cnbc--2020-11-05--Supreme Court leans in favor of Catholic adoption agency that won't work with LGBT couples

The Supreme Court 's conservative majority on Wednesday seemed prepared to rule in favor of a Roman Catholic adoption agency in Philadelphia that argued that it is entitled to discriminate against potential foster parents on the basis of sexual orientation .
Arguments in the case , known as Fulton v. City of Philadelphia , No .
19-123 , concluded around 12 p.m .
ET , as the votes from the previous night 's election between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden continued to be tabulated .
The case was the first major dispute to come before Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the court late last month .
Barrett 's views on LGBT rights and religion came under heavy scrutiny during her Senate confirmation process .
Trump suggested early Wednesday morning that he would challenge the results of the election at the Supreme Court , though the topic of the 2020 race was not broached during the course of two hours of arguments .
NBC News has not yet called a winner in the presidential contest .
The adoption agency case arose after the city of Philadelphia learned in 2018 that Catholic Social Services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Roman Catholic Church , would not certify same-sex couples as suitable parents for children in the city 's foster care system .
After Philadelphia learned about CSS ' policy , the city stopped referring the group new children , citing a city law prohibiting sexual orientation discrimination , and updated its 2019 contract with foster care services providers to explicitly forbid such discrimination against potential parents .
Catholic Social Services argues that Philadelphia 's exclusion of it from the city 's foster care system amounts to religious discrimination , in violation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ religious exercise .
Two lower courts sided with Philadelphia , citing the 1990 Supreme Court precedent known as Employment Division v. Smith , which permits laws that affect religion as long as they are neutral and generally applied .
CSS asked the court to overturn Smith , which was authored by the late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia .
Arguments featured a familiar clash between the court 's conservatives , who now occupy six of the nine seats on the bench and have proven deferential to religious interests , and its liberals , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of sexual minorities .
`` Coming into oral arguments , I might have said the court would side with the adoption agency either six to three or five to four , '' said Elizabeth Sepper , a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin who studies religious liberty and equality .
Based on arguments , she said , `` we can count to five pretty clearly . ''
Sepper said that the `` foundational disagreement '' raised during arguments was whether the court will see CSS as running a government program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to provide a service .
Religious groups typically have little leeway to shape government programs that they object to .
`` I was listening closely as to whether there would be hints as to reversal of Smith , and Smith just did not come up all that much in oral argument , '' Sepper said .
`` They just wanted to go round and round as to what this program is , whether it 's a government program or regulation . ''
The court 's liberal wing , which includes Justices Stephen Breyer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seemed to latch onto arguments made by Neal Katyal , the attorney for Philadelphia , that the stakes of the case extended to virtually all government services .
`` I do n't think the framing of this as religion versus same-sex equality is the right one , '' Katyal told the justices , saying it could more aptly be described as `` religion versus religion . ''
Katyal said that if the court allows CSS to claim an exemption to Philadelphia 's nondiscrimination law , it would `` radiate far beyond foster care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would allow private contractors to refuse to provide services to religious groups from `` Buddhist to Baptist '' if those contractors cite their own religious convictions .
Jeffrey Fisher , who represented two nonprofits siding with Philadelphia , suggested that the rule that CSS was pushing for could allow police officers to decline to enforce certain laws if they cite religious reasons .
But the court 's conservatives seemed to think that Philadelphia had an ulterior motive and was not being respectful of CSS ' religious beliefs .
Justice Brett Kavanaugh , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it appeared Philadelphia was `` looking for a fight '' and `` created a clash . ''
`` If we are honest about what is really going on here , it 's not about ensuring that same-sex couples in Philadelphia have the opportunity to be foster parents , '' said Justice Samuel Alito , an appointee of President George W. Bush .
`` It 's the fact the city ca n't stand the message that Catholic Social Services and the Archdiocese are sending by continuing to adhere to the old-fashioned view about marriage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that she viewed Philadelphia as overreaching .
She asked Katyal whether a state could take over hospitals and force the doctors to perform abortions .
Katyal responded that the reason Barrett 's hypothetical sounded so bad was the premise that a state could take over hospitals in the first place , which he suggested was not analogous to Philadelphia 's role in the foster care system , and raised distinct problems .
Both the liberal justices and the conservatives suggested that the other side was making the case harder than it needed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that no same-sex couple had ever approached CSS , and that , if they had , the group would have simply referred them to another one of the city 's many agencies .
`` I fully appreciate the stigmatic harm , '' Kavanaugh said .
`` But we need to find a balance that also respects religious beliefs . ''
Kavanaugh called Philadelphia 's position `` absolutist '' and `` extreme '' and said it would require the court to `` go back on the promise of respect for religious believers '' that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court 's landmark 2015 ruling legalizing same-sex marriage , Obergefell v. Hodges .
On the other side , Breyer said that Philadelphia had agreed to allow CSS to note its objections to same-sex couples , as long as it did not refuse to work with them .
`` What 's the problem ?
I still do n't quite see it , '' Breyer asked of Lori Windham , who argued on behalf of CSS .
`` They say they are imposing a requirement that does not interfere with your — they ca n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ? ''
Windham said that even if CSS were to `` tag a disclaimer '' on its forms related to same-sex couples , it would still require the group to `` evaluate , assess , and approve '' of relationships that go against its religious beliefs .
Hashim Mooppan , a Justice Department attorney who argued on behalf of the U.S. in favor of CSS , said that Philadelphia 's nondiscrimination policy targeted religion because it provided exceptions for some secular purposes , but did not provide an exemption to CSS .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ itself engages in the consideration of protected traits when certifying and placing foster children , '' Mooppan said , noting that a potential foster parent 's disability status or race could sometimes be considered .
Katyal said that he could find only one instance of Philadelphia considering the race of potential foster parents .
The city , he said , decided not to place a foster child who had used a racial slur in the home of a family of that race .
Several of the justices pressed Windham and Mooppan to explain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups to discriminate on the basis of race , such as by rejecting interracial couples .
The attorneys said that it would not , though their explanations did not seem to satisfy the court 's Democratic appointees .
CSS sued alongside two foster moms , Sharonell Fulton and Toni Simms-Busch .
Attorneys for the women provided statements on their behalf after arguments concluded .
Fulton said that as `` a single woman of color , I 've learned a thing or two about discrimination over the years— but I 've never experienced the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have expressed toward my faith . ''
Simms-Busch said she was `` grateful the Justices took our arguments seriously and seemed to understand that foster parents like me just want to provide loving homes for children . ''
Marcel Pratt , City Solicitor of Philadelphia , said in a statement that Philadelphia `` proudly respects and protects all of our residents ' religious freedoms , a commitment that we hold dear .
But those freedoms do not allow contractors performing a City service to choose which residents they will serve based on their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the opportunity to present our case to the Court today .
The Court asked hard questions of both sides , and we are grateful for them .
We look forward to the Court 's resolution of this important case , '' Pratt added .
A decision in the case is expected by the end of June .

