thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-02--Seven Pennsylvania counties won't start counting mail-in ballots until Wednesday

The results of some 150,000 voters in Pennsylvania may not be finalized until as late as Friday after seven counties in the state said they wo n't start counting mail-in ballots until the day after Election Day .
Staffing concerns in Beaver , Cumberland , Franklin , Greene , Juniata , Mercer , and Montour counties , all of which voted Republican in the last three elections , have forced election officials to hold off on counting mail-in ballots until Wednesday , according to NBC News .
`` The canvassing , or counting , of mail-in and absentee ballots in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 at 9 a.m. , the day after the General Election , '' Cumberland County officials tweeted .
`` This action fully complies with state law .
Due to available resources and the COVID-19 pandemic , this will allow the county to give equal weight to in-person and mail-in and absentee ballots . ''
Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Kathy Boockvar , the top election official in the state , told the Wall Street Journal that the final results for the state might not be known until as late as Friday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' of counties will start counting ballots on Election Day .
Pennsylvania is one of 34 states that does not allow mail-in ballots to be counted until Election Day , according to Ballotpedia .
President Trump won Pennsylvania in 2016 by less than 1 percentage point — a margin of fewer than 45,000 ballots .
Given that nearly 3 times as many Democrats in Pennsylvania have voted early or by mail compared to Republicans , according to TargetSmart , holding off on counting those ballots in reliably red counties could give the misrepresentation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump on election night .
So far , more than 2.4 million voters in Pennsylvania have already cast their ballots using early voting or voting by mail , roughly 39 % of the total number of ballots cast in 2016 , according to the U.S. Election Project .
On Sunday night , Trump said that he was prepared to start a legal battle to cut off collecting ballots after Election Day .
Trump said it `` was n't fair '' that the results of the election might not immediately be known .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing when ballots can be collected after an election , '' Trump told reporters .
`` I think it ’ s a terrible thing when people or states are allowed to tabulate ballots for a long period of time after the election is over because it can only lead to one thing , and that ’ s very bad .
You know what that thing is .
I think it ’ s a very dangerous , terrible thing .
And I think it ’ s terrible when we can ’ t know the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election in a modern-day age of computers .
I think it ’ s a terrible thing . ''
Trump singled out Pennsylvania in his remarks after the Supreme Court ruled that Pennsylvania could accept ballots that arrive up to three days after Election Day as long as they 're postmarked by Nov. 3 .
`` We ’ re going to go in the night of — as soon as that election is over , we ’ re going in with our lawyers , '' he said .
`` But we don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you have a political governor , a very partisan guy , and we don ’ t want to have other states like Nevada , where you have the head of the Democratic clubhouse as your governor .
We don ’ t want to be in a position where he ’ s allowed to , every day , watch ballots come in — 'Gee , if we could only find 10,000 more ballots . '
'' Josh Shapiro , the attorney general of Pennsylvania , criticized Trump 's comments , saying that the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in .
`` FACT CHECK , '' Shapiro tweeted .
`` Our elections are over when all the votes are counted .
But if your lawyers want to try us , we ’ d be happy to defeat you in court one more time . ''

The results of some 150,000 voters in Pennsylvania may not be finalized until as late as Friday after seven counties in the state said they won't start counting mail-in ballots until the day after Election Day.
Staffing concerns in Beaver, Cumberland, Franklin, Greene, Juniata, Mercer, and Montour counties, all of which voted Republican in the last three elections, have forced election officials to hold off on counting mail-in ballots until Wednesday, according to NBC News.
[PREDICT TUESDAY’S WINNER WITH THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER’S INTERACTIVE ELECTORAL MAP]
"The canvassing, or counting, of mail-in and absentee ballots in Cumberland County will begin on Wed. Nov. 4 at 9 a.m., the day after the General Election," Cumberland County officials tweeted. "This action fully complies with state law. Due to available resources and the COVID-19 pandemic, this will allow the county to give equal weight to in-person and mail-in and absentee ballots."
Fully Complying With the Law: Cumberland County to Begin Counting Mail-in and Absentee Ballots Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 9 a.m.
View Release ➡ https://t.co/UcKXnBYiPX pic.twitter.com/Qqo2H9EDrL — Cumberland County PA (@ccpa_net) October 28, 2020
Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Kathy Boockvar, the top election official in the state, told the Wall Street Journal that the final results for the state might not be known until as late as Friday. She added that the "overwhelming majority" of counties will start counting ballots on Election Day. Pennsylvania is one of 34 states that does not allow mail-in ballots to be counted until Election Day, according to Ballotpedia.
President Trump won Pennsylvania in 2016 by less than 1 percentage point — a margin of fewer than 45,000 ballots. Given that nearly 3 times as many Democrats in Pennsylvania have voted early or by mail compared to Republicans, according to TargetSmart, holding off on counting those ballots in reliably red counties could give the misrepresentation of a larger margin in favor of Trump on election night.
So far, more than 2.4 million voters in Pennsylvania have already cast their ballots using early voting or voting by mail, roughly 39% of the total number of ballots cast in 2016, according to the U.S. Election Project.
On Sunday night, Trump said that he was prepared to start a legal battle to cut off collecting ballots after Election Day. Trump said it "wasn't fair" that the results of the election might not immediately be known.
"I think it’s a terrible thing when ballots can be collected after an election," Trump told reporters. "I think it’s a terrible thing when people or states are allowed to tabulate ballots for a long period of time after the election is over because it can only lead to one thing, and that’s very bad. You know what that thing is. I think it’s a very dangerous, terrible thing. And I think it’s terrible when we can’t know the results of an election the night of the election in a modern-day age of computers. I think it’s a terrible thing."
Trump singled out Pennsylvania in his remarks after the Supreme Court ruled that Pennsylvania could accept ballots that arrive up to three days after Election Day as long as they're postmarked by Nov. 3.
"We’re going to go in the night of — as soon as that election is over, we’re going in with our lawyers," he said. "But we don’t want to have Pennsylvania, where you have a political governor, a very partisan guy, and we don’t want to have other states like Nevada, where you have the head of the Democratic clubhouse as your governor. We don’t want to be in a position where he’s allowed to, every day, watch ballots come in — 'Gee, if we could only find 10,000 more ballots.'"
Josh Shapiro, the attorney general of Pennsylvania, criticized Trump's comments, saying that the election isn't over until all votes are in.
"FACT CHECK," Shapiro tweeted. "Our elections are over when all the votes are counted. But if your lawyers want to try us, we’d be happy to defeat you in court one more time."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-02--Trump summons ghost of 2016 upset with return to Grand Rapids for final rally

GRAND RAPIDS , Michigan — It was 1:30 in the morning when candidate Donald Trump took the stage for his final campaign rally in 2016 .
Rusty Richter was among the 3,000 people crammed inside DeVos Place in Grand Rapids , Michigan .
In his 35 years as a Republican activist , he said he watched everyone from Ronald Reagan to George W. Bush but that Trump commanded the room like no one he had ever seen before .
“ It was more exciting than any football game I ’ ve ever been to , ” he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have ever had in my life.
” Political event , football game , or maybe a resurrection .
Trailing in the polls and written off by pundits , Trump ’ s political run was all but dead when he appeared in Grand Rapids .
Less than 24 hours later , he was on his way to becoming president .
Trump returns to the city on Monday night for his final rally of the 2020 campaign as he tries to recreate the conditions that produced his upset win .
Not only is the small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but for those like Richter who saw magic four years ago , it is all part of the Trump legend .
“ He did it in 2016 .
He ’ s a guy who loves to beat the odds , ” said Richter , who will be at the president ’ s airport rally on Monday with his wife .
“ It ’ s very unconventional .
Wouldn ’ t most candidates end in a bigger city ?
And that defines who Trump is.
” The 2016 event has gone down in Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a campaign that beat the odds .
The president tells the story of how Ronna McDaniel , now chairwoman of the Republican National Committee but then the head of the Michigan party , urged him to tag on one last visit to the state in an effort to bring down the Democrats ’ “ blue wall.
” '' She said , ' I 'm telling you , sir , one more speech . '
I said I would do it one more time , but that is it , '' said Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The day after I got back , I said , ' I just got back from Michigan .
It was wonderful . '
'' “ I got a call from Ronna McDaniel , and she said , 'Can you do another speech ? '
'' Trump said .
`` She is the one that got me here after midnight . ''
In the event , he won Michigan by fewer than 11,000 votes .
Along with Pennsylvania and Wisconsin , it proved key to Trump ’ s Electoral College victory .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test .
Polls published over the weekend suggest Democratic nominee Joe Biden has a considerable advantage over Trump .
A poll conducted for CNN gave the Democratic challenger a 12-point lead , although a rolling average maintained by RealClearPolitics puts him a little over 5 points ahead .
The Trump campaign has poured personnel into the state .
Donald Trump Jr. spoke at a gun sight company on Saturday , and Ivanka Trump is due to speak in Eaton Falls on Monday , the first time in the town ’ s history that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to locals .
Trump will be joined by Vice President Mike Pence for an evening rally in Traverse City before the two come to Grand Rapids for the finale .
The city is a meeting point of the Left and the Right .
Kent County , comprising Grand Rapids and its suburbs , is dotted with parks and arts centers named for the DeVos family , who have been Republican donors for years and who furnished Trump with his education secretary , Betsy DeVos .
Yet , the city ’ s college @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a blue dot in a Republican stronghold .
Conventional wisdom has it that Republican candidates must vacuum up votes here in west Michigan to compensate for Democrats in Detroit .
Trump won Kent County four years ago by 3 points .
But in 2018 , it went for Democrat Gretchen Whitmer for governor by 4 points .
Returning to Grand Rapids both revives memories of 2016 and represents an astute tactical play , according to Michigan political analyst Bill Ballenger .
“ If Trump can win it again , that ’ s important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden wins Kent County , it ’ s over .
I don ’ t see any way Trump can win Michigan .
”

