red state Democratic governor, was reportedly recruited by national Democrats in Washington, including former President Barack Obama, to run for the Senate seat after his failed presidential bid.
It was the sixth most expensive Senate race in a cycle of ultra-expensive races, coming in at $172,578,715 spent, as Democrats pursued a path to their hopeful Senate majority through Montana.
Nov 04, 3:04 am
Trump falsely declares victory: ‘We already have won’
More than an hour after Biden addressed the nation, Trump took the stage at the East Room of the White House and falsely declared victory.
“We will win this and, as far as I’m concerned, we already have won it,” Trump said.
ABC News projects that he has won the states of Florida, Ohio and Texas. But votes are still being counted across much of the nation, and there are millions of mail-in absentee ballots that have not yet been counted.
Trump also claimed Democrats were “trying to disenfranchise” the millions of people who voted for him, calling it “a major fraud in our nation” and saying he “won’t stand for it.”
“We’ll be going to the U.S. Supreme Court,” he said. “We want all voting to stop.”
The president does not have the power to stop vote counting, and his claims of victory and fraud were baseless.
State officials have told ABC News repeatedly that they count their votes in accordance with state law and it will take time.
ABC News has not yet projected several key swing states, including Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina and Wisconsin. In each of those states, there are significant portions of outstanding votes in Democratic areas and, in many cases, those votes were early or absentee which state election officials have said would not be fully counted immediately.
Nov 04, 3:25 am
Latest on results timeline from Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania’s three largest counties — which sent out the most absentee ballots to voter — will continue counting their mail-in ballots through the night, and into Wednesday.
Allegheny County has scanned and uploaded 151,022 mail and absentee ballots, less than half of the 340,000 mail-in ballots received as of this early Wednesday morning.
In addition to finishing that process over the next few days, they will also have to process any ballots they receive between now and Friday.
While the in-person vote could be fully uploaded Wednesday, it’s likely that it will take several additional days for a full count of absentee mail-in ballots.
Updates are continually made to their count online every 15 minutes or so.
Philadelphia is continuing to process absentee ballots received, in addition to those that will come in between Wednesday and Friday. They won’t have another update to their count until tomorrow morning, after 9 a.m. The city’s mail-in vote count is not currently reflected on the state’s website.
Montgomery County, the state’s third largest county, will continue counting through the night, and is not expected to provide any additional updates this evening.
Nov 04, 2:30 am
Biden picks up 1 electoral vote in Maine
Biden will pick up at least one of Maine’s four electoral votes, ABC News projects.
Maine allocates electoral votes based on both the statewide result and the results in the congressional districts, so the electoral votes are not allocated all at once.
Nov 04, 2:02 am
Timing of North Carolina’s certification process
North Carolina requires a sample audit count to ensure the reliability of election results tabulated by a machine, so following the general election, the State Board of Elections will randomly select precincts, early voting sites and ballots to be counted by hand in each county.
The precincts will be audited beginning at 11 a.m. on Wednesday. The audit is a comparison of the machine counts with hand-to-eye counts completed as a test to ensure voting equipment read the voter’s choices accurately.
All mail-in votes postmarked by Nov. 3 will be accepted through Nov. 12. This date was extended at the request of the state board due to an increase in volume and concerns over Postal Service.
Local election boards will certify votes on Nov. 13 and the state board will certify on Nov. 24
-ABC News’ John Santucci and Tonya Simpson
Nov 04, 1:43 am
Biden projected to win Minnesota
Biden will win Minnesota’s 10 electoral votes, ABC News projects, raising his Electoral College standing to 220 votes, while Trump’s stands at 213.
Nov 04, 1:43 am
Trump, Biden will split Nebraska’s remaining 2 electoral votes
Trump will win the 1st Congressional District of Nebraska, picking up one electoral vote, ABC News projects, and Biden will win the 2nd Congressional District — a small but significant victory for Democrats.
FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver said with this vote, if Biden also wins Arizona, he can lose Pennsylvania and still have a viable pathway to the White House.
Because Nebraska allocates electoral votes based on both the statewide result and the results in congressional districts, the electoral votes are not allocated all at once. ABC News previously projected three of the state’s five electoral votes to Trump.
In all, Biden picked up one electoral vote in the historically red state.
Nov 04, 1:34 am
Trump projected to win Montana
Trump will win Montana’s three electoral votes, ABC News projects, boosting his standing in the Electoral College to 212 votes. Biden has 209 electoral votes and 270 are needed to win
Nov 04, 1:22 am
Trump projected to win Texas, tying Biden’s Electoral College standing
Trump will win Texas and its grand prize of 38 electoral votes, ABC News projects, tying his standing in the Electoral College with Biden at 209 votes.
Democrats had sensed a slim opportunity to flip the GOP-stronghold based on a strongly early vote turnout in the party.
Democratic presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump.
Biden is also projected to Rhode Island’s four electoral votes.
Nov 04, 1:23 am
2 largest counties in Georgia will not report final results overnight
After issues in Fulton and Gwinnett counties, Deputy Secretary of State Jordan Fuchs told ABC News that Georgia’s two biggest counties will not report final results Tuesday night.