The Supreme Court's conservative majority on Wednesday seemed prepared to rule in favor of a Roman Catholic adoption agency in Philadelphia that argued that it is entitled to discriminate against potential foster parents on the basis of sexual orientation.
Arguments in the case, known as Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, No. 19-123, concluded around 12 p.m. ET, as the votes from the previous night's election between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden continued to be tabulated.
The case was the first major dispute to come before Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who was confirmed to the court late last month. Barrett's views on LGBT rights and religion came under heavy scrutiny during her Senate confirmation process.
Trump suggested early Wednesday morning that he would challenge the results of the election at the Supreme Court, though the topic of the 2020 race was not broached during the course of two hours of arguments. NBC News has not yet called a winner in the presidential contest.
The adoption agency case arose after the city of Philadelphia learned in 2018 that Catholic Social Services, a foster care services provider affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church, would not certify same-sex couples as suitable parents for children in the city's foster care system.
After Philadelphia learned about CSS' policy, the city stopped referring the group new children, citing a city law prohibiting sexual orientation discrimination, and updated its 2019 contract with foster care services providers to explicitly forbid such discrimination against potential parents.
Catholic Social Services argues that Philadelphia's exclusion of it from the city's foster care system amounts to religious discrimination, in violation of the First Amendment's protections for religious exercise.
Two lower courts sided with Philadelphia, citing the 1990 Supreme Court precedent known as Employment Division v. Smith, which permits laws that affect religion as long as they are neutral and generally applied. CSS asked the court to overturn Smith, which was authored by the late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia.
Arguments featured a familiar clash between the court's conservatives, who now occupy six of the nine seats on the bench and have proven deferential to religious interests, and its liberals, who are typically more protective of the rights of sexual minorities.
"Coming into oral arguments, I might have said the court would side with the adoption agency either six to three or five to four," said Elizabeth Sepper, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin who studies religious liberty and equality. Based on arguments, she said, "we can count to five pretty clearly."
Sepper said that the "foundational disagreement" raised during arguments was whether the court will see CSS as running a government program or as the recipient of a license to provide a service. Religious groups typically have little leeway to shape government programs that they object to.
"I was listening closely as to whether there would be hints as to reversal of Smith, and Smith just did not come up all that much in oral argument," Sepper said. "They just wanted to go round and round as to what this program is, whether it's a government program or regulation."
The court's liberal wing, which includes Justices Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor, seemed to latch onto arguments made by Neal Katyal, the attorney for Philadelphia, that the stakes of the case extended to virtually all government services.
"I don't think the framing of this as religion versus same-sex equality is the right one," Katyal told the justices, saying it could more aptly be described as "religion versus religion."
Katyal said that if the court allows CSS to claim an exemption to Philadelphia's nondiscrimination law, it would "radiate far beyond foster care." He said such a ruling would allow private contractors to refuse to provide services to religious groups from "Buddhist to Baptist" if those contractors cite their own religious convictions.
Jeffrey Fisher, who represented two nonprofits siding with Philadelphia, suggested that the rule that CSS was pushing for could allow police officers to decline to enforce certain laws if they cite religious reasons.
But the court's conservatives seemed to think that Philadelphia had an ulterior motive and was not being respectful of CSS' religious beliefs. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was appointed by Trump, told Katyal it appeared Philadelphia was "looking for a fight" and "created a clash."
"If we are honest about what is really going on here, it's not about ensuring that same-sex couples in Philadelphia have the opportunity to be foster parents," said Justice Samuel Alito, an appointee of President George W. Bush.
"It's the fact the city can't stand the message that Catholic Social Services and the Archdiocese are sending by continuing to adhere to the old-fashioned view about marriage," Alito said.
Barrett suggested that she viewed Philadelphia as overreaching.
She asked Katyal whether a state could take over hospitals and force the doctors to perform abortions.
Katyal responded that the reason Barrett's hypothetical sounded so bad was the premise that a state could take over hospitals in the first place, which he suggested was not analogous to Philadelphia's role in the foster care system, and raised distinct problems.
Both the liberal justices and the conservatives suggested that the other side was making the case harder than it needed to be.
Alito and Kavanaugh repeatedly mentioned that no same-sex couple had ever approached CSS, and that, if they had, the group would have simply referred them to another one of the city's many agencies.
"I fully appreciate the stigmatic harm," Kavanaugh said. "But we need to find a balance that also respects religious beliefs."
Kavanaugh called Philadelphia's position "absolutist" and "extreme" and said it would require the court to "go back on the promise of respect for religious believers" that Justice Anthony Kennedy had included in the court's landmark 2015 ruling legalizing same-sex marriage, Obergefell v. Hodges.
On the other side, Breyer said that Philadelphia had agreed to allow CSS to note its objections to same-sex couples, as long as it did not refuse to work with them.
"What's the problem? I still don't quite see it," Breyer asked of Lori Windham, who argued on behalf of CSS.
"They say they are imposing a requirement that does not interfere with your — they can't figure out, how does it interfere?"
Windham said that even if CSS were to "tag a disclaimer" on its forms related to same-sex couples, it would still require the group to "evaluate, assess, and approve" of relationships that go against its religious beliefs.
Hashim Mooppan, a Justice Department attorney who argued on behalf of the U.S. in favor of CSS, said that Philadelphia's nondiscrimination policy targeted religion because it provided exceptions for some secular purposes, but did not provide an exemption to CSS.
"The city both requires, tolerates and itself engages in the consideration of protected traits when certifying and placing foster children," Mooppan said, noting that a potential foster parent's disability status or race could sometimes be considered.
Katyal said that he could find only one instance of Philadelphia considering the race of potential foster parents. The city, he said, decided not to place a foster child who had used a racial slur in the home of a family of that race.
Several of the justices pressed Windham and Mooppan to explain whether CSS' position would enable religious groups to discriminate on the basis of race, such as by rejecting interracial couples. The attorneys said that it would not, though their explanations did not seem to satisfy the court's Democratic appointees.
CSS sued alongside two foster moms, Sharonell Fulton and Toni Simms-Busch. Attorneys for the women provided statements on their behalf after arguments concluded.
Fulton said that as "a single woman of color, I've learned a thing or two about discrimination over the years— but I've never experienced the vindictive religious discrimination the City's politicians have expressed toward my faith."
Simms-Busch said she was "grateful the Justices took our arguments seriously and seemed to understand that foster parents like me just want to provide loving homes for children."
Marcel Pratt, City Solicitor of Philadelphia, said in a statement that Philadelphia "proudly respects and protects all of our residents' religious freedoms, a commitment that we hold dear. But those freedoms do not allow contractors performing a City service to choose which residents they will serve based on their sexual orientation."
"We appreciated the opportunity to present our case to the Court today. The Court asked hard questions of both sides, and we are grateful for them. We look forward to the Court's resolution of this important case," Pratt added.
A decision in the case is expected by the end of June.