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — It was 1:30 in the morning when candidate Donald Trump took the stage for his final campaign rally in 2016.
Rusty Richter was among the 3,000 people crammed inside DeVos Place in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In his 35 years as a Republican activist, he said he watched everyone from Ronald Reagan to George W. Bush but that Trump commanded the room like no one he had ever seen before.
[PREDICT TUESDAY’S WINNER WITH THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER’S INTERACTIVE ELECTORAL MAP]
“It was more exciting than any football game I’ve ever been to,” he said. “Truly the most memorable political experience I have ever had in my life.”
Political event, football game, or maybe a resurrection. Trailing in the polls and written off by pundits, Trump’s political run was all but dead when he appeared in Grand Rapids.
Less than 24 hours later, he was on his way to becoming president.
Trump returns to the city on Monday night for his final rally of the 2020 campaign as he tries to recreate the conditions that produced his upset win.
Not only is the small city part of a crucial battleground, but for those like Richter who saw magic four years ago, it is all part of the Trump legend.
“He did it in 2016. He’s a guy who loves to beat the odds,” said Richter, who will be at the president’s airport rally on Monday with his wife. “It’s very unconventional. Wouldn’t most candidates end in a bigger city? And that defines who Trump is.”
The 2016 event has gone down in Trump lore as one of the defining moments of a campaign that beat the odds.
The president tells the story of how Ronna McDaniel, now chairwoman of the Republican National Committee but then the head of the Michigan party, urged him to tag on one last visit to the state in an effort to bring down the Democrats’ “blue wall.”
"She said, 'I'm telling you, sir, one more speech.' I said I would do it one more time, but that is it," said Trump during a September event in Michigan. "The day after I got back, I said, 'I just got back from Michigan. It was wonderful.'"
“I got a call from Ronna McDaniel, and she said, 'Can you do another speech?'" Trump said. "She is the one that got me here after midnight."
In the event, he won Michigan by fewer than 11,000 votes. Along with Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, it proved key to Trump’s Electoral College victory.
This time, he may face a stiffer test. Polls published over the weekend suggest Democratic nominee Joe Biden has a considerable advantage over Trump. A poll conducted for CNN gave the Democratic challenger a 12-point lead, although a rolling average maintained by RealClearPolitics puts him a little over 5 points ahead.
The Trump campaign has poured personnel into the state. Donald Trump Jr. spoke at a gun sight company on Saturday, and Ivanka Trump is due to speak in Eaton Falls on Monday, the first time in the town’s history that it has hosted a presidential campaign, according to locals.
Trump will be joined by Vice President Mike Pence for an evening rally in Traverse City before the two come to Grand Rapids for the finale.
The city is a meeting point of the Left and the Right. Kent County, comprising Grand Rapids and its suburbs, is dotted with parks and arts centers named for the DeVos family, who have been Republican donors for years and who furnished Trump with his education secretary, Betsy DeVos.
Yet, the city’s college students and artisan coffee houses make it a blue dot in a Republican stronghold.
Conventional wisdom has it that Republican candidates must vacuum up votes here in west Michigan to compensate for Democrats in Detroit.
Trump won Kent County four years ago by 3 points. But in 2018, it went for Democrat Gretchen Whitmer for governor by 4 points. Returning to Grand Rapids both revives memories of 2016 and represents an astute tactical play, according to Michigan political analyst Bill Ballenger.
“If Trump can win it again, that’s important,” he said. “If Biden wins Kent County, it’s over. I don’t see any way Trump can win Michigan.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-02--Nearly 70% of 2016 turnout has voted early in 2020 election

Nearly 70 % of those who voted in 2016 have cast their ballots ahead of Election Day in 2020 .
As of Tuesday morning , more than 95 million people have cast their ballot in the 2020 general election , according to the U.S .
Elections Project , which makes up 69.2 % of the votes counted in the general election four years ago .
In 2016 , more than 138 million votes were cast .
There has been a dramatic rise in turnout nationwide , and it is expected to balloon even further on Election Day .
Two states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counted more votes than they had in all of 2016 .
Seven other states — Florida , Georgia , North Carolina , Montana , Washington , Nevada , and New Mexico — have already surpassed 90 % of their 2016 turnout .
Approximately 240 million people are eligible to vote this year , according to Michael McDonald , a professor at the University of Florida who runs the U.S .
Elections Project , meaning roughly 40 % of the voting population have cast their ballots and will not be doing so on Election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no presidential election has had less than 50 % participation from eligible voters , while none eclipsed 62 % , according to USA Today .
Each of the last four elections had the highest percentage turnout in the last half-century .
McDonald predicted that 150 million people will ultimately participate in the general election , which would account for about 62.5 % of the eligible voting population .
If that happens , the 2020 presidential election would be decided by a higher percentage of voters than any presidential election since 1908 when Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bryan with 65.7 % of the voting-eligible population participating .
One scenario that could dampen the country 's record turnout involves mail-in ballots .
Many states expanded how long after Election Day they will accept ballots to be counted given the number of people who have opted to vote by mail amid the coronavirus pandemic , even though the Trump campaign is trying to prevent that from happening .
Last week , the Supreme Court ruled that North Carolina can accept ballots up to nine days after Election Day as long as they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court also ruled that Pennsylvania can accept ballots up to three days after Election Day .
If the GOP is able to get ballots excluded , turnout will inevitably drop as ballots are discounted .
Jason Miller , a Trump campaign adviser , suggested over the weekend the administration might start a legal battle to exclude ballots counted after Election Day to prevent an attempt by Democrats to `` steal back '' the election , even though most states will not have all of the ballots cast counted by Tuesday night .
Given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will still accept ballots and that some states have yet to begin counting all the early votes , it 's unlikely there will be a definitive winner on Tuesday , and it could take days for some states to declare a winner .

Nearly 70% of those who voted in 2016 have cast their ballots ahead of Election Day in 2020.
As of Tuesday morning, more than 95 million people have cast their ballot in the 2020 general election, according to the U.S. Elections Project, which makes up 69.2% of the votes counted in the general election four years ago. In 2016, more than 138 million votes were cast.
[PREDICT TUESDAY'S WINNER WITH THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER'S INTERACTIVE ELECTORAL MAP]
There has been a dramatic rise in turnout nationwide, and it is expected to balloon even further on Election Day. Two states, Texas and Hawaii, have already counted more votes than they had in all of 2016. Seven other states — Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Montana, Washington, Nevada, and New Mexico — have already surpassed 90% of their 2016 turnout.
Approximately 240 million people are eligible to vote this year, according to Michael McDonald, a professor at the University of Florida who runs the U.S. Elections Project, meaning roughly 40% of the voting population have cast their ballots and will not be doing so on Election Day.
Dating back 50 years, no presidential election has had less than 50% participation from eligible voters, while none eclipsed 62%, according to USA Today. Each of the last four elections had the highest percentage turnout in the last half-century.
McDonald predicted that 150 million people will ultimately participate in the general election, which would account for about 62.5% of the eligible voting population. If that happens, the 2020 presidential election would be decided by a higher percentage of voters than any presidential election since 1908 when Republican William Howard Taft defeated Democrat William Jennings Bryan with 65.7% of the voting-eligible population participating.
One scenario that could dampen the country's record turnout involves mail-in ballots. Many states expanded how long after Election Day they will accept ballots to be counted given the number of people who have opted to vote by mail amid the coronavirus pandemic, even though the Trump campaign is trying to prevent that from happening.
Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that North Carolina can accept ballots up to nine days after Election Day as long as they're postmarked by Tuesday. The high court also ruled that Pennsylvania can accept ballots up to three days after Election Day.
If the GOP is able to get ballots excluded, turnout will inevitably drop as ballots are discounted.
Jason Miller, a Trump campaign adviser, suggested over the weekend the administration might start a legal battle to exclude ballots counted after Election Day to prevent an attempt by Democrats to "steal back" the election, even though most states will not have all of the ballots cast counted by Tuesday night. Given how long after Election Day some states will still accept ballots and that some states have yet to begin counting all the early votes, it's unlikely there will be a definitive winner on Tuesday, and it could take days for some states to declare a winner.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-02--Closing argument: Trump talks economic revival as Biden blasts COVID-19 response

President Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden are making their closing arguments to voters on the final weekend of the campaign , with Trump hammering away at renewed economic growth , while Biden emphasizes the line that the president has blown the response to the coronavirus .
Trump has seized on new numbers showing an economic rebound , with a 33.1 % increase in GDP over the third quarter while also trying to drive up his .
“ Did you see the number today ?
33.1 GDP .
The biggest in the history of our country by almost triple , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crucial swing state , on the day the data was released .
“ Listen , his closing message is going to be the economic message .
Coming out of the pandemic , who ’ s the best person positioned to rebuild this economy ?
” White House communications director Alyssa Farah told reporters on Friday .
“ So , you ’ re going to hear a lot of that .
These other issues matter , but our closing message is , we ’ re going to defeat the virus , we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ My judgment is , tax cuts and deregulation and energy independence have worked before the pandemic , they ’ re now really continuing to work as we reopen the economy , ” White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow told reporters in a Trump campaign conference call .
“ I would not change courses midstream .
I would stay with the policies that brought us here and are bringing us into a strong recovery , which can last into 2021 and beyond.
” The economy was supposed to be the centerpiece of Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interrupted months of solid growth and 3.5 % unemployment .
It still remains the issue on which the president receives the highest marks in most polls .
But there are concerns that he is talking too much about Hunter Biden instead .
“ I think the president should talk more about how he has kept his promises and will keep fighting for the forgotten middle class and talk less about Joe Biden , ” said Republican strategist John Feehery .
“ The president ’ s closing message has been incredibly strong , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country was not in the middle of a global pandemic , ” said Christian Ferry , a Republican strategist who is supporting Biden .
“ Vice President Biden is doing a better job talking about the issues that matter to what few , if any , persuadable voters remain.
” Trump has acknowledged receiving this feedback himself .
“ I got a call from all the experts , right ?
Guys that ran for president six , seven , eight times , never got past the first round , but they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you shouldn ’ t be speaking about Hunter , ’ ” he said at a rally .
“ They say , 'Talk about your economic success .
Talk about 33.1 % , the greatest in history . '
Look , if I do , how many times can I say it ?
” Biden , by contrast , has tried to make the case that Trump ’ s COVID-19 response has been a deadly failure , that he is not temperamentally suited for the presidency , and that the recent economic gains do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has lost during the pandemic .
But the former vice president ’ s relatively light campaign schedule has been panned .
“ Biden is stumbling home and , of course , he wants to make this a referendum on Trump and COVID , ” Feehery said .
“ If Biden wins , this will be the first campaign in the modern era where a candidate did his level best to not campaign .
It 's weird.
” Yet Trump has planned battleground state campaign rallies as he rushes to close the gap before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inveigh against lockdowns in states with Democratic governors and contend that Biden ’ s policies will stop the economic recovery in its tracks .
The polling in the race has been surprisingly durable , with Biden in the lead , although there are some signs of tightening in the states most likely to decide the Electoral College outcome .
Trump is within striking distance if he can hold Pennsylvania and the Sun Belt states , while Biden is confident he can push as deep into Trump territory as Texas for a possible landslide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stable public opinion about the candidates raises the question of whether the final message will even be heard very much .
“ With so many ballots already cast and feelings as strong as they are , I think it ’ s questionable if anything can really change the outcome at this point , ” Ferry said .

President Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden are making their closing arguments to voters on the final weekend of the campaign, with Trump hammering away at renewed economic growth, while Biden emphasizes the line that the president has blown the response to the coronavirus.
Trump has seized on new numbers showing an economic rebound, with a 33.1% increase in GDP over the third quarter while also trying to drive up his opponent’s negatives .
“Did you see the number today? 33.1 GDP. The biggest in the history of our country by almost triple,” Trump boasted in Florida, a crucial swing state, on the day the data was released.
“Listen, his closing message is going to be the economic message. Coming out of the pandemic, who’s the best person positioned to rebuild this economy?” White House communications director Alyssa Farah told reporters on Friday. “So, you’re going to hear a lot of that. These other issues matter, but our closing message is, we’re going to defeat the virus, we’re going to defeat the economy.”
“My judgment is, tax cuts and deregulation and energy independence have worked before the pandemic, they’re now really continuing to work as we reopen the economy,” White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow told reporters in a Trump campaign conference call. “I would not change courses midstream. I would stay with the policies that brought us here and are bringing us into a strong recovery, which can last into 2021 and beyond.”
The economy was supposed to be the centerpiece of Trump’s case for reelection until the pandemic interrupted months of solid growth and 3.5% unemployment. It still remains the issue on which the president receives the highest marks in most polls. But there are concerns that he is talking too much about Hunter Biden instead.
“I think the president should talk more about how he has kept his promises and will keep fighting for the forgotten middle class and talk less about Joe Biden,” said Republican strategist John Feehery.
“The president’s closing message has been incredibly strong, if Hunter Biden were the Democratic nominee and the country was not in the middle of a global pandemic,” said Christian Ferry, a Republican strategist who is supporting Biden. “Vice President Biden is doing a better job talking about the issues that matter to what few, if any, persuadable voters remain.”
Trump has acknowledged receiving this feedback himself. “I got a call from all the experts, right? Guys that ran for president six, seven, eight times, never got past the first round, but they’re calling up, ‘Sir, you shouldn’t be speaking about Hunter,’” he said at a rally. “They say, 'Talk about your economic success. Talk about 33.1%, the greatest in history.' Look, if I do, how many times can I say it?”
Biden, by contrast, has tried to make the case that Trump’s COVID-19 response has been a deadly failure, that he is not temperamentally suited for the presidency, and that the recent economic gains do not compensate for the GDP the country has lost during the pandemic. But the former vice president’s relatively light campaign schedule has been panned.
“Biden is stumbling home and, of course, he wants to make this a referendum on Trump and COVID,” Feehery said. “If Biden wins, this will be the first campaign in the modern era where a candidate did his level best to not campaign. It's weird.”
Yet Trump has planned 14 more battleground state campaign rallies as he rushes to close the gap before Election Day. He is going to inveigh against lockdowns in states with Democratic governors and contend that Biden’s policies will stop the economic recovery in its tracks.
The polling in the race has been surprisingly durable, with Biden in the lead, although there are some signs of tightening in the states most likely to decide the Electoral College outcome. Trump is within striking distance if he can hold Pennsylvania and the Sun Belt states, while Biden is confident he can push as deep into Trump territory as Texas for a possible landslide win.
Record early voting and fairly stable public opinion about the candidates raises the question of whether the final message will even be heard very much.
“With so many ballots already cast and feelings as strong as they are, I think it’s questionable if anything can really change the outcome at this point,” Ferry said.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-02--Stuck listening to 'hold' music: Pool reporter says apparent 'mixup' caused him to miss Biden virtua

Stuck listening to 'hold' music: Pool reporter says apparent 'mixup' caused him to miss Biden virtual finance event

A reporter designated as the one to keep tabs on Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden 's activities on Sunday said he was cut out of a virtual finance event less than two days before Election Day .
Michael Mathes , a politics and Congress correspondent for Agence France-Presse , was the pool reporter who fed the goings-on of the campaign to the rest of the press corps for the day , issued a report Sunday evening that started by explaining why he was late to email his colleagues about the event .
`` There appeared to be a mixup with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virtual finance event , '' he wrote .
`` The campaign thought I was on the call , but I was listening to 'hold ' music .
So I did n't hear the call live , but they did send me a 30-minute clip of audio .
Unfortunate that I am getting this to you so late , but hiccups happen . ''
Mathes said he was told Biden was on the call along with Susan Rice , a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and former White House national security adviser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the U.N. Human Rights Council ; and her husband , Nike CEO John Donahoe .
A brief rundown of the 30-minute audio included Eileen Donahoe talking about how Biden needs a `` landslide '' victory against President Trump to create `` a giant buffer zone to withstand anything they throw at us .
And I think I speak for everyone when I say we really hope and pray that the money raised will be helping build that buffer zone in the last 48 hours . ''
Rice , who was considered a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mate before he settled on Sen. Kamala Harris , praised Biden 's foreign policy experience .
`` His wisdom , his experience , his strategic acumen , his hands-on engagement were absolutely indispensable in helping us work through the toughest issues on our agenda — from Iraq to Afghanistan to China to Russia , he gave extraordinary advice , great leadership , '' she said .
During his remarks and a Q & A that followed , Biden criticized Trump 's foreign policy record , particularly claiming how the president has `` caved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his handling of the coronavirus pandemic .
He also talked about concerns of voter suppression .
`` They 're trying to do everything they can to suppress the vote , and they 're trying to do everything to convince people it 's an illegitimate vote , so they can play games , '' Biden said at one point .
`` The president 's going to try to , I guess the best way to say it is as someone suggests , steal this election .
But the American people wo n't be silenced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clearing his throat several times throughout his remarks .
The reporter noted that the audio `` cut off as the hosts transitioned to what they called 'virtual photo lines . '
'' Biden spent the day at events in Philadelphia .
The vice president , who was born in Scranton , is dedicating much of the final leg of his campaign shoring up support in Pennsylvania , a battleground state with 20 electoral votes where Biden has a 4.3 percentage point advantage over Trump , according to a RealClearPolitics average of polls .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ margin in 2016 .
Although polling , in general , shows Biden ahead of Trump in the 2020 contest , FiveThirtyEight founder Nate Silver said on Sunday that Biden becomes `` an underdog '' if he loses Pennsylvania .
Silver added later that Biden is still the favorite to win the election .
`` We 've run our presidential forecast 38 times since yesterday morning and at no point have Biden 's odds been lower than 88.8 percent or higher than 89.8 percent .
Trump can win but polls that people are getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really changing the picture much , '' he tweeted .

A reporter designated as the one to keep tabs on Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's activities on Sunday said he was cut out of a virtual finance event less than two days before Election Day.
Michael Mathes, a politics and Congress correspondent for Agence France-Presse, was the pool reporter who fed the goings-on of the campaign to the rest of the press corps for the day, issued a report Sunday evening that started by explaining why he was late to email his colleagues about the event.
"There appeared to be a mixup with your pooler getting on to the Biden virtual finance event," he wrote. "The campaign thought I was on the call, but I was listening to 'hold' music. So I didn't hear the call live, but they did send me a 30-minute clip of audio. Unfortunate that I am getting this to you so late, but hiccups happen."
Mathes said he was told Biden was on the call along with Susan Rice, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and former White House national security adviser; Eileen Donahoe, former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Human Rights Council; and her husband, Nike CEO John Donahoe.
A brief rundown of the 30-minute audio included Eileen Donahoe talking about how Biden needs a "landslide" victory against President Trump to create "a giant buffer zone to withstand anything they throw at us. And I think I speak for everyone when I say we really hope and pray that the money raised will be helping build that buffer zone in the last 48 hours."
Rice, who was considered a top contender to be Biden's running mate before he settled on Sen. Kamala Harris, praised Biden's foreign policy experience.
"His wisdom, his experience, his strategic acumen, his hands-on engagement were absolutely indispensable in helping us work through the toughest issues on our agenda — from Iraq to Afghanistan to China to Russia, he gave extraordinary advice, great leadership," she said.
During his remarks and a Q&A that followed, Biden criticized Trump's foreign policy record, particularly claiming how the president has "caved" to China, as well as his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. He also talked about concerns of voter suppression.
"They're trying to do everything they can to suppress the vote, and they're trying to do everything to convince people it's an illegitimate vote, so they can play games," Biden said at one point. "The president's going to try to, I guess the best way to say it is as someone suggests, steal this election. But the American people won't be silenced."
Mathes wrote that Biden was clearing his throat several times throughout his remarks. The reporter noted that the audio "cut off as the hosts transitioned to what they called 'virtual photo lines.'"
Biden spent the day at events in Philadelphia. The vice president, who was born in Scranton, is dedicating much of the final leg of his campaign shoring up support in Pennsylvania, a battleground state with 20 electoral votes where Biden has a 4.3 percentage point advantage over Trump, according to a RealClearPolitics average of polls. Trump won the state by a slim margin in 2016.
Although polling, in general, shows Biden ahead of Trump in the 2020 contest, FiveThirtyEight founder Nate Silver said on Sunday that Biden becomes "an underdog" if he loses Pennsylvania. Silver added later that Biden is still the favorite to win the election. "We've run our presidential forecast 38 times since yesterday morning and at no point have Biden's odds been lower than 88.8 percent or higher than 89.8 percent. Trump can win but polls that people are getting very excited about/mad at/etc. aren't really changing the picture much," he tweeted.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-03--Nearly half of voters want Trump to leave politics if he loses, Washington Examiner/YouGov poll find