“They could shock all of us, but I really doubt it,” Fuchs said.
Gwinnett County experienced a technical issue that was delaying the count and a burst pipe at State Farm Arena in Fulton County, which includes Atlanta, delayed the processing process there. After sending workers home for the night, Fulton County officials have said that they called employees back and have continued to process absentee ballots.
Right now, 72% of the expected vote has been reported in Fulton County, and 80% of the expected vote has been reported in Gwinnett County.
-ABC News’ Olivia Rubin, Quinn Scanlan and T.J. Holmes
Nov 04, 1:04 am
Trump projected to win Iowa
Trump will win Iowa’s six electoral votes, ABC News projects, raising his Electoral College standing to 171 votes, while Biden stands at 205.
Republican Sen. Joni Ernst is projected to defeat Democratic candidate Theresa Greenfield in what became a high-profile race for the key Senate seat.
Nov 04, 12:59 am
Biden addresses the nation, Trump teases a statement of his own
Biden beat Trump in being the first to address the nation on election night, telling Americans from Wilmington, Delaware, that he’s “feeling good” about the race.
“We feel good about where we are, we really do,” Biden said to supporters as states continue to count ballots. “We’re feeling real good about Wisconsin and Michigan,” adding that he has confidence in Pennsylvania too.
He also offered a reminder that it’s going to take more time to finish counting all of the votes.
“We’re going to have to be patient until the hard work of tallying the votes is finished. And it ain’t over until every vote is counted, every ballot is counted,” Biden said.
“As I’ve said all along, it’s not my place or Donald Trump’s place to declare who’s won this election. That’s the decision of the American people,” he added.
On the heels of Biden’s address, Trump tweeted that he, too, will be making a statement.
Nov 04, 12:56 am
Technical issue delays absentee ballot counting in 2nd largest county in Ga.
Gwinnett County is experiencing a technical issue that is delaying the counting of absentee ballots, county communications director Joe Sorenson told ABC News.
The county had processed the over 118,000 absentee ballots it received that were ready to be pushed through the system to be counted Tuesday night, but “when the time came to push them, the software system (held) a little more than half of the ballots for adjudication,” Sorenson said.
Adjudication means the ballots need to be reviewed by a human being and reentered.
According to Gowri Ramachandran, an election security expert at the Brennan Center, ballots are loaded into voting machines in large batches. When the machines determine that one ballot in the batch requires additional human review, it may flag the entire batch of ballots as requiring additional review. Poll workers would then need to go through the batch to determine which ballots needed to be reviewed to determine voter intent. There were 3,200 batches of mail-in ballots that received the error.
The county told ABC News it does not know how many ballots have been affected.
Sorenson said the county is determined to count these ballots overnight.
“We’re gonna stay as long as it takes, up to a certain point,” Sorenson said.
He said no determination has yet to be made about when to stop trying.
Gwinnett, the second most populated county in the state, is a key former Republican stronghold in the Atlanta suburbs that has been trending Democratic. In 2016, it went for Hillary Clinton by 5.8 points, but it was the first time it voted for the Democratic presidential candidate since 1976, when Georgia native Jimmy Carter won every one of the state’s 159 counties. In 2018, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams won the county again — and by a bigger margin taking Gwinnett by 14.4 points.
-ABC News’ John Santucci
Nov 04, 12:46 am
Trump projected to win Florida
Trump will win Florida’s 29 electoral votes, ABC News projects, boosting his Electoral College standing to 165 votes, while Biden’s remains at 205.
Florida was considered a must-win state for Trump to keep a viable pathway to reelection.
Nov 04, 12:36 am
Latest timeline on results from Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania state officials had projected wrapping up the count by Friday before the election, but are now not providing an exact timeline.
Philadelphia will continue counting absentee ballots, with the next updates coming overnight and again at 9 a.m.; Allegheny will continue counting around the clock, while at least seven counties have yet to even begin opening and counting mail-in ballots.
-ABC News’ John Santucci, Adam Kelsey, Benjamin Siegel and Alex Hosenball
Nov 04, 12:28 am
Biden to deliver remarks at 12:30 a.m.
The Biden campaign has announced that the former vice president will deliver remarks in Wilmington, Delaware, at 12:30 a.m.
With 74% of the nationwide vote in, Biden is projected to have 205 electoral votes to Trump’s 136 — but votes are still coming in all-important battleground states which will ultimately determine the election.
Nov 04, 12:26 am
Latest on results timeline from Michigan
Tracy Wimmer, a spokesperson for Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson told ABC News: “We’re still looking at some time tomorrow, but we really don’t have a guess of when.”
“There are places that were able to do their absentee ballot tabulations much quicker than expected, but there are still some places that are lagging behind.”
In Detroit, for example, of the 180,000 absentee ballots that were cast as of early Tuesday evening, 120,000 have already been counted, Wimmer said.