cnbc--2020-11-05--Postal Service data shows poor mail-in ballot delivery rate in key swing states, judge suggests Post

Postal Service data shows poor mail-in ballot delivery rate in key swing states, judge suggests Postmaster General DeJoy might have to testify

Returned ballots , where the voter could not be located , are stacked in United States Postal Service containers during the 2020 Presidential election in Provo , Utah , U.S. , on Tuesday , Nov. 3 , 2020 .
The Postal Service on Election Day failed to deliver a significant percentage of mail-in ballots to several states that could determine who wins the presidential contest between President Donald Trump and Joe Biden , data filed with a federal court suggested Wednesday .
The states seeing relatively poor levels of mail deliveries of ballots include Georgia , Pennsylvania , Michigan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which have yet to declare victors in their tallies for Trump and Biden .
The current vote tallies in those states show thin margins between the two candidates .
The outcomes in those states could hinge on the mailed-in ballots .
A Postal Service spokesman later Wednesday said that , `` The assumption that there are unaccounted ballots within the Postal Service network is inaccurate . ''
`` These ballots were delivered in advance of the election deadlines , '' the spokesman said .
`` We employed extraordinary measures to deliver ballots directly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this occurs , by design , these ballots bypass certain processing operations and do not receive a final scan .
Instead , they are expedited directly to the boards of elections .
We remain in close contact with state and local boards of elections and we do not currently have any open issues .
Additionally , the Postal Inspection Service has physically inspected all plants that process ballots . ''
The Postal Service also Wednesday told a federal judge that it had failed to comply with his order that Postal officials sweep mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots on Tuesday during the time frame set by the judge .
The disclosures came in advance of hearing in U.S. District Court in Washington , D.C. Judge Emmet Sullivan , at that hearing , was furious with the failure of Postal officials to inform him on Tuesday of the failure to do the sweeps as ordered , as opposed to telling him on Wednesday , long after poll locations were closed nationwide .
`` Someone may have a price to pay for that , '' said Sullivan , who also said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testify or be deposed in the case .
`` I 'd like you to explain just what the heck happened yesterday , '' Sullivan told Joseph Borson , the Justice Department lawyer who is representing the Postal Service in the case .
Borson said that the sweeps of the facilities already had been scheduled to happen after the 3 p.m .
ET Tuesday deadline set by Sullivan , and that they could not be moved to earlier .
`` The postmaster is either going to have to be deposed or appear before me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actions were not taken after the court issued its injunction , '' Sullivan said .
`` Whether we should spend time on that today , I 'm not sure we should , but I 'm not going to forget it either . ''
Kevin Bray , the Postal Service executive responsible for mail processing in the election , testified about the ballot handling process when the hearing resumed .