Nearly half of voters want Trump to leave politics if he loses, Washington Examiner/YouGov poll finds

Almost half of registered voters would like President Trump to leave politics entirely if he loses the election , according to a new poll released on Election Day .
The Washington Examiner/YouGov poll found that 48 % of respondents would like Trump to leave politics if he is defeated , while 17 % want him to run for president again in 2024 , and 18 % prefer he leave politics and back candidates who share his views .
Another 7 % chose “ something else , ” and 10 % didn ’ t know .
Trump has a massive Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ current events before he became a candidate for the presidency in 2015 .
He remains a big draw on the campaign trail .
If he loses , he would be eligible to run again for a single term under the 22nd Amendment .
Democrats overwhelmingly want Trump to leave politics entirely , with 77 % saying so to just 3 % who say he should run for president again .
Independents are more split , with a 47 % plurality wanting him to leave politics , to 15 % who prefer he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say he should leave politics but remain supportive of like-minded politicians .
Republicans are least likely to want Trump to go , with 38 % saying he should run for president again and 34 % saying he should leave politics but back new leaders who share his views .
Just 9 % want him to leave politics entirely .
Most voters are very or somewhat likely to accept the results if their preferred candidate loses by a large margin , with 65 % saying so .
Democrats and Republicans are equally likely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % and 64 % respectively .
But the results get tighter if the election does too .
The share of voters who say they are very or somewhat likely to accept the result of an election in which their candidate loses by a small margin drops to 48 % , with 30 % saying they are not very or not at all all likely to accept the results .
Republicans are less likely to accept a narrow loss at 41 % compared to 48 % for the Democrats .
Due to the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early and mail-in voting than has ever been done before .
Trump has repeatedly voiced skepticism about this process , and his campaign has filed lawsuits to stop states from counting additional ballots that come in after Election Day .
Democrats have also expressed concern about postal service problems delaying vote counting and have alleged GOP voter suppression efforts .
There is a high likelihood that some battleground states will be slow to announce results , especially where officials are not allowed to begin counting the early votes before Election Day .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disproportionately through in-person Election Day voting .
And the courts may end up deciding contested questions about ballot-counting .
All of the above factors are likely to create skepticism in some corners about a narrow loss .
Candidates declaring victory amid protracted counts will also generate scrutiny , as supporters of Democratic nominee Joe Biden have expressed concern that Trump will do so prematurely .
“ If the president wins on election night , ” a Trump campaign official told reporters on a conference call , “ he will say so.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters worry about the country fundamentally changing for the worse if their preferred candidate loses .
Some national polls show a large enough Biden lead to produce an unambiguous win .
But the presidential contest is decided state-by-state in the Electoral College and the battleground state polls are closer , the scenario that resulted in Trump ’ s election in 2016 .
The Washington Examiner/YouGov poll of 1,200 registered voters was conducted on Oct. 30 and has a margin of error of 3.8 % .

Almost half of registered voters would like President Trump to leave politics entirely if he loses the election, according to a new poll released on Election Day.
The Washington Examiner/YouGov poll found that 48% of respondents would like Trump to leave politics if he is defeated, while 17% want him to run for president again in 2024, and 18% prefer he leave politics and back candidates who share his views. Another 7% chose “something else,” and 10% didn’t know.
Trump has a massive Twitter following and frequently commented on politics and current events before he became a candidate for the presidency in 2015. He remains a big draw on the campaign trail. If he loses, he would be eligible to run again for a single term under the 22nd Amendment.
[PREDICT TUESDAY’S WINNER WITH THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER’S INTERACTIVE ELECTORAL MAP]
Democrats overwhelmingly want Trump to leave politics entirely, with 77% saying so to just 3% who say he should run for president again. Independents are more split, with a 47% plurality wanting him to leave politics, to 15% who prefer he would run again, and 14% who say he should leave politics but remain supportive of like-minded politicians.
Republicans are least likely to want Trump to go, with 38% saying he should run for president again and 34% saying he should leave politics but back new leaders who share his views. Just 9% want him to leave politics entirely.
Most voters are very or somewhat likely to accept the results if their preferred candidate loses by a large margin, with 65% saying so. Democrats and Republicans are equally likely to accept a large election loss, 63% and 64% respectively.
But the results get tighter if the election does too. The share of voters who say they are very or somewhat likely to accept the result of an election in which their candidate loses by a small margin drops to 48%, with 30% saying they are not very or not at all all likely to accept the results. Republicans are less likely to accept a narrow loss at 41% compared to 48% for the Democrats.
Due to the pandemic, there is a larger amount of early and mail-in voting than has ever been done before. Trump has repeatedly voiced skepticism about this process, and his campaign has filed lawsuits to stop states from counting additional ballots that come in after Election Day. Democrats have also expressed concern about postal service problems delaying vote counting and have alleged GOP voter suppression efforts.
There is a high likelihood that some battleground states will be slow to announce results, especially where officials are not allowed to begin counting the early votes before Election Day. The Trump vote is also expected to come disproportionately through in-person Election Day voting. And the courts may end up deciding contested questions about ballot-counting. All of the above factors are likely to create skepticism in some corners about a narrow loss.
Candidates declaring victory amid protracted counts will also generate scrutiny, as supporters of Democratic nominee Joe Biden have expressed concern that Trump will do so prematurely. “If the president wins on election night,” a Trump campaign official told reporters on a conference call, “he will say so.”
The poll also found a large majority of voters worry about the country fundamentally changing for the worse if their preferred candidate loses.
Some national polls show a large enough Biden lead to produce an unambiguous win. But the presidential contest is decided state-by-state in the Electoral College and the battleground state polls are closer, the scenario that resulted in Trump’s election in 2016.
The Washington Examiner/YouGov poll of 1,200 registered voters was conducted on Oct. 30 and has a margin of error of 3.8%.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-05--Libertarians make case to be America's third party with million-vote showing

The Libertarian Party presidential nominee crossed the 1 million vote threshold for the third straight election , this time without a prominent Republican defector on the ticket , suggesting the party may have become the default third option for disaffected voters .
Libertarian Jo Jorgensen and her running mate , Spike Cohen , have received over 1.6 million votes nationwide as of Wednesday evening .
While this puts them in a distant third place behind Democrats Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and the Republican ticket of President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence , it is nearly 1.3 million more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strongest third-party candidate , the Green Party ’ s Howie Hawkins .
It is also the second-best showing by a Libertarian presidential candidate in history , surpassing former New Mexico Gov .
Gary Johnson ’ s first bid in 2012 .
Jorgensen ’ s 1.1 % of the popular vote also ties Ed Clark ’ s in 1980 for the second-highest of any Libertarian .
Clark , who had David Koch of the Koch brothers fame as his running mate , held the record for 36 years until Johnson , who chose another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his 2016 running mate , broke it .
Some have even called Jorgensen a spoiler .
“ If it holds , candidate got 38,000 votes in Wisconsin and margin between and is less than 21,000 votes , ” tweeted Scott Walker , the former Republican governor .
Usually , it is the Greens facing such accusations from Democrats , such as Ralph Nader during the 2000 defeat of Al Gore and Jill Stein in the 2016 loss of Hillary Clinton .
The GOP has been known to blame the Libertarians for failed Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll be surprised if either Trump or Biden is actually cost a state by virtue of Jojo , ” said Liz Mair , a communications strategist who has advised Republican candidates .
“ Did Biden end up in a tighter race than he expected because some small-l libertarians couldn ’ t quite get there between him being more restrictionist on pot than Hillary Clinton and things like court-packing and picking a VP nominee who was far , far to the left of him ?
We ’ ll never know for sure , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Johnson ’ s 4,489,233 raw votes and 3.3 % of the national total four years ago remain the peak Libertarian performance .
But this is by far the best a relatively unknown Libertarian candidate has ever done .
Jorgensen has already easily bested Bob Barr ’ s 523,713 votes in 2008 and Ron Paul ’ s 431,750 in 1988 .
Paul subsequently returned to the Republican Party , then Congress , and then increased small-l libertarian influence through two more popular GOP presidential campaigns .
The standard vote range for a typical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 500,000 votes nationally .
The last obscure Libertarian nominee , Michael Badnarik in 2004 , won 397,265 votes .
Harry Browne received 485,759 votes with Jorgensen as his running mate in 1996 .
In addition to Jorgensen , Libertarian Ricky Harrington was the sole opponent running against Sen. Tom Cotton , an Arkansas Republican .
Harrington drew 33.3 % of the vote , with 97 % reporting .
Libertarians are also a very distant third behind Democrats and Republicans in the 32 states that allow voter registration by party , according to Richard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 652,261 .
This is well ahead of the Greens and the Constitution Party .
“ I think the fact that Jojo was a way purer libertarian than Gary Johnson and achieved those vote totals gives you a sense that there are a lot of people who are deeply aggrieved with the two-party system in this country , ” Mair said .
“ Not enough people to scrap it , but we ’ ve now had three elections in a row where it seems to me that despite the fact that populism of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well , popular , Libertarian showings have given the major parties a reason to find ways to cater to these voters — but they haven ’ t really been doing it.
” Libertarian-leaning Republicans had some successes , with Cynthia Lummis winning a Senate seat in Wyoming and Nancy Mace beating an incumbent House Democrat in South Carolina .
Marijuana legalization ballot initiatives also did well in red states Trump won easily .
“ Since Tuesday night , we ’ ve brought home 110 wins in state legislative races across the country through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Door .
This means that we ’ ve now secured an all-time total of 166 wins since we launched the program in 2018 , ” said Cliff Maloney , president of Young Americans for Liberty .
“ Make no mistake : This serves as a powerful testament to the hard work of our activists and staff over the last two years .
To date , our teams have knocked an astronomical 2,934,550 doors .
I couldn ’ t be more proud to be a part of this extraordinary effort to restore the @ @ @