“Results are going to be coming out in varying ways and at varying speeds,” Wimmer said,” but it’s important not to read into any of the results that are coming out until we have final results.”
In Michigan, only 16% of the early vote is in with 49% of the expected vote in.
-ABC News’ John Santucci, Olivia Rubin and Kendall Karson
Nov 03, 9:03 pm
Polls close in 14 states
The polls are closing in New York, Nebraska, Louisiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Michigan and Texas.
Nov 03, 8:51 pm
Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene projected to win Georgia House race
Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, who supported the fringe conspiracy theory QAnon in the past is projected by ABC News to win Georgia’s 14th Congressional District.
In videos unearthed by POLITICO, Greene also espoused racist, Islamophobic and sexist views.
She was expected to win in the conservative congressional district. While there was a Democrat on the ballot, he dropped out of the race when it was too late to replace him on the ballot. The seat is currently held by Republican Rep. Tom Graves, who originally was retired, but then resigned from Congress in October.
Trump has fully embraced Greene, calling her a “future Republican star” after she won her primary.
-ABC News’ Quinn Scanlan
Nov 03, 8:40 pm
Pipe bursts at Atlanta ballot processing facility
A pipe burst Tuesday morning in State Farm Arena in Atlanta and it delayed processing of ballots by about four hours, according to deputy Secretary of State Jordan Fuchs.
“It had no impact on ballots, not a single ballot was damaged,” Fuchs said, stating that any reports of damaged ballots are false.
State Farm Arena is the largest ballot processing center in the Fulton County, according to Fuchs. It is not yet clear exactly what effect this will have on results out of Fulton County, Georgia’s most populous county in the state.
-ABC News’ Olivia Rubin
Nov 03, 8:38 pm
Trump projected to West Virginia
Trump will win West Virginia’s five electoral college votes, ABC News projects.
GOP Sen. Shelley Moore Capito is also projected to win reelection in the state.
Nov 03, 8:35 pm
The crucial swing state of Florida
ABC News’ Senior Congressional Correspondent Mary Bruce says that the Biden campaign knew Florida would be “a toss up,” but she suspects that the campaign is “very surprised” by how tight the race is is key areas like Miami-Dade. Bruce touted how much time the Biden campaign spent in the state trying to win voters, especially the key demographic of senior voters.
“They have put a lot of effort into trying to get out the vote there and so much of the message there, of course, on the pandemic as they try to target senior voters,” Bruce said.
Nov 03, 8:30 pm
Polls close in Arkansas
The polls are closing in Arkansas.
Nov 03, 8:29 pm
The impact of Latino voters this election cycle
ABC Senior White House Correspondent Cecilia Vega said “this election could be the Latino election” as Latino Americans have voted early and in higher numbers than they ever have before. Both the Biden and Trump campaigns have pushed hard to win Latino voters, who make up a sizable portion of the electorate in key states like Florida.
Keep in mind, however, that “Latinos are not a monolith,” Vega said. “Latinos who vote in Florida tend to vote very differently than say Mexican Americans that we see in places like Texas and Arizona.”
Nov 03, 8:26 pm
Trump projected to win Tennessee, Indiana
ABC News projects Trump will win in Tennessee and Indiana, raising his Electoral College count to 42. Biden’s stands at 44.
Also in Tennessee, Republican Bill Hagerty is projected to defeat Democratic candidate Marquita Bradshaw to fill the seat of retiring GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander.
Nov 03, 8:24 pm
McConnell projected to win reelection to Senate
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is projected to win in Kentucky and keep his Senate seat, following a high-profile race with Democratic challenger Amy McGrath.
Nov 03, 8:18 pm
Kellyanne Conway says Trump expected to address nation
Former Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway said the Trump campaign is “not in a rush,” when it comes to results in this uncertain election.
Conway also said the president is “expected to address the nation later from the East Room of the White House.”
Nov 03, 8:15 pm
Biden projected to take 4 states and D.C., Trump takes Oklahoma
Biden is projected to win Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and the District of Columbia, and Trump is projected Oklahoma.
With 12% of the nationwide vote in, Biden currently has 44 Electoral College votes to Trump’s 15.
In Senate races, Democrats are projected to keep seats serving Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New Jersey with wins projected for incumbent Sens. Chris Coons, Ed Markey, Jeanne Shaheen and Cory Booker.
Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe is projected to keep his seat representing Oklahoma.
Democrats currently hold 39 Senate seats and Republicans hold 31. Fifty-one seats are needed to control the chamber.
Nov 03, 8:06 pm
Election results may not come Tuesday night
ABC News’ Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos reminded voters that the results of the elections may not be final Tuesday night.
“Counting could take some time this year — and that is okay,” Stephanopoulos said. “Not knowing the outcome tonight does not mean the process is broken. It does not mean the election is unfair.”
Nov 03, 8:00 pm
Polls close in 16 states and District of Columbia
The polls are closing in Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, District of Columbia, Delaware, Connecticut, Tennessee, South Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Mississippi and Alabama.
Nov 03, 7:53 pm
Biden projected to win Vermont, Trump to take Kentucky
Biden will win Vermont and Trump will win Kentucky, ABC News projects.