Returned ballots, where the voter could not be located, are stacked in United States Postal Service containers during the 2020 Presidential election in Provo, Utah, U.S., on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020.
The Postal Service on Election Day failed to deliver a significant percentage of mail-in ballots to several states that could determine who wins the presidential contest between President Donald Trump and Joe Biden, data filed with a federal court suggested Wednesday.
The states seeing relatively poor levels of mail deliveries of ballots include Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina and Wisconsin, all of which have yet to declare victors in their tallies for Trump and Biden.
The current vote tallies in those states show thin margins between the two candidates. The outcomes in those states could hinge on the mailed-in ballots.
A Postal Service spokesman later Wednesday said that, "The assumption that there are unaccounted ballots within the Postal Service network is inaccurate."
"These ballots were delivered in advance of the election deadlines," the spokesman said.
"We employed extraordinary measures to deliver ballots directly to local boards of elections. When this occurs, by design, these ballots bypass certain processing operations and do not receive a final scan. Instead, they are expedited directly to the boards of elections. We remain in close contact with state and local boards of elections and we do not currently have any open issues. Additionally, the Postal Inspection Service has physically inspected all plants that process ballots."
The Postal Service also Wednesday told a federal judge that it had failed to comply with his order that Postal officials sweep mail facilities in 12 geographic areas for remaining ballots on Tuesday during the time frame set by the judge. The disclosures came in advance of hearing in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.
Judge Emmet Sullivan, at that hearing, was furious with the failure of Postal officials to inform him on Tuesday of the failure to do the sweeps as ordered, as opposed to telling him on Wednesday, long after poll locations were closed nationwide.
"Someone may have a price to pay for that," said Sullivan, who also said that Postmaster General Louis DeJoy may have to testify or be deposed in the case.
"I'd like you to explain just what the heck happened yesterday," Sullivan told Joseph Borson, the Justice Department lawyer who is representing the Postal Service in the case. Borson said that the sweeps of the facilities already had been scheduled to happen after the 3 p.m. ET Tuesday deadline set by Sullivan, and that they could not be moved to earlier.
"The postmaster is either going to have to be deposed or appear before me and testify under oath about why some actions were not taken after the court issued its injunction," Sullivan said.
"Whether we should spend time on that today, I'm not sure we should, but I'm not going to forget it either."
Kevin Bray, the Postal Service executive responsible for mail processing in the election, testified about the ballot handling process when the hearing resumed.


cnbc--2020-11-04--Mike Bloomberg takes big losses after spending over $100 million in Florida, Ohio and Texas