The Libertarian Party presidential nominee crossed the 1 million vote threshold for the third straight election, this time without a prominent Republican defector on the ticket, suggesting the party may have become the default third option for disaffected voters.
Libertarian Jo Jorgensen and her running mate, Spike Cohen, have received over 1.6 million votes nationwide as of Wednesday evening. While this puts them in a distant third place behind Democrats Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and the Republican ticket of President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, it is nearly 1.3 million more votes than was received by the next strongest third-party candidate, the Green Party’s Howie Hawkins.
It is also the second-best showing by a Libertarian presidential candidate in history, surpassing former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson’s first bid in 2012. Jorgensen’s 1.1% of the popular vote also ties Ed Clark’s in 1980 for the second-highest of any Libertarian. Clark, who had David Koch of the Koch brothers fame as his running mate, held the record for 36 years until Johnson, who chose another former GOP governor in William Weld as his 2016 running mate, broke it.
Some have even called Jorgensen a spoiler. “If it holds, @LPNational candidate got 38,000 votes in Wisconsin and margin between @JoeBiden and @realDonaldTrump is less than 21,000 votes,” tweeted Scott Walker, the former Republican governor.
Usually, it is the Greens facing such accusations from Democrats, such as Ralph Nader during the 2000 defeat of Al Gore and Jill Stein in the 2016 loss of Hillary Clinton. The GOP has been known to blame the Libertarians for failed Senate races.
“Ultimately, I’ll be surprised if either Trump or Biden is actually cost a state by virtue of Jojo,” said Liz Mair, a communications strategist who has advised Republican candidates. “Did Biden end up in a tighter race than he expected because some small-l libertarians couldn’t quite get there between him being more restrictionist on pot than Hillary Clinton and things like court-packing and picking a VP nominee who was far, far to the left of him? We’ll never know for sure, but I think it’s quite possible.”
Johnson’s 4,489,233 raw votes and 3.3% of the national total four years ago remain the peak Libertarian performance. But this is by far the best a relatively unknown Libertarian candidate has ever done. Jorgensen has already easily bested Bob Barr’s 523,713 votes in 2008 and Ron Paul’s 431,750 in 1988. Paul subsequently returned to the Republican Party, then Congress, and then increased small-l libertarian influence through two more popular GOP presidential campaigns.
The standard vote range for a typical Libertarian presidential nominee is between 250,000 and 500,000 votes nationally. The last obscure Libertarian nominee, Michael Badnarik in 2004, won 397,265 votes. Harry Browne received 485,759 votes with Jorgensen as his running mate in 1996.
In addition to Jorgensen, Libertarian Ricky Harrington was the sole opponent running against Sen. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican. Harrington drew 33.3% of the vote, with 97% reporting. Libertarians are also a very distant third behind Democrats and Republicans in the 32 states that allow voter registration by party, according to Richard Winger of Ballot Access News, at 652,261. This is well ahead of the Greens and the Constitution Party.
“I think the fact that Jojo was a way purer libertarian than Gary Johnson and achieved those vote totals gives you a sense that there are a lot of people who are deeply aggrieved with the two-party system in this country,” Mair said. “Not enough people to scrap it, but we’ve now had three elections in a row where it seems to me that despite the fact that populism of the leftist and rightist varieties seem very, well, popular, Libertarian showings have given the major parties a reason to find ways to cater to these voters — but they haven’t really been doing it.”
Libertarian-leaning Republicans had some successes, with Cynthia Lummis winning a Senate seat in Wyoming and Nancy Mace beating an incumbent House Democrat in South Carolina. Marijuana legalization ballot initiatives also did well in red states Trump won easily.
“Since Tuesday night, we’ve brought home 110 wins in state legislative races across the country through our grassroots program, Operation Win at the Door. This means that we’ve now secured an all-time total of 166 wins since we launched the program in 2018,” said Cliff Maloney, president of Young Americans for Liberty. “Make no mistake: This serves as a powerful testament to the hard work of our activists and staff over the last two years. To date, our teams have knocked an astronomical 2,934,550 doors. I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of this extraordinary effort to restore the republic.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-05--Trump sues in three states, laying ground for contesting outcome

WASHINGTON — President Trump 's campaign filed lawsuits Wednesday in Pennsylvania , Michigan , and Georgia , laying the groundwork for contesting battleground states as he slipped behind Democrat Joe Biden in the hunt for the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House .
The new filings , joining existing Republican legal challenges in Pennsylvania and Nevada , demand better access for campaign observers to locations where ballots are being processed and counted , and absentee ballot concerns , the campaign said .
However , at one Michigan location in question , the Associated Press observed poll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Associated Press called Michigan for Biden on Wednesday .
Nevada , Pennsylvania , and Georgia are undecided .
The Trump campaign also is seeking to intervene in a Pennsylvania case at the Supreme Court that deals with whether ballots received up to three days after the election can be counted , deputy campaign manager Justin Clark said .
The actions reveal an emerging legal strategy that the president had signaled for weeks , namely that he would attack the integrity of the voting process in states where the result could mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it would ask for a recount in Wisconsin , a state the Associated Press called for Biden on Wednesday afternoon .
Campaign manager Bill Stepien cited `` irregularities in several Wisconsin counties , '' without providing specifics .
Biden said Wednesday the count should continue in all states , adding , `` No one 's going to take our democracy away from us — not now , not ever . ''
His campaign did n't immediately comment on the new lawsuits in Michigan or Pennsylvania over access for observers .
But it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is calling the `` Biden Fight Fund . ''
`` Our legal team is standing by , and they will prevail , '' Biden campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon wrote in a fundraising email to supporters earlier Wednesday .
Election officials continued to count votes across the country , the normal process on the day following voting .
Unlike in previous years , states were contending with an avalanche of mail ballots driven by fears of voting in person during a pandemic .
At least 103 million people voted early , either by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the total votes cast in the 2016 presidential election .
Every election , results reported on election night are unofficial and the counting of ballots extends past Election Day .
Mail ballots normally take more time to verify and count .
This year , because of the large numbers of mail ballots and a close race , results were expected to take longer .
The Trump campaign said it is calling for a temporary halt in the counting in Michigan and Pennsylvania until it is given `` meaningful '' access in numerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already have been opened and processed .
The Associated Press 's Michigan call for Biden came after the suit was filed .
The president is ahead in Pennsylvania , but his margin is shrinking as more mailed ballots are counted .
There have been no reports of fraud or any type of ballot concerns out of Pennsylvania .
The state had 3.1 million mail-in ballots that take time to count , and an order allows them to be received and counted up until Friday if they were postmarked by Election Day .
Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CNN interview the lawsuit was `` more a political document than a legal document . ''
`` There is transparency in this process .
The counting has been going on .
There are observers observing this counting , and the counting will continue , '' he said .
The Michigan lawsuit claims Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson , a Democrat , was allowing absentee ballots to be counted without teams of bipartisan observers as well as challengers .
She 's accused of undermining the `` constitutional right of all Michigan voters ... to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Michigan Democrats said the suit was a long shot .
Poll watchers from both sides were plentiful Wednesday at one major polling place in question — the TCF Center in Detroit , the Associated Press observed .
They checked in at a table near the entrance to the convention center 's Hall E and strolled among the tables where ballot processing was taking place .
In some cases , they arrived en masse and huddled together for a group discussion before fanning out to the floor .
Uniformed Detroit police officers were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behaving .
Mark Brewer , a former state Democratic chairman who said he was observing the Detroit vote counting as a volunteer lawyer , said he had been at the TCF arena all day and had talked with others who had been there the past couple of days .
He said Republicans had not been denied access .
`` This is the best absentee ballot counting operation that Detroit has ever had , '' he said .
`` They are counting ballots very efficiently , despite the obstructing tactics of the Republicans .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenges involving absentee votes in Pennsylvania and Nevada , contesting local decisions that could take on national significance in the close election .
In one appeal to a Pennsylvania appellate court , the Trump campaign complained that one of its representatives was prevented from seeing the writing on mail-in ballots that were being opened and processed in Philadelphia .
A judge in Philadelphia dismissed it , saying that poll observers are directed to observe , not audit .
The Georgia lawsuit filed in Chatham County essentially asks a judge to ensure the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Campaign officials said they were considering peppering a dozen other counties around the state with similar claims around absentee ballots .
Trump , addressing supporters at the White House early Wednesday , talked about taking the undecided race to the Supreme Court .
Though it was unclear what he meant , his comments evoked a reprise of the court 's intervention in the 2000 presidential election that ended with a decision effectively handing the presidency to George W. Bush .
But there are important differences from 2000 , and they already were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida was the critical state , and Bush clung to a small lead .
Democrat Al Gore asked for a recount , and the Supreme Court stopped it .
To some election law experts , calling for the Supreme Court to intervene now seemed premature , if not rash .
A case would have to come to the court from a state in which the outcome would determine the election 's winner , Richard Hasen , a University of California , Irvine law professor , wrote on the Election Law blog .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have to be smaller than the ballots at stake in the lawsuit .
`` As of this moment ( though things can change ) it does not appear that either condition will be met , '' Hasen wrote .
Ohio State University election law professor Edward Foley wrote on Twitter Wednesday : `` The valid votes will be counted .
( The Supreme Court ) would be involved only if there were votes of questionable validity that would make a difference , which might not be the case .
The rule of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the popular vote in each state .
Let the rule of law work . ''
Biden campaign attorney Bob Bauer said if Trump goes to the high court , `` he will be in for one of the most embarrassing defeats a president has ever suffered by the highest court in the land . ''
The justices could decide to step into the dispute over the three-day extension for absentee ballots if they prove crucial to the outcome in Pennsylvania .
Even a small number of contested votes could matter if a state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the gap between Trump and Biden is small .