Vermont carries three Electoral College votes and Kentucky carries eight.
Nov 03, 7:52 pm
FBI concerned with election security
ABC News Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas said the FBI is concerned about disinformation from bad actors in the coming days.
“If we don’t know who the president is for a couple days, they expect and anticipate that we will see foreign nations and others try to stoke disinformation and chaos and undermine the democracy,” Thomas said.
Thomas also noted that voting Tuesday was orderly, saying that law enforcement was grateful that there was not violence at the polls.
Nov 03, 7:53 pm
Biden projected to win Vermont, Trump to take Kentucky
Biden will win Vermont and Trump will win Kentucky, ABC News projects.
Vermont carries three Electoral College votes and Kentucky carries eight.
Nov 03, 7:52 pm
FBI concerned with election security
ABC News Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas said the FBI is concerned about disinformation from bad actors in the coming days.
“If we don’t know who the president is for a couple days, they expect and anticipate that we will see foreign nations and others try to stoke disinformation and chaos and undermine the democracy,” Thomas said.
Thomas also noted that voting Tuesday was orderly, saying that law enforcement was grateful that there was not violence at the polls.
Nov 03, 7:47 pm
Biden’s deputy campaign manager says campaign is in ‘a great position’
Kate Bedingfield, Biden’s deputy campaign manager, told ABC News’ Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos that the campaign is “feeling really good.”
Bedingfield said that the campaign has “a lot of different pathways” to the White House and touted the voter turnout in key swing states.
“We’re in a great position, George, where we don’t have to say here’s the one state that we think is going to be the decision maker for us,” Bedingfield said.
Nov 03, 7:31 pm
Polls close in 3 states
The polls are closing in West Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina.
Nov 03, 7:30 pm
House GOP candidate sues to toss ballots in Pa.’s Montgomery County
A Republican congressional candidate in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, filed a lawsuit in federal court Tuesday against local election officials, accusing them of improperly contacting voters to address issues with more than four-dozen returned mail-in ballots ahead of the timetable laid out in state law.
Kathy Barnette, the Republican candidate in the 4th Congressional District race argued that county officials couldn’t begin “pre-canvassing” of mail-in absentee ballots — checking returned ballots for signatures, secrecy envelopes and giving voters an opportunity to recast their vote — before 7 a.m. Tuesday.
In response, a judge scheduled a Wednesday morning hearing on the matter. The ballots won’t be counted until the matter is resolved — a move officials in the county are taking voluntarily.
A Montgomery County election official told ABC News that no votes were pre-canvassed and that the charges are untrue. The official said the ruling only impacts 49 ballots.
In 2016, Montgomery County went to Hillary Clinton by 93,000 votes.
-ABC News’ Alex Hosenball, Benjamin Siegel and James Hill
Nov 03, 7:22 pm
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb projected to win reelection
Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb will win reelection in Indiana, ABC News projects.
Holcomb, a close ally of Vice President Mike Pence, was leading Democratic candidate Dr. Woody Myers by double digits in recent polls.
Nov 03, 7:17 pm
Polling locations in Ga. county to stay open 2 hours after ‘technical issue’
All 18 precincts in Spalding County, Georgia, will remain open for an extra two hours after the county experienced what it said was a “county wide technical issue” in the morning.
The precinct closing time has been extended to 9 p.m., per a court order issued by Superior Court Judge W. Fletcher Sams, according to a post by the Spalding County Board of Commissioners.
Jordan Fuchs, the deputy secretary of state, told ABC News that the extension will not delay results from the state.
Spadling County has a population of just over 66,000, according to the U.S. Census bureau, and is the 37th most populous in a state of 159 counties. It went for Trump in 2016.
Earlier this morning, polling locations across the county experienced a “technical issue” with its poll pads, which check voters in, and provisional ballots had to be delivered to every location, according to a statement from the county.
In the afternoon, Gabriel Sterling, the implementations manager at the Georgia Secretary of State Office, said that eight of the 18 locations affected in Spalding had since been reset and were “fine.” Regardless of whether the locations had been reset, “every location has voters voting right now,” Sterling said.
“Voting continues, voting continued at the time, and we feel very comfortable and confident about where we are,” Sterling said later.
Separately, hours have been extended at at least three other polling locations across the state. Two locations were extended in Dekalb County, and one in Cobb County.
-ABC News’ Olivia Rubin
Nov 03, 5:25 pm
In final campaign stop, Biden says he feels ‘hopeful’
At what was very likely his final campaign stop of the 2020 race, former Vice President Joe Biden spoke with reporters, and gave his outlook on the race in the final hours.
“Toward the end, I never feel confident. I feel hopeful,” Biden said, addressing reporters outside the Joseph R. Biden Jr. Aquatic Center in Wilmington, Delaware.
Asked what he plans to do if President Trump declares victory tonight, Biden again expressed confidence that the voters will have the final say.
“You heard me use the line today several times. Presidents can’t determine what votes counted and not counted. And, you know, voters determine who’s president,” he said. “No matter what he does, no matter what he says the votes are going to be counted.”