Billionaire and former presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg 's more than $ 100 million investment into three key states fell flat as President Donald Trump appears to have captured all of them .
In the months after Bloomberg dropping out of the Democratic primary , the New York business leader huddled with advisors to plot a spending blitz to help Democratic nominee Joe Biden overtake Trump .
It was initially decided that most of a $ 100 million spend would go toward the pivotal state of Florida .
Later he would add Ohio and Texas into the mix .
NBC News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in those states .
Bloomberg 's team believed that if they spent big in Florida , it would force Trump and his allies to shift resources away from other regions of the country and into the key battleground state .
`` Our goal was to make Trump fight for a state he was taking for granted and draw resources from blue-wall states , allowing Joe Biden to become more competitive in those states , '' Kevin Sheekey , an advisor to Bloomberg , explained .
`` To make Trump fight like hell in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amount of losses for Bloomberg in 2020 is a major blow , considering he 's known as one of the leading kingmakers in the Democratic Party .
He has a net worth of more than $ 54 billion and spent $ 1 billion on his primary run for president that ended up winning only a few dozen delegates , including some from the American Samoa caucus The respect that Bloomberg had within the party was evident in the buildup to Election Day as he plowed millions into the Sunshine State .
Democratic leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were going to defeat Trump there , in part on the basis that Bloomberg was flooding the airwaves with ads , according to people familiar with the matter who declined to be named .
They believed that Bloomberg 's messaging machine was enough to push Biden over the edge and flip Florida back to the Democrats after losing there in 2016 .
There were even discussions that some Democratic leaders were going to try to convince Biden to offer Bloomberg a Cabinet post , these people added .
Those efforts appear to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unclear if either Biden or Bloomberg would even entertain the idea .
These people declined to be named as the discussions and plans were made in private .
Beyond the presidential election , the outcome of Bloomberg 's decisions in 2020 could have an impact on his involvement in the upcoming New York mayoral race .
At the end of the presidential election Bloomberg was looking to move ahead in planning how to potentially spend big on that race , these people noted .
Mayor Bill de Blasio 's term ends on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race is still ongoing and it 's unclear what Bloomberg , a former New York mayor himself , is now planning to do in the contest of a city he once ran .
Bloomberg was notably not deeply involved in critical U.S. Senate races .
Democrats appear to be on track to fall short of becoming the majority in the chamber .
The breakdown of the spending by Bloomberg during the later stages of the presidential election goes further than just investing into ad buys .
Data from Advertising Analytics shows that Bloomberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent just more than $ 36 million in Florida between the months of September and November .
The PAC also spent $ 6.9 million on ads airing in Texas and $ 3.3 million in Ohio .
That data does not include the ads that Bloomberg funded through pro-Biden super PACs , such as Priorities USA Action .
Bloomberg 's resources also went toward a slew of companies , with some having direct ties to him .
Hawkfish , the data firm Bloomberg founded , was paid more than $ 3.2 million during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics .
The firm was also used during Bloomberg 's presidential campaign .
The data company teamed up with a pro-Biden super PAC , Unite the Country , to keep track of voting in Florida .
The two organizations would regularly brief reporters on the state of play in the Sunshine State and discuss a theory of a possible `` red mirage . ''
Another group who saw a payday from Bloomberg 's PAC is Schoen Cooperman Research , a firm founded by the former New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Billionaire and former presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg's more than $100 million investment into three key states fell flat as President Donald Trump appears to have captured all of them.
In the months after Bloomberg dropping out of the Democratic primary, the New York business leader huddled with advisors to plot a spending blitz to help Democratic nominee Joe Biden overtake Trump. It was initially decided that most of a $100 million spend would go toward the pivotal state of Florida. Later he would add Ohio and Texas into the mix.
NBC News is projecting that Trump will defeat Biden in those states. Bloomberg's team believed that if they spent big in Florida, it would force Trump and his allies to shift resources away from other regions of the country and into the key battleground state.
"Our goal was to make Trump fight for a state he was taking for granted and draw resources from blue-wall states, allowing Joe Biden to become more competitive in those states," Kevin Sheekey, an advisor to Bloomberg, explained. "To make Trump fight like hell in Florida."
Still, the sheer amount of losses for Bloomberg in 2020 is a major blow, considering he's known as one of the leading kingmakers in the Democratic Party. He has a net worth of more than $54 billion and spent $1 billion on his primary run for president that ended up winning only a few dozen delegates, including some from the American Samoa caucus
The respect that Bloomberg had within the party was evident in the buildup to Election Day as he plowed millions into the Sunshine State.
Democratic leaders were privately becoming more convinced that they were going to defeat Trump there, in part on the basis that Bloomberg was flooding the airwaves with ads, according to people familiar with the matter who declined to be named. They believed that Bloomberg's messaging machine was enough to push Biden over the edge and flip Florida back to the Democrats after losing there in 2016.
There were even discussions that some Democratic leaders were going to try to convince Biden to offer Bloomberg a Cabinet post, these people added. Those efforts appear to be no longer in motion and it's unclear if either Biden or Bloomberg would even entertain the idea. These people declined to be named as the discussions and plans were made in private.
Beyond the presidential election, the outcome of Bloomberg's decisions in 2020 could have an impact on his involvement in the upcoming New York mayoral race.
At the end of the presidential election Bloomberg was looking to move ahead in planning how to potentially spend big on that race, these people noted. Mayor Bill de Blasio's term ends on the first day of 2022. The presidential race is still ongoing and it's unclear what Bloomberg, a former New York mayor himself, is now planning to do in the contest of a city he once ran.
Bloomberg was notably not deeply involved in critical U.S. Senate races. Democrats appear to be on track to fall short of becoming the majority in the chamber.
The breakdown of the spending by Bloomberg during the later stages of the presidential election goes further than just investing into ad buys.
Data from Advertising Analytics shows that Bloomberg's super PAC, Independence USA, spent just more than $36 million in Florida between the months of September and November. The PAC also spent $6.9 million on ads airing in Texas and $3.3 million in Ohio.
That data does not include the ads that Bloomberg funded through pro-Biden super PACs, such as Priorities USA Action.
Bloomberg's resources also went toward a slew of companies, with some having direct ties to him.
Hawkfish, the data firm Bloomberg founded, was paid more than $3.2 million during the 2020 election cycle, according to data from the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. The firm was also used during Bloomberg's presidential campaign.
The data company teamed up with a pro-Biden super PAC, Unite the Country, to keep track of voting in Florida. The two organizations would regularly brief reporters on the state of play in the Sunshine State and discuss a theory of a possible "red mirage."
Another group who saw a payday from Bloomberg's PAC is Schoen Cooperman Research, a firm founded by the former New York mayor's longtime pollster Doug Schoen.


cnbc--2020-11-05--Biden and Trump campaigns both claim to be winning the election

Dillon explained that the Democratic nominee is on track to win the key battleground states of Michigan , Wisconsin , Pennsylvania and Nevada , and that if the vote counting ended as of the call , he would win the election .
`` I want to share with all of you that Joe Biden is on track to win this election and he will be the next president of the United States , '' said Biden campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon .
The campaigns for President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden hosted dueling press calls Wednesday morning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the presidential election , based on anticipated vote counts in states that are crucial to an Electoral College victory .
Dillon , who offered a state-by-state breakdown of why the campaign is confident of a victory , said that Biden plans to make a public address later Wednesday afternoon .
But Trump 's campaign , in its own press call , said the Republican incumbent will win those states , as well as Arizona and Nevada .
The president 's campaign manager Bill Stepien said , `` We feel like the president is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position this morning . ''
Trump campaign official Jason Miller said , `` There are anywhere between 1.2 to 1.4.million ballots yet to be counted in Pennsylvania .
We know there are upwards of 500,000 in Arizona .
We know that there are outstanding ballots to be counted in Nevada 's outlying Republican counties , and right now [ Trump and Biden ] are within 1 % in Michigan and Wisconsin . ''
`` But honing in specifically on Pennsylvania and Arizona .
If all legally cast ballots are counted , the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He added , `` These are not just realistic estimates of vote shares that we expect the president to achieve , these are conservative estimates . ''
Election Day on Tuesday ended without a clear winner being declared in any of the states highlighted during the press calls .