WASHINGTON — President Trump's campaign filed lawsuits Wednesday in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Georgia, laying the groundwork for contesting battleground states as he slipped behind Democrat Joe Biden in the hunt for the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House.
The new filings, joining existing Republican legal challenges in Pennsylvania and Nevada, demand better access for campaign observers to locations where ballots are being processed and counted, and absentee ballot concerns, the campaign said. However, at one Michigan location in question, the Associated Press observed poll watchers from both sides monitoring on Wednesday.
The Associated Press called Michigan for Biden on Wednesday. Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Georgia are undecided.
The Trump campaign also is seeking to intervene in a Pennsylvania case at the Supreme Court that deals with whether ballots received up to three days after the election can be counted, deputy campaign manager Justin Clark said.
The actions reveal an emerging legal strategy that the president had signaled for weeks, namely that he would attack the integrity of the voting process in states where the result could mean his defeat.
His campaign also announced that it would ask for a recount in Wisconsin, a state the Associated Press called for Biden on Wednesday afternoon. Campaign manager Bill Stepien cited "irregularities in several Wisconsin counties," without providing specifics.
Biden said Wednesday the count should continue in all states, adding, "No one's going to take our democracy away from us — not now, not ever."
His campaign didn't immediately comment on the new lawsuits in Michigan or Pennsylvania over access for observers. But it has been seeking donations for what it is calling the "Biden Fight Fund."
"Our legal team is standing by, and they will prevail," Biden campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon wrote in a fundraising email to supporters earlier Wednesday.
Election officials continued to count votes across the country, the normal process on the day following voting. Unlike in previous years, states were contending with an avalanche of mail ballots driven by fears of voting in person during a pandemic. At least 103 million people voted early, either by mail or in-person, representing 74% of the total votes cast in the 2016 presidential election.
Every election, results reported on election night are unofficial and the counting of ballots extends past Election Day. Mail ballots normally take more time to verify and count. This year, because of the large numbers of mail ballots and a close race, results were expected to take longer.
The Trump campaign said it is calling for a temporary halt in the counting in Michigan and Pennsylvania until it is given "meaningful" access in numerous locations and allowed to review ballots that already have been opened and processed.
The Associated Press's Michigan call for Biden came after the suit was filed. The president is ahead in Pennsylvania, but his margin is shrinking as more mailed ballots are counted.
There have been no reports of fraud or any type of ballot concerns out of Pennsylvania. The state had 3.1 million mail-in ballots that take time to count, and an order allows them to be received and counted up until Friday if they were postmarked by Election Day.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a CNN interview the lawsuit was "more a political document than a legal document."
"There is transparency in this process. The counting has been going on. There are observers observing this counting, and the counting will continue," he said.
The Michigan lawsuit claims Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, was allowing absentee ballots to be counted without teams of bipartisan observers as well as challengers. She's accused of undermining the "constitutional right of all Michigan voters ... to participate in fair and lawful elections." Michigan Democrats said the suit was a long shot.
Poll watchers from both sides were plentiful Wednesday at one major polling place in question — the TCF Center in Detroit, the Associated Press observed. They checked in at a table near the entrance to the convention center's Hall E and strolled among the tables where ballot processing was taking place. In some cases, they arrived en masse and huddled together for a group discussion before fanning out to the floor. Uniformed Detroit police officers were on hand to make sure everyone was behaving.
Mark Brewer, a former state Democratic chairman who said he was observing the Detroit vote counting as a volunteer lawyer, said he had been at the TCF arena all day and had talked with others who had been there the past couple of days. He said Republicans had not been denied access.
"This is the best absentee ballot counting operation that Detroit has ever had," he said. "They are counting ballots very efficiently, despite the obstructing tactics of the Republicans."
GOP lawyers had already launched legal challenges involving absentee votes in Pennsylvania and Nevada, contesting local decisions that could take on national significance in the close election.
In one appeal to a Pennsylvania appellate court, the Trump campaign complained that one of its representatives was prevented from seeing the writing on mail-in ballots that were being opened and processed in Philadelphia. A judge in Philadelphia dismissed it, saying that poll observers are directed to observe, not audit.
The Georgia lawsuit filed in Chatham County essentially asks a judge to ensure the state laws are being followed on absentee ballots. Campaign officials said they were considering peppering a dozen other counties around the state with similar claims around absentee ballots.
Trump, addressing supporters at the White House early Wednesday, talked about taking the undecided race to the Supreme Court. Though it was unclear what he meant, his comments evoked a reprise of the court's intervention in the 2000 presidential election that ended with a decision effectively handing the presidency to George W. Bush.
But there are important differences from 2000, and they already were on display. In 2000, Republican-controlled Florida was the critical state, and Bush clung to a small lead. Democrat Al Gore asked for a recount, and the Supreme Court stopped it.
To some election law experts, calling for the Supreme Court to intervene now seemed premature, if not rash.
A case would have to come to the court from a state in which the outcome would determine the election's winner, Richard Hasen, a University of California, Irvine law professor, wrote on the Election Law blog. The difference between the candidates' vote totals would have to be smaller than the ballots at stake in the lawsuit.
"As of this moment (though things can change) it does not appear that either condition will be met," Hasen wrote.
Ohio State University election law professor Edward Foley wrote on Twitter Wednesday: "The valid votes will be counted. (The Supreme Court) would be involved only if there were votes of questionable validity that would make a difference, which might not be the case. The rule of law will determine the official winner of the popular vote in each state. Let the rule of law work."
Biden campaign attorney Bob Bauer said if Trump goes to the high court, "he will be in for one of the most embarrassing defeats a president has ever suffered by the highest court in the land."
The justices could decide to step into the dispute over the three-day extension for absentee ballots if they prove crucial to the outcome in Pennsylvania.
Even a small number of contested votes could matter if a state determines the winner of the election and the gap between Trump and Biden is small.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-05--Biden transition team website goes live as battleground states remain uncalled

No news outlet has projected that Joe Biden will be the winner of the presidential election , but his campaign is charging forward with acting like victors and preparing to take control of the White House .
The latest signal : A transition team website for a Biden-Harris administration went live on Wednesday afternoon .
The site 's URL uses one of Biden 's campaign taglines , Build Back Better .
Just one page is accessible to the public , with a photograph of the former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee and a brief explanatory paragraph .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the next President of the United States .
Votes are still being counted in several states around the country .
The crises facing the country are severe — from a pandemic to an economic recession , climate change to racial injustice — and the transition team will continue preparing at full speed so that the Biden‑Harris Administration can hit the ground running on Day One , '' the website says .
Earlier on Wednesday , Biden gave a speech in which he stopped short of declaring victory but suggested that it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states finish counting vote totals and news organizations project that he will win the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the presidency .
“ I ’ m not here to declare that we ’ ve won , but I am here to report , when the count is finished , we believe we will be the winners , '' Biden said Wednesday in Wilmington , Delaware .
President Trump has similarly declared himself the victor , `` claiming '' wins in Pennsylvania , Michigan , North Carolina , and Georgia , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been called , and Michigan has been called for Biden .