Finally, Biden addressed if people can expect to hear him give a speech tonight.
“There’s just so much in play right now and there’s such an overwhelming vote out there,” he said. “We’ll see. And if there’s something to talk about tonight, I’ll talk about it. If not, I’ll wait till the votes are counted the next day.”
-ABC News’ John Verhovek
Nov 03, 5:11 pm
Cities nationwide bracing for potential violence on Election Day that’s peaceful — so far
From Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills to Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, police and store owners said they’re preparing for Election Day unrest despite authorities coast to coast saying they’ve received no credible threats.
Some cities were bracing for the type of violence and looting that occurred earlier this year during protests that followed police-involved killings of Black Americans.
Stores along Rodeo Drive were seen with boarded up windows in the waning hours of the presidential election, with the mayor saying the street would be closed to vehicular traffic as an extra precaution.
In New York City, the sound of buzzsaws and hammers drowned out honking cars and sirens as work crews with truckloads of plywood swooped in. Along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, near Trump Tower, workers spent Monday night boarding up the windows of some of the nation’s most expensive stores, including Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avene and nearly every shop in Rockefeller Center.
Similar scenes were found in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Denver, Philadelphia and St. Paul, Minnesota.
Nov 03, 4:00 pm
Polls close in Puerto Rico
The polls are closing in Puerto Rico.
Nov 03, 3:57 pm
Experts say there have been 10 million misinformation robocalls since June
Officials in at least six states — including Michigan, Iowa, Ohio, Kansas, Nebraska and New York — have reported that voters in their states have received misleading robocalls, in what a senior Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) official says amounts to voter intimidation.
There have been approximately 10 million of these robocalls since June, according to the robocall-blocking software group YouMail. The CEO of YouMail, Alex Quilici, told ABC News that the robocalls were placed in 316 area codes across the country.
According to a senior CISA Official, the FBI is investigating the robocalls. CISA is the cyber arm of the Department of Homeland Security.
The robocalls urge voters to “stay home and stay safe” and falsely claim that voting is extended until tomorrow due to the long lines at the polls.
In a statement, the FBI said it was aware of the robocalls but could not comment further. The FBI urged Americans to get the latest information from state and local election officials.
New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced her office is actively investigating allegations that voters are receiving robocalls spreading disinformation encouraging people to stay home on Election Day.
-ABC News’ John Santucci and Luke Barr
Nov 03, 3:29 pm
Biden heads to Wilmington, Delaware, after stop in Philadelphia
Joe Biden is on his way to Wilmington, Delaware, after making a stop in Philadelphia, where was welcomed by what looked like at least a hundred supporters and campaign organizers.
“As goes Philly, so goes the state of a Pennsylvania,” Biden told his supporters.
Biden also stopped by Relish restaurant in Philly’s West Oak neighborhood, where he briefly went inside to meet with local elected leaders.
Following the brief stop, Biden then went to a canvassing event where he thanked a crowd for an “incredible” turnout at the polls.
Biden ticked through familiar portions of his stump speech, vowing to get a handle of COVID-19 and to be a president to all of America, not just his supporters.
Closing out his remarks, Biden once again urged everyone to get out and vote today if they hadn’t already, before expressing his affection for his two home states — the one he was leaving, and the one he will be spending Election Night in.
“Lastly, I said this earlier. It’s expected there’s already over 110 million who have voted in the United States. They’re expecting up to 150 million, the largest turnout ever,” he said. “If you haven’t gotten everybody out, get them out. Get out and vote. It ain’t over ‘til it’s over and when it’s over we’re gonna win Pennsylvania because of you.”
While in Wilmington, about an hour’s drive away, Biden is expected to stop into the east side of the town.
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Nov 03, 2:18 pm
Trump attacks SCOTUS decision on Pennsylvania ballots
During an appearance at his campaign headquarters Tuesday, the president continued to blast the Supreme Court decision that allows Pennsylvania to count ballots that were postmarked by today until Friday.
“I think the ruling on Pennsylvania was an unfortunate one by the Supreme Court because I think we should know what happens on the night,” he said. “Let people put their ballots in earlier, but you have to have — you have to have numbers. You can’t have these things delayed for many days and maybe weeks. You can’t do that. The whole world is waiting.”
“And a lot of shenanigans, a lot of bad things happen with ballots when you say, ‘Oh, let’s devote days and days,’ and, all of a sudden, the ballot count changes,” he added.
He called the Supreme Court ruling, “a very dangerous decision for this country.”
“You have to have a date. And the date happens to be November 3rd,” he said. “And we should be entitled to know who won on November 3rd.”
– ABC News’ Terrance Smith and Elizabeth Thomas.
Nov 03, 2:18 pm
Harris urges those worried about civil unrest to ‘have faith in the American people’
Kamala Harris briefly spoke with reporters as she arrived in Detroit, Michigan, for her Election Day visit.
She spoke about the significance of Michigan to the White House, saying the purpose of the trip was to ensure that Michigan voters felt seen and heard by the Democratic ticket.