Dillon explained that the Democratic nominee is on track to win the key battleground states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Nevada, and that if the vote counting ended as of the call, he would win the election.
"I want to share with all of you that Joe Biden is on track to win this election and he will be the next president of the United States," said Biden campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon.
The campaigns for President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden hosted dueling press calls Wednesday morning where each insisted their candidate would win the presidential election , based on anticipated vote counts in states that are crucial to an Electoral College victory.
Dillon, who offered a state-by-state breakdown of why the campaign is confident of a victory, said that Biden plans to make a public address later Wednesday afternoon.
But Trump's campaign, in its own press call, said the Republican incumbent will win those states, as well as Arizona and Nevada.
The president's campaign manager Bill Stepien said, "We feel like the president is in a very very, very good position this morning."
Trump campaign official Jason Miller said, "There are anywhere between 1.2 to 1.4.million ballots yet to be counted in Pennsylvania. We know there are upwards of 500,000 in Arizona. We know that there are outstanding ballots to be counted in Nevada's outlying Republican counties, and right now [Trump and Biden] are within 1% in Michigan and Wisconsin."
"But honing in specifically on Pennsylvania and Arizona. If all legally cast ballots are counted, the president will win," Miller said.
He added, "These are not just realistic estimates of vote shares that we expect the president to achieve, these are conservative estimates."
Election Day on Tuesday ended without a clear winner being declared in any of the states highlighted during the press calls.


cnbc--2020-11-05--2020 election sees record high turnout with at least 159.8 million votes projected

Miami Shores voter Mary Kay Paterno ( Center ) waits in line along with a few dozen voters as doors open on Election Day morning , November 3 , 2020 at the C. Lawton McCall Community Center .
At least 159.8 million Americans voted in the 2020 presidential election , according to NBC News projections Wednesday morning .
The projected vote total marks a record high number of ballots cast in a presidential election and the highest voter turnout rate among eligible citizens since 1900 .
With 86 % of the expected vote tallied as of 9 a.m .
ET @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden received more than 68.6 million votes , President Donald Trump received more than 65.9 million votes and other candidates received more than 2.1 million votes .
At least 23 million votes have yet to be tallied , NBC News estimates .
The projected 159.8 million cast ballots represent the highest number of voters in a U.S. presidential election in history .
In 2016 , the total stood just above 136.6 million votes .
Around 239.2 million Americans were eligible to vote in 2020 , according to the U.S .
Elections Project @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots cast in 2020 would constitute about a 66.8 % voter turnout rate among eligible citizens — the highest since 1900 .

Miami Shores voter Mary Kay Paterno (Center) waits in line along with a few dozen voters as doors open on Election Day morning, November 3, 2020 at the C. Lawton McCall Community Center.
At least 159.8 million Americans voted in the 2020 presidential election, according to NBC News projections Wednesday morning.
The projected vote total marks a record high number of ballots cast in a presidential election and the highest voter turnout rate among eligible citizens since 1900.
With 86% of the expected vote tallied as of 9 a.m. ET, NBC News projects that Democratic candidate Joe Biden received more than 68.6 million votes, President Donald Trump received more than 65.9 million votes and other candidates received more than 2.1 million votes. At least 23 million votes have yet to be tallied, NBC News estimates.
The projected 159.8 million cast ballots represent the highest number of voters in a U.S. presidential election in history. In 2016, the total stood just above 136.6 million votes.
Around 239.2 million Americans were eligible to vote in 2020, according to the U.S. Elections Project. NBC News' projected 159.8 million ballots cast in 2020 would constitute about a 66.8% voter turnout rate among eligible citizens — the highest since 1900.


cnbc--2020-11-04--North Dakota Republican who died of Covid-19 wins seat in state legislature

A North Dakota Republican who died of Covid-19 last month has won a seat in the state legislature , according @ @ @ @ @ the secretary of state 's office .
David Andahl was one of two Republicans elected @ @ @ @ @ 8th District in the North Dakota House of Representatives , earning more than triple the @ @ @ @ @ candidate .
Dave Nehring won the other seat .
The Associated Press reported in October @ @ @ @ @ complications from the coronavirus .
He was 55 .
`` He had a lot of @ @ @ @ @ and wanting to make things better , and his heart was in farming .
He @ @ @ @ @ and the coal industry , '' his mother , Pat Andahl , told The Bismarck @ @ @ @ @

A North Dakota Republican who died of Covid-19 last month has won a seat in the state legislature, according to unofficial results posted by the secretary of state's office.
David Andahl was one of two Republicans elected to represent the state's 8th District in the North Dakota House of Representatives, earning more than triple the votes of the nearest Democratic candidate. Dave Nehring won the other seat.
The Associated Press reported in October that Andahl had died of complications from the coronavirus. He was 55.
"He had a lot of feelings for his county ... and wanting to make things better, and his heart was in farming. He wanted things better for farmers and the coal industry," his mother, Pat Andahl, told The Bismarck Tribune at the time.


cnbc--2020-11-05--GOP pollster says Trump must win Pennsylvania to have a chance at beating Biden