No news outlet has projected that Joe Biden will be the winner of the presidential election, but his campaign is charging forward with acting like victors and preparing to take control of the White House.
The latest signal: A transition team website for a Biden-Harris administration went live on Wednesday afternoon.
The site's URL uses one of Biden's campaign taglines, Build Back Better. Just one page is accessible to the public, with a photograph of the former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee and a brief explanatory paragraph.
"The American people will determine who will serve as the next President of the United States. Votes are still being counted in several states around the country. The crises facing the country are severe — from a pandemic to an economic recession, climate change to racial injustice — and the transition team will continue preparing at full speed so that the Biden‑Harris Administration can hit the ground running on Day One," the website says.
Earlier on Wednesday, Biden gave a speech in which he stopped short of declaring victory but suggested that it is just a matter of time before battleground states finish counting vote totals and news organizations project that he will win the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the presidency.
“I’m not here to declare that we’ve won, but I am here to report, when the count is finished, we believe we will be the winners," Biden said Wednesday in Wilmington, Delaware.
President Trump has similarly declared himself the victor, "claiming" wins in Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, and Georgia, even though three of those states have not been called, and Michigan has been called for Biden.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-04--Republicans ready to fight alongside Trump as he contests election results

President Trump vowed to fight on as contested battleground states were declared for Democratic challenger Joe Biden , and many Republicans were ready to man the barricades with him as long as there remain legal options to pursue .
“ President Trump should not concede under any circumstances until we know the final and fair vote tally in each of these critically close states , ” said conservative strategist Chris Barron .
“ We elected Trump because he is a fighter — for far too long , Democrats would fight like hell after elections to make sure their votes were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away .
If , for some reason , Trump comes up short , he should immediately announce his intention to run again in 2024.
” “ I think Trump has to explore every legal angle and contest every vote that he can , ” said Republican strategist John Feehery .
“ Not just because he thought he won , but also because his voters think he won .
Transparency is about the only thing that will help the country to move forward.
” Trump supporters went to sleep across the country with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Pennsylvania , the trifecta of Upper Midwestern states that tore down the blue wall and secured his Electoral College majority in 2016 .
When they awoke , it was all slipping away .
Wisconsin and Michigan were called for Biden on Wednesday .
The Trump campaign has now filed lawsuits against Michigan and Pennsylvania while requesting a recount in Wisconsin .
`` We are declaring a victory in Pennsylvania , '' Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien told reporters on a Wednesday afternoon conference call .
`` Democrats are scheming to disenfranchise and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager Justin Clark said in a statement .
“ President Trump and his team are fighting to put a stop to it . ''
“ They are working hard to make up 500,000 vote advantage in Pennsylvania disappear — ASAP , ” Trump tweeted .
“ Likewise , Michigan and others !
” Twitter flagged the president ’ s message as misleading .
Trump later weighed in on Michigan ’ s Senate race .
“ Wow !
It looks like Michigan has now found the ballots necessary to keep a wonderful young man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Senate , ” he tweeted , referring to the Republican running against Sen. Gary Peters , a Michigan Democrat .
“ What a terrible thing is happening !
” Trump once again exceeded expectations and overperformed his poll numbers .
With many analysts forecasting a Biden landslide , Trump fought him to a draw or better in the key swing states , and the presidential race remains too close to call a day later .
Trump is even on track to exceed his 2016 share of the popular vote , despite trailing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RealClearPolitics national polling average , which predicted he would win just 44 % .
Biden is currently up by 2 points .
But as early and mail-in votes were tabulated after a strong showing by Trump in in-person Election Day voting , Biden began to catch up to and surpass the president in many of these states .
Biden now sits on the cusp of an Electoral College majority .
`` We 're winning the election .
We 've won the election .
And we 're going to defend that election , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counsel under President Barack Obama and now a lawyer for the Biden team .
Trump early Wednesday morning expressed concern that Democratic-led states would keep accepting new ballots until they could declare Biden the winner .
He has long been critical of mass mail-in voting .
Democrats and state officials have described these claims as wholly without merit , saying they are merely counting votes that have already legitimately been cast .
Still , Republicans have a longstanding skepticism about Democratic vote-counting that dates back to the old urban political machines .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ break in the counts while Trump was still ahead .
“ It is more than a bit fishy that the Democrats in big cities in battleground states would magically all decide that they could n't count the votes through the night but would have to take a break , ” Feehery said .
“ Most Americans have just enough cynicism that they see through these types of charades.
” Republican insiders nevertheless think Trump should tread more carefully .
“ Trump should keep quiet and let the lawyers do their work , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign is over , and he 's not changing any minds with his bullying rhetoric .
They may find something to litigate — some of these states changed their rules in the middle of the game — but his public statements need to stop in order for him to have any credibility.
” “ I suggest the campaign and election lawyers for the president hold a press conference where the political operatives explain what is happening and the lawyers explain in plain English what is being considered with regard to legal actions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long will it take , ” said Republican strategist Bradley Blakeman .

President Trump vowed to fight on as contested battleground states were declared for Democratic challenger Joe Biden, and many Republicans were ready to man the barricades with him as long as there remain legal options to pursue.
“President Trump should not concede under any circumstances until we know the final and fair vote tally in each of these critically close states,” said conservative strategist Chris Barron. “We elected Trump because he is a fighter — for far too long, Democrats would fight like hell after elections to make sure their votes were counted, while spineless Republicans simply whimpered away. If, for some reason, Trump comes up short, he should immediately announce his intention to run again in 2024.”
“I think Trump has to explore every legal angle and contest every vote that he can,” said Republican strategist John Feehery. “Not just because he thought he won, but also because his voters think he won. Transparency is about the only thing that will help the country to move forward.”
Trump supporters went to sleep across the country with the president leading in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, the trifecta of Upper Midwestern states that tore down the blue wall and secured his Electoral College majority in 2016. When they awoke, it was all slipping away. Wisconsin and Michigan were called for Biden on Wednesday.
The Trump campaign has now filed lawsuits against Michigan and Pennsylvania while requesting a recount in Wisconsin. "We are declaring a victory in Pennsylvania," Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien told reporters on a Wednesday afternoon conference call. "Democrats are scheming to disenfranchise and dilute Republican votes,” deputy campaign manager Justin Clark said in a statement. “President Trump and his team are fighting to put a stop to it."
“They are working hard to make up 500,000 vote advantage in Pennsylvania disappear — ASAP,” Trump tweeted. “Likewise, Michigan and others!” Twitter flagged the president’s message as misleading.
Trump later weighed in on Michigan’s Senate race. “Wow! It looks like Michigan has now found the ballots necessary to keep a wonderful young man, John James, out of the U.S. Senate,” he tweeted, referring to the Republican running against Sen. Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat. “What a terrible thing is happening!”
Trump once again exceeded expectations and overperformed his poll numbers. With many analysts forecasting a Biden landslide, Trump fought him to a draw or better in the key swing states, and the presidential race remains too close to call a day later. Trump is even on track to exceed his 2016 share of the popular vote, despite trailing Biden by 7.5 points in the final RealClearPolitics national polling average, which predicted he would win just 44%. Biden is currently up by 2 points.
But as early and mail-in votes were tabulated after a strong showing by Trump in in-person Election Day voting, Biden began to catch up to and surpass the president in many of these states. Biden now sits on the cusp of an Electoral College majority. "We're winning the election. We've won the election. And we're going to defend that election,” said Bob Bauer, former White House counsel under President Barack Obama and now a lawyer for the Biden team.
Trump early Wednesday morning expressed concern that Democratic-led states would keep accepting new ballots until they could declare Biden the winner. He has long been critical of mass mail-in voting. Democrats and state officials have described these claims as wholly without merit, saying they are merely counting votes that have already legitimately been cast.
Still, Republicans have a longstanding skepticism about Democratic vote-counting that dates back to the old urban political machines. It was magnified by Tuesday night’s break in the counts while Trump was still ahead.
“It is more than a bit fishy that the Democrats in big cities in battleground states would magically all decide that they couldn't count the votes through the night but would have to take a break,” Feehery said. “Most Americans have just enough cynicism that they see through these types of charades.”
Republican insiders nevertheless think Trump should tread more carefully.
“Trump should keep quiet and let the lawyers do their work,” said a Republican operative. “The campaign is over, and he's not changing any minds with his bullying rhetoric. They may find something to litigate — some of these states changed their rules in the middle of the game — but his public statements need to stop in order for him to have any credibility.”
“I suggest the campaign and election lawyers for the president hold a press conference where the political operatives explain what is happening and the lawyers explain in plain English what is being considered with regard to legal actions, why it is necessary, and how long will it take,” said Republican strategist Bradley Blakeman.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-04--Exit polls show Trump with historic support from Jewish voters

President Trump received more than 30 % of the Jewish vote across the country on Election Day , a record-setting number for a Republican nominee going back three decades .
Exit polling of Jewish voters conducted by the Republican Jewish Coalition showed Trump with 30.5 % with this bloc versus Democratic nominee Joe Biden , an improvement of 6.5 percentage points over his performance four years ago .
That figure translated into even more support from Jews in Florida , a critical swing state where media-conducted exit polls showed Trump receiving more than 40 % of the vote from this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than $ 5 million to turn out the Jewish vote for Trump in Florida .
The group said their effort worked because the president ’ s message was appealing , as was , especially , his record on issues relating to Israel .
During his first term , Trump moved the United States Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and negotiated peace agreements between Israel and three Arab nations .
“ The Jewish community did respond to things that Donald Trump has done , ” said Norm Coleman , national chairman of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minnesota senator .
In exit polling of Florida conducted by Fox News and the Associated Press , Trump won 43 % of the Jewish vote .
Post-election surveys from the New York Times pegged the president ’ s support among Jews in the state at 41 % .
The Republican Jewish Coalition said Trump ’ s performance with this voting bloc was critical to his 3 percentage-point victory in Florida , a state he absolutely needed to win to reach 270 Electoral College votes and to secure a second term .
Nationally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump received was the highest level of support a Republican nominee for president has received from Jews going back to at least 1992 .
That year , George H.W .
Bush received 11 % of the Jewish vote , followed by Bob Dole four years later with 16 % , George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004 with 19 % and 24 % , respectively , John McCain in 2008 with 22 % , and Mitt Romney in 2012 with 30 % .
Matt Brooks , executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Jewish voters was even more remarkable considering the charges of anti-Semitism and racism thrown at him during his first term .
The president , Brooks said , overcame “ four years of the most unprecedented , intense , lying and character assassination that I have ever seen in my nearly 30 years of doing this.
” Jon Lerner , a Republican pollster who helped conduct the exit poll , said Trump led Biden among Jewish voters who prioritized the economy , leading 71 % to 17 % .
The president ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cared most about foreign policy was even bigger — 87 % to 6 % .
`` Trump policy on Israel was clearly a significant , substantial factor in Trump 's performance among Jewish voters , '' Lerner said .