“The path to the White House and the path to determining who will be the next president of the United States, without question, runs through Michigan,” she said. “So I’m just here to remind people of the Detroit that, that they are seen and heard by Joe and me and also that they may actually decide the outcome of this race.”
Harris was asked what she would say to Americans nervous about the potential for civil unrest after the polls close.
“Have faith in the American people,” she responded. “I do strongly believe that we, whoever you vote for, will defend the integrity of our democracy and a peaceful transfer of power.”
Finally, Harris was also asked how she’s feeling about her and Joe Biden’s chances at winning.
“Listen, the day ain’t over,” she responded. “Ask me after the polls close. Maybe I’ll have a better idea, but right now, I’m just here to remind people to vote because the election is still happening right now. It’s not over.”
Harris is slated to make a couple of local stops in the Motor City before flying to Delaware for the campaign’s Election Night event.
-ABC News’ Averi Harper.
Nov 03, 2:13 pm
At his campaign headquarters, Trump says ‘winning is easy, losing is never easy’
After ten rallies in two days, President Donald Trump made a stop to his campaign headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, on Election Day to thank staffers for their hard work over the course of the campaign.
In a video, staffers were seen in masks, yet senior adviser to the president Jared Kushner, Trump 2020 Campaign Manager Bill Stepien, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who were all in attendance, did not wear masks.
When asked what his message was for Americans who didn’t vote for him if he wins tonight, Trump said that, “I think we’re set for tremendous success and success is going to bring unity.”
“Everybody should come together and I think success brings us together. We’re going to have a tremendous success,” the president said. “We had 33.1% up in growth, GDP, and nobody has ever seen a number like that.”
Trump hinted that he may give a speech this evening regardless of the outcome, saying, “we’re going to have to see.”
The president, however, said he hasn’t thought about either a concession or acceptance speech adding, “winning is easy, losing is never easy.”
“I’m not thinking about concession speech or acceptance speech yet,” he said. “Hopefully, we’ll be only doing one of those two.”
Nov 03, 1:36 pm
Judge orders mail inspectors to USPS facilities in key battlegrounds to ensure ‘no ballots were left behind’
A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Postal Service to send inspectors to several processing facilities in key battleground states — including Pennsylvania, Michigan and Florida — to ensure that no mail-in ballot is left behind.
U.S. Judge Emmet Sullivan ruled Tuesday that the Postal Service must “sweep the facilities between 12:30 PM EST and 3:00 PM EST to ensure that no ballots have been held up and that any identified ballots are immediately sent out for delivery.”
Those inspectors are ordered to report back to the court by 4:30 p.m. ET “confirming, in the most efficient manner available, that sweeps were conducted and that no ballots were left behind,” Sullivan wrote.
The matter at hand is part of a lawsuit brought in August by the NAACP accusing the Postal Service and its leader, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, of disenfranchising voters of color by implementing a set of cost-cutting initiatives that slowed mail service.
– ABC News’ Lucien Bruggeman
Nov 03, 1:22 pm
FBI investigating robocalls with election misinformation
The FBI is probing reports of robocalls being made on Election Day urging people to stay home and not vote, according to a senior Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency official.
The official added this is a “voter intimidation, voter suppression tactic.” The official also pointed out that robocalls of this nature are made in every election.
“Be mindful of people that are trying to intimidate you, undermine your confidence, but keep calm and vote on,” the senior CISA official added.
Earlier today, ABC News confirmed robocalls have been going out to voters in the battleground state of Michigan — specifically targeting the city of Flint, Michigan, where the majority of residents are Black.
These robocalls are “purposefully spreading misinformation” according to the statements from Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. The robocalls are telling voters to vote tomorrow — instead of today — due to long lines, according to the tweet from Nessel.
Nessel urged people not to “believe the lies.”
-ABC News’ Luke Barr
Nov 03, 12:50 pm
Front-line poll workers lauded on Election Day
Across the country, images of poll workers decked out in full personal protective equipment during this unusual election are garnering applause on social media.
In Georgia, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger told reporters earlier this week that 52,000 Georgians volunteered to be poll workers this election, even in the middle of a pandemic, and later on urged voters to “show grace” to those helping to usher in record turnout.
Meanwhile in Ohio, Secretary of State Frank LaRose said on the “Powerhouse Politics” podcast Monday that the state recruited a “whole new generation” of poll workers ahead of the 2020 vote.
“That’s been a huge success. 56,000 Ohioans have volunteered and been trained to be poll workers. That’s far and away above previous numbers,” he said. “37,000 is really the bare minimum that we need, but we wanted to go 50% above that. So we’ve got 56,000 poll workers trained and ready to go.”
In Michigan, the Pistons are lending their facility to receive ballots, while all employees are given a paid day off this Election Day in order to vote and serve as poll workers. Michigan has also worked to recruit multilingual poll workers to assist voters as part of a new effort to make voting more accessible.