Longtime Republican pollster Frank Luntz told CNBC on Wednesday that President Donald Trump needs to win Pennsylvania in order to have a chance at defeating Democratic challenger Joe Biden .
Luntz 's comments on `` Squawk Box '' come as the outcome of Tuesday 's election still hangs in the balance , with neither candidate having earned the necessary 270 electoral votes to win the presidential race , according to NBC News .
Biden currently has 224 electoral votes compared with Trump 's 213 , NBC News reports .
`` Donald Trump must win Pennsylvania if he 's to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pennsylvania has 20 electoral votes .
While Trump currently holds a lead in the Keystone State , NBC News considers the race too early to call as a significant number of mail-in votes remain uncounted .
Luntz said he believes those mail-in votes will favor Biden heavily .
`` I believe when all the votes are counted , this is going to be dead even , which is why it 's going to take at least the next six hours and as much as another 24 hours before we know who is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's going to be so close in Pennsylvania that it may require a state recount . ''
Underlying Luntz 's forecast is his assumption that Trump wins Georgia and its 16 electoral votes , as well as North Carolina 's 15 electoral votes .
The other side of Luntz 's assumptions are that Biden wins Arizona 's 11 electoral votes and Nevada 's 6 electoral votes .
NBC News has not made any projections in those races .
That then leaves a trio of key bricks in the so-called `` blue wall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2016 : Wisconsin , Michigan and Pennsylvania .
`` The three critical states , and Donald Trump would have to win two of them , at this point , are Pennsylvania , where he has a clear lead , and Michigan and Wisconsin , where it will be much more difficult for him , '' Luntz said .
Luntz believes Biden is in more favorable positions in Wisconsin and Michigan , which have 10 and 16 electoral votes , respectively .
NBC News has not made a projection in either Michigan or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation I think the most likely outcome — is that whoever wins , wins with less than 280 electoral votes , which means they 're only one state away on either side , '' Luntz added .
Earlier Wednesday morning , Trump falsely claimed he had won the presidential election , despite the fact millions of legally cast ballots had yet to be counted at the time of his remarks .
Speaking to a room of supporters in the White House , Trump also threatened legal action , saying that `` we want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polls in U.S. states had , in fact , been closed at the time .
The Biden campaign pushed back vigorously on Trump 's remarks , with campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon calling them `` outrageous , unprecedented , and incorrect . ''
`` If the president makes good on his threat to go to court to try to prevent the proper tabulation of votes , we have legal teams standing by ready to deploy to resist that effort .
And they will prevail , '' she added in a written statement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying , `` it 's not over until every vote is counted . ''

watch now
Longtime Republican pollster Frank Luntz told CNBC on Wednesday that President Donald Trump needs to win Pennsylvania in order to have a chance at defeating Democratic challenger Joe Biden. Luntz's comments on "Squawk Box" come as the outcome of Tuesday's election still hangs in the balance, with neither candidate having earned the necessary 270 electoral votes to win the presidential race, according to NBC News. Biden currently has 224 electoral votes compared with Trump's 213, NBC News reports. "Donald Trump must win Pennsylvania if he's to get to 270," Luntz said. Pennsylvania has 20 electoral votes. While Trump currently holds a lead in the Keystone State, NBC News considers the race too early to call as a significant number of mail-in votes remain uncounted. Luntz said he believes those mail-in votes will favor Biden heavily. "I believe when all the votes are counted, this is going to be dead even, which is why it's going to take at least the next six hours and as much as another 24 hours before we know who is the winner," Luntz added. "It's going to be so close in Pennsylvania that it may require a state recount."
Democratic President-elect Joe Biden delivering remarks on Covid-19 at The Queen theater on Oct. 23, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware and U.S. President Donald Trump addressing supporters during a Make America Great Again rally in Gastonia, North Carolina, Oct. 21, 2020. Getty Images
Underlying Luntz's forecast is his assumption that Trump wins Georgia and its 16 electoral votes, as well as North Carolina's 15 electoral votes. The other side of Luntz's assumptions are that Biden wins Arizona's 11 electoral votes and Nevada's 6 electoral votes. NBC News has not made any projections in those races. That then leaves a trio of key bricks in the so-called "blue wall" that Trump won in upset fashion in 2016: Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. "The three critical states, and Donald Trump would have to win two of them, at this point, are Pennsylvania, where he has a clear lead, and Michigan and Wisconsin, where it will be much more difficult for him," Luntz said. Luntz believes Biden is in more favorable positions in Wisconsin and Michigan, which have 10 and 16 electoral votes, respectively. NBC News has not made a projection in either Michigan or Wisconsin. "We could have a situation I think the most likely outcome — is that whoever wins, wins with less than 280 electoral votes, which means they're only one state away on either side," Luntz added.
watch now
Earlier Wednesday morning, Trump falsely claimed he had won the presidential election, despite the fact millions of legally cast ballots had yet to be counted at the time of his remarks. Speaking to a room of supporters in the White House, Trump also threatened legal action, saying that "we want all voting to stop." All polls in U.S. states had, in fact, been closed at the time. The Biden campaign pushed back vigorously on Trump's remarks, with campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon calling them "outrageous, unprecedented, and incorrect." "If the president makes good on his threat to go to court to try to prevent the proper tabulation of votes, we have legal teams standing by ready to deploy to resist that effort. And they will prevail," she added in a written statement. Before Trump spoke, Biden urged patience, saying, "it's not over until every vote is counted."