President Trump received more than 30% of the Jewish vote across the country on Election Day, a record-setting number for a Republican nominee going back three decades.
Exit polling of Jewish voters conducted by the Republican Jewish Coalition showed Trump with 30.5% with this bloc versus Democratic nominee Joe Biden, an improvement of 6.5 percentage points over his performance four years ago. That figure translated into even more support from Jews in Florida, a critical swing state where media-conducted exit polls showed Trump receiving more than 40% of the vote from this cohort.
The Republican Jewish Coalition invested more than $5 million to turn out the Jewish vote for Trump in Florida. The group said their effort worked because the president’s message was appealing, as was, especially, his record on issues relating to Israel. During his first term, Trump moved the United States Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and negotiated peace agreements between Israel and three Arab nations.
“The Jewish community did respond to things that Donald Trump has done,” said Norm Coleman, national chairman of the Republican Jewish Coalition and a former Minnesota senator.
In exit polling of Florida conducted by Fox News and the Associated Press, Trump won 43% of the Jewish vote. Post-election surveys from the New York Times pegged the president’s support among Jews in the state at 41%. The Republican Jewish Coalition said Trump’s performance with this voting bloc was critical to his 3 percentage-point victory in Florida, a state he absolutely needed to win to reach 270 Electoral College votes and to secure a second term.
Nationally, the 30.5% of the Jewish vote Trump received was the highest level of support a Republican nominee for president has received from Jews going back to at least 1992. That year, George H.W. Bush received 11% of the Jewish vote, followed by Bob Dole four years later with 16%, George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004 with 19% and 24%, respectively, John McCain in 2008 with 22%, and Mitt Romney in 2012 with 30%.
Matt Brooks, executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, said Trump’s increased support from Jewish voters was even more remarkable considering the charges of anti-Semitism and racism thrown at him during his first term. The president, Brooks said, overcame “four years of the most unprecedented, intense, lying and character assassination that I have ever seen in my nearly 30 years of doing this.”
Jon Lerner, a Republican pollster who helped conduct the exit poll, said Trump led Biden among Jewish voters who prioritized the economy, leading 71% to 17%. The president’s lead over Biden with Jewish voters who cared most about foreign policy was even bigger — 87% to 6%.
"Trump policy on Israel was clearly a significant, substantial factor in Trump's performance among Jewish voters," Lerner said.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-04--Bloomberg's $100M Florida gambit fails

Bloomberg's $100M Florida gambit fails

Following the most expensive , and failed , presidential primary campaign in history , Michael Bloomberg could be forgiven for throwing in the towel .
But after spending more than $ 1 billion on his own electoral efforts earlier this year , the former mayor of New York City followed that up with $ 100 million in spending in Florida for former Vice President Joe Biden that led to nothing .
In Florida , President Trump expanded his performance there significantly from 2016 , earning over 51 % of the vote .
In both Ohio and Texas , where Bloomberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victory there were nearly identical to that of 2016 .
A breakdown of the spending shows Bloomberg , whose net worth is estimated at northward of $ 54 billion , shelled out $ 36 million on television ads in Florida between September and November and over $ 15 million on ads in Texas and Ohio .
Bloomberg 's team insisted after the races were called that the businessman 's strategy was simply to force Trump to exert resources in those states to help Biden in Rust Belt states such as Wisconsin , Michigan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent over $ 1.2 billion on electoral efforts in the last year .
His billion-dollar-plus quixotic presidential primary campaign resulted in a mere 49 delegates .

Following the most expensive, and failed, presidential primary campaign in history, Michael Bloomberg could be forgiven for throwing in the towel.
But after spending more than $1 billion on his own electoral efforts earlier this year, the former mayor of New York City followed that up with $100 million in spending in Florida for former Vice President Joe Biden that led to nothing.
In Florida, President Trump expanded his performance there significantly from 2016, earning over 51% of the vote. In both Ohio and Texas, where Bloomberg also spent millions, his margins of victory there were nearly identical to that of 2016.
A breakdown of the spending shows Bloomberg, whose net worth is estimated at northward of $54 billion, shelled out $36 million on television ads in Florida between September and November and over $15 million on ads in Texas and Ohio.
Bloomberg's team insisted after the races were called that the businessman's strategy was simply to force Trump to exert resources in those states to help Biden in Rust Belt states such as Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.
All-in, Bloomberg spent over $1.2 billion on electoral efforts in the last year. His billion-dollar-plus quixotic presidential primary campaign resulted in a mere 49 delegates.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-04--Trump campaign declares victory in Pennsylvania with thousands of ballots uncounted

President Trump 's campaign manager declared victory in Pennsylvania , even though tens of thousands of votes remain to be counted and the contest has not been called .
Trump led the vote count , 52 % to 46.5 % , with about 85 % of the votes in .
`` We are declaring a victory in Pennsylvania , '' Trump 2020 campaign manager Bill Stepien told reporters on a Wednesday afternoon call .
The campaign said it is suing to put a stop to the counting of mail-in votes , which Biden 's team said earlier they think will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Miller , a senior adviser to the campaign , said on the call that they are `` completely confident '' that Trump would secure Pennsylvania .
`` Even if the Democrats channel their inner 1960 Chicago allies of JFK , they still could not come up with enough ballots to win this thing . ''
Trump needs the state 's 20 electoral votes to have any chance of winning .
Stepien said Trump allies , including former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani , were in Philadelphia to ensure `` magical ballots are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and Trump campaign senior advisers Corey Lewandowski , Lara Trump , and Eric Trump are expected to be in attendance .
`` Bad things are happening in Pennsylvania , '' said deputy campaign manager Justin Clark in a lengthy statement .
`` Democrats are scheming to disenfranchise and dilute Republican votes .
President Trump and his team are fighting to put a stop to it . ''
Miller also called on the Associated Press and Fox News to retract earlier announcements declaring Biden the winner in @ @

President Trump's campaign manager declared victory in Pennsylvania, even though tens of thousands of votes remain to be counted and the contest has not been called.
Trump led the vote count, 52% to 46.5%, with about 85% of the votes in.
"We are declaring a victory in Pennsylvania," Trump 2020 campaign manager Bill Stepien told reporters on a Wednesday afternoon call. The campaign said it is suing to put a stop to the counting of mail-in votes, which Biden's team said earlier they think will put them over the top.
Jason Miller, a senior adviser to the campaign, said on the call that they are "completely confident" that Trump would secure Pennsylvania. "Even if the Democrats channel their inner 1960 Chicago allies of JFK, they still could not come up with enough ballots to win this thing."
Trump needs the state's 20 electoral votes to have any chance of winning.
Stepien said Trump allies, including former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, were in Philadelphia to ensure "magical ballots are not delivered by Gov. Wolf."
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and Trump campaign senior advisers Corey Lewandowski, Lara Trump, and Eric Trump are expected to be in attendance.
"Bad things are happening in Pennsylvania," said deputy campaign manager Justin Clark in a lengthy statement. "Democrats are scheming to disenfranchise and dilute Republican votes. President Trump and his team are fighting to put a stop to it."
Miller also called on the Associated Press and Fox News to retract earlier announcements declaring Biden the winner in Arizona.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-04--Georgia Republican Party accuses Fulton officials of counting ballots 'in secret'

Georgia 's Republican Party claimed on Wednesday that alleged improprieties in the counting of votes in a crucial county which could swing the vote in the state .
David Shafer , the chairman of the state GOP , announced his concerns over the validity of vote counting in Fulton County on Twitter .
`` Fulton County told our observers last night to go home because they were closing up and then continued to count ballots in secret , '' Shafer wrote .
Sixteen electoral votes are at stake in Georgia , a state which has not yet been called as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on votes in Fulton County that could help the historically red state turn blue for Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
Election officials said they are `` committed to ensuring that every vote is counted '' in a statement released by the county .
“ Fulton County , along with sister counties across the metro area and many across the nation , continues to process absentee ballots , '' read the statement from Fulton County .
`` A small team of Fulton County Registration & Election workers continued to process absentee ballots overnight last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work starting at 8:30 a.m. today .
Last night , 74,000 absentee ballots were tabulated included in reported results .
There are approximately 42,400 to be opened , scanned and adjudicated today .
Approximately 25,000 ballots have been scanned and are awaiting adjudication .
An adjudication review panel will meet at 2 p.m. today at the Fulton County Election Preparation Center , 1365 English Street , Atlanta 30318 . ''
During a morning press conference on Wednesday morning , Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger reiterated that “ every legal vote in Georgia @ @ @ @

Georgia's Republican Party claimed on Wednesday that alleged improprieties in the counting of votes in a crucial county which could swing the vote in the state.
David Shafer, the chairman of the state GOP, announced his concerns over the validity of vote counting in Fulton County on Twitter.
"Fulton County told our observers last night to go home because they were closing up and then continued to count ballots in secret," Shafer wrote.
Fulton County told our observers last night to go home because they were closing up and then continued to count ballots in secret. — David Shafer (@DavidShafer) November 4, 2020
Sixteen electoral votes are at stake in Georgia, a state which has not yet been called as of Wednesday afternoon.
All eyes are on votes in Fulton County that could help the historically red state turn blue for Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Election officials said they are "committed to ensuring that every vote is counted" in a statement released by the county.
“Fulton County, along with sister counties across the metro area and many across the nation, continues to process absentee ballots," read the statement from Fulton County. "A small team of Fulton County Registration & Election workers continued to process absentee ballots overnight last night. A larger team continued that work starting at 8:30 a.m. today. Last night, 74,000 absentee ballots were tabulated included in reported results. There are approximately 42,400 to be opened, scanned and adjudicated today. Approximately 25,000 ballots have been scanned and are awaiting adjudication. An adjudication review panel will meet at 2 p.m. today at the Fulton County Election Preparation Center, 1365 English Street, Atlanta 30318."
During a morning press conference on Wednesday morning, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger reiterated that “every legal vote in Georgia will count."