-ABC News’ Kendall Karson
Nov 03, 12:32 pm
Larry Kudlow says all guests at White House election night party will be tested for COVID-19
White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow confirmed Tuesday that the roughly 400 guests at President Donald Trump’s election night party in the East Room of the White House will all be tested for coronavirus.
“Every guest will be tested, and I will be wearing a mask,” Kudlow said.
Notably, Kudlow did not commit to staying in the administration if Trump is reelected.
“I’m an old-fashioned guy, I take it one day at a time,” he said when asked if he’s stick around after the election.
-ABC News’ Elizabeth Thomas.
Nov 03, 12:28 pm
Robocalls with election misinformation reported in Michigan
ABC News has confirmed robocalls have been going out to voters in the battleground state of Michigan today — specifically targeting the city of Flint, Michigan, where the majority of residents are Black.
Robocalls “purposefully spreading misinformation” have been going out to residents in Flint, Michigan, today, according to the statements from Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.
The robocalls are telling voters to vote tomorrow — instead of today — due to long lines, according to the tweet from Nessel, in which she called the effort “an attempt to suppress the vote.”
“Obviously this is FALSE and an effort to suppress the vote,” Nessel said in her tweet. “No long lines and today is the last day to vote. Don’t believe the lies! Have your voice heard! RT PLS.”
Flint is a Democratic stronghold that former Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama visited earlier this week. Flint has a 53.7% Black population, according to U.S. Census data.
Secretary Benson said her office “will be working quickly all day to stamp out any misinformation.”
“Lines in the area and across the state are minimal and moving quickly, and Michigan voters can feel confident that leaders across state and local government are vigilant against these kinds of attacks on their voting rights and attempts at voter suppression,” Benson said, “and we will be working quickly all day to stamp out any misinformation aimed at preventing people from exercising their right to vote.”
-ABC News’ Olivia Rubin.
Nov 03, 12:15 pm
At least 100 million people voted early
At least 100 million people early voted in the 2020 general election, according to the United States Elections Project, which is spearheaded by University of Florida’s political expert Michael McDonald.
In total, an unprecedented 100,298,838 voters have already voted this election.
Nationally, so far, voters have cast 72.8% of the total votes counted in the 2016 general election.
-ABC News’ Kelsey Walsh.
Nov 03, 12:09 pm
Polls open in 2 states and American Samoa
The polls are opening in Hawaii, American Samoa and some areas of Alaska.
Nov 03, 12:04 pm
Milwaukee County to livestream its absentee vote counting
Milwaukee election officials will livestream their tabulation of the county’s absentee ballots, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Local election officials estimate the process could take until 3 or 4 a.m.
Those interested can tune in on YouTube, where three cameras have been set up to live broadcast the whole process.
In Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Commissioners are similarly broadcasting tabulations.
Nov 03, 11:33 am
Biden wraps up a visit to hometown of Scranton
Biden wrapped up an Election Day visit to his hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday.
The former vice president visited his childhood home and church as well as a local carpenters’ union and gave his granddaughters a tour of the place he grew up. He signed the walls of his childhood home during this trip, writing, “From this house to the White House with the grace of God. Joe Biden 11-3-2020.”
He also stopped by the sandwich shop Hanks Hoagies, where supporters flocked Biden.
Earlier in the morning in Delaware, Biden attended church and visited the gravesite of his late son Beau Biden — at the same cemetery that his first wife and baby daughter were buried in 1972.
After Scranton, Biden is heading to Philadelphia.
-ABC News’ John Verhovek.
Nov 03, 11:03 am
First lady casts her vote in Florida
First Lady Melania Trump was spotted arriving at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center in Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday to cast her vote.
Nov 03, 11:00 am
Polls open in 2 states
The polls are opening in much of Alaska and the State Elections Office opens for accessible voting in Washington.
Nov 03, 10:52 am
Bill and Hillary Clinton cast their votes
Former President Bill Clinton shared a photo of him and Hillary Clinton, both wearing masks, with “I voted” stickers after they headed to the polls Tuesday.
“Hillary and I just proudly cast our ballots for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris,” he captioned the photo. “They will work tirelessly to heal our divisions and build a better future for all of us. If you haven’t done so already, vote today!”
Nov 03, 10:16 am
Kamala Harris negative for COVID-19
Vice Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris underwent PCR testing for COVID-19 Tuesday and COVID-19 was not detected, an aid for Harris said.
– ABC News’ Averi Harper
Nov 03, 10:06 am
Polls open in 4 states
The polls are opening in Idaho, Nevada, California and Oregon.
Nov 03, 9:41 am
In Election Day spin, Kayleigh McEnany predicts ‘tonight will be a landslide’
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said on Fox News Tuesday morning that they are predicting a “landslide” victory.
“Under every circumstance our campaign believes that tonight will be a landslide,” McEnany said on Election Day.
When asked about Trump continuing to attack the Supreme Court decision on Pennsylvania ballots, McEnany echoed the president’s sentiments but said further litigation may not be necessary.
“We’ll take our case to the Supreme Court as needed,” McEnany said. “We don’t think it will come down to that. I predict now we win Nevada, Minnesota. I do believe President Trump has a landslide and this talk of litigation is nothing.”
McEnany also blasted former Vice President Joe Biden’s schedule saying he is now trying to “catch up with President Trump.”
“You have Biden finally out of the basement on Election Day trying to catch up with President Trump,” she said. “Voters are wise and smart. They see if Joe Biden would not fight for your vote.”
– ABC News’ Elizabeth Thomas
Nov 03, 9:41 am
In Election Day spin, Kayleigh McEnany predicts ‘tonight will be a landslide’
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said on Fox News Tuesday morning that they are predicting a “landslide” victory.
“Under every circumstance our campaign believes that tonight will be a landslide,” McEnany said on Election Day.
When asked about Trump continuing to attack the Supreme Court decision on Pennsylvania ballots, McEnany echoed the president’s sentiments but said further litigation may not be necessary.
“We’ll take our case to the Supreme Court as needed,” McEnany said. “We don’t think it will come down to that. I predict now we win Nevada, Minnesota. I do believe President Trump has a landslide and this talk of litigation is nothing.”
McEnany also blasted former Vice President Joe Biden’s schedule saying he is now trying to “catch up with President Trump.”
“You have Biden finally out of the basement on Election Day trying to catch up with President Trump,” she said. “Voters are wise and smart. They see if Joe Biden would not fight for your vote.”
Nov 03, 9:26 am
Trump says he will declare victory ‘when there is victory’
President Donald Trump called into Fox & Friends Tuesday morning for his first interview on Election Day.
When asked about reporting that he could try to prematurely declare victory, Trump said he will only declare victory “when there is victory.” He added that “there is no reason to play games,” but was unspecific about what determines victory in his mind.
The president went on to say he thinks he has a “very solid chance at winning.” He then immediately followed that with, “I don’t know what the chances are,” but he said he is basing his confidence in part on his crowd sizes.
On his Election Day plans, the president said that in addition to going to visit his campaign headquarters in Virginia Tuesday morning, he’ll be doing a “big series of phone calls” to people who have been loyal to him.
On the specter of civil unrest resulting from the election — specifically about the possibility of chaos in the streets if he wins again — Trump said it will all be in “Democrat-run cities” and said that “my side is a very strong side, if they wanted to but they don’t like doing that.”
The president also predicted he would be victorious in key states including Texas, Florida, Arizona, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Finally, the president reiterated that he would like the results of the election to be finalized by the end of the day.
“I’d like to find out on November 3rd, the end of the evening or, you know, late into the morning, who won the election,” he said.
Nov 03, 9:00 am
Polls open in seven states
The polls are opening in Nebraska, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and in several counties in Tennessee.
Nov 03, 8:31 am
Polls open in Arkansas
The polls are opening in Arkansas.
Nov 03, 8:02 am
Polls open in 12 states and Puerto Rico
The polls are opening in North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Arizona, Alabama, in several counties in Tennessee and Puerto Rico.
Nov 03, 8:00 am
In new videos, Biden, Harris urge voters to head to the polls in final campaign push
As part of the campaign’s final efforts to turn out voters and deny President Donald Trump a second term, both former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris are urging Americans to head to the polls Tuesday as a chaotic election is set to near its end.
In two new digital videos released by the Biden campaign on Tuesday, both Biden and Harris are telling Americans that have not voted to make sure their voices are heard.
“Today is Election Day. The future of our country is going to hinge on who votes in the next few hours. So please, if you have to go out and vote, please vote. And vote as soon as possible,” Biden says in one of the videos.
“Today is Election Day, our last chance to choose once and for all a brighter future for our country and leadership that will restore the soul of our nation. And we are counting on you to put us over the finish line,” Harris says in the other.
The late push comes as a record number of Americans, nearly 100 million, have voted early this cycle, another way in which the coronavirus pandemic has upended the 2020 race and reshaped the electoral battlefield.
Both Biden and Harris were in the battleground state of Pennsylvania on Monday, and the former vice president is set to visit his hometown of Scranton later Tuesday, while Harris will travel to Detroit, Michigan, to rally voters and boost turnout in another state key to the Democratic ticket’s chances of victory.
Nov 03, 7:01 am
Polls open in 13 states
The polls are opening in South Carolina, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Massachusetts, Maryland, Georgia, Florida, District of Columbia, Delaware, Missouri, Louisiana and in several counties in Tennessee.
Nov 03, 6:30 am
Polls open in three states
The polls are opening in West Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina.
Nov 03, 6:00 am
Polls open in eight states
The polls are opening in Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Maine, Kentucky, Connecticut, Indiana and New Hampshire.
Nov 03, 5:38 am
ABC News interactive election map
Forecast if Trump or Biden will win the 2020 presidential election with ABC News’ interactive election map here.
Also, check out the final 2020 presidential election forecast, Senate forecast and House forecast from FiveThirtyEight.
Nov 03, 5:04 am
Polls open in Vermont and close in Guam
Polls are opening in Vermont and closing in Guam.
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