cnbc--2020-11-05--What's behind Trump's early leads in Michigan and Pennsylvania

US President Donald Trump gestures after speaking during election night in the East Room of the White House in Washington , DC , early on November 4 , 2020 .
WASHINGTON – For nearly a year , Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has maintained steady polling leads over President Donald Trump in the key battleground states of Pennsylvania and Michigan .
But that 's not what Americans will see when they wake up on the Wednesday morning after Election Day .
Instead , they will see data that indicates Trump has an early lead over Biden in both states .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president is ahead in Michigan by 1.3 points with 83 % of the votes tallied .
In Pennsylvania , where Biden was raised , Trump 's lead is even bigger : more than 11 points after 75 % of the vote has been counted .
But after a night during which Trump overcame early vote deficits to win solid victories in battleground states like Florida and North Carolina , it would be reasonable to look at Pennsylvania and Michigan and see two more imminent Trump victories .
And lots of people did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , both Republicans and Democrats were stunned to see Trump racking up such leads in two states that most political strategists believed Biden would win handily .
So what was actually going on ?
The answer has been dubbed the `` red mirage . ''
Starting early this year , the coronavirus pandemic prompted millions of voters across the country to request mail-in ballots in order to avoid exposure to the virus at the polls .
And while the party breakdown for mail-in ballots started off fairly even , it split off after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail-in voting .
By late summer , many of the president 's supporters had become convinced that Trump was right , and mail-in ballots were rife with `` fraud . ''
As Republicans pulled away from mail-in voting , Democrats embraced it .
Left-leaning states were also quicker in some cases to offer mail-in voting to anyone worried about the coronavirus .
The result of the partisan divide over mail-in ballots was that the vast majority of mail-in and absentee ballots cast this year came from Democrats , and most of those were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neared , some states , like Florida and North Carolina , tallied up the mail-in ballots they received ahead of time , and then released that total soon after the polls closed on Election Day , and before they finished counting up the in-person votes .
The effect of tallying up the absentee ballots first is that they tended to show early leads for Biden which disappeared once all the in-person votes ( which tended to favor Trump ) were counted .
This was dubbed the blue mirage .
But Michigan and Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in-person votes are counted first , and only once all the Election Day votes have been tallied do they begin to count the mail-in votes .
And in a year when in-person votes heavily favor the Republican , and mail-in votes favor the Democrat , the effect of Michigan 's and Pennsylvania 's system was to make it look like Trump and his fellow Republicans were in the lead for extended periods of time .
The red mirage is the temporary advantage that Republicans appear to have during the brief window between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its in-person votes , but not yet tallied absentee and mail-in ballots .
As more and more mail-in votes are tallied , Trump 's lead should become smaller and smaller .
In the case of Michigan , Biden already started closing in on Trump on Wednesday morning , after a big vote count dump from Wayne County , which includes Detroit .
In Pennsylvania , Trump led by 600,000 votes on Wednesday morning , a seemingly enormous margin .
But there were still 1.8 million absentee and mail-in votes to be counted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes by the same hypothetical 3-1 margin , he might pick up as many as 1.4 million additional votes .
Trump 's original advantage of 600,000 , even with an additional 400,000 vote boost , could still amount to only 1 million total votes , falling short of Biden 's 1.4 million .
But there 's an important caveat to all this .
Until the outstanding ballots are counted , it 's impossible to know exactly how many will go to Biden and how many will go to Trump .
Election officials in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counts could take several days .
Until then , the presidential election hangs in the balance .
Correction : Election officials in Michigan and Pennsylvania warned late Tuesday that full counts could take several days .
An earlier version misstated the day .

US President Donald Trump gestures after speaking during election night in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, early on November 4, 2020.
WASHINGTON – For nearly a year, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has maintained steady polling leads over President Donald Trump in the key battleground states of Pennsylvania and Michigan.
But that's not what Americans will see when they wake up on the Wednesday morning after Election Day.
Instead, they will see data that indicates Trump has an early lead over Biden in both states.
As of about 7 a.m. Wednesday, the president is ahead in Michigan by 1.3 points with 83% of the votes tallied. In Pennsylvania, where Biden was raised, Trump's lead is even bigger: more than 11 points after 75% of the vote has been counted.
But after a night during which Trump overcame early vote deficits to win solid victories in battleground states like Florida and North Carolina, it would be reasonable to look at Pennsylvania and Michigan and see two more imminent Trump victories. And lots of people did.
As Tuesday night dragged into Wednesday, both Republicans and Democrats were stunned to see Trump racking up such leads in two states that most political strategists believed Biden would win handily.
So what was actually going on? The answer has been dubbed the "red mirage."
Starting early this year, the coronavirus pandemic prompted millions of voters across the country to request mail-in ballots in order to avoid exposure to the virus at the polls. And while the party breakdown for mail-in ballots started off fairly even, it split off after Trump launched a monthslong crusade to discredit mail-in voting.
By late summer, many of the president's supporters had become convinced that Trump was right, and mail-in ballots were rife with "fraud." As Republicans pulled away from mail-in voting, Democrats embraced it. Left-leaning states were also quicker in some cases to offer mail-in voting to anyone worried about the coronavirus.
The result of the partisan divide over mail-in ballots was that the vast majority of mail-in and absentee ballots cast this year came from Democrats, and most of those were votes for Biden.
As Election Day neared, some states, like Florida and North Carolina, tallied up the mail-in ballots they received ahead of time, and then released that total soon after the polls closed on Election Day, and before they finished counting up the in-person votes.
The effect of tallying up the absentee ballots first is that they tended to show early leads for Biden which disappeared once all the in-person votes (which tended to favor Trump) were counted. This was dubbed the blue mirage.
But Michigan and Pennsylvania do it the opposite way. There, in-person votes are counted first, and only once all the Election Day votes have been tallied do they begin to count the mail-in votes.
And in a year when in-person votes heavily favor the Republican, and mail-in votes favor the Democrat, the effect of Michigan's and Pennsylvania's system was to make it look like Trump and his fellow Republicans were in the lead for extended periods of time.
The red mirage is the temporary advantage that Republicans appear to have during the brief window between when a state has counted all of its in-person votes, but not yet tallied absentee and mail-in ballots.
As more and more mail-in votes are tallied, Trump's lead should become smaller and smaller.
In the case of Michigan, Biden already started closing in on Trump on Wednesday morning, after a big vote count dump from Wayne County, which includes Detroit.
In Pennsylvania, Trump led by 600,000 votes on Wednesday morning, a seemingly enormous margin.
But there were still 1.8 million absentee and mail-in votes to be counted. So if Biden were to win these votes by the same hypothetical 3-1 margin, he might pick up as many as 1.4 million additional votes.
Trump's original advantage of 600,000, even with an additional 400,000 vote boost, could still amount to only 1 million total votes, falling short of Biden's 1.4 million.
But there's an important caveat to all this. Until the outstanding ballots are counted, it's impossible to know exactly how many will go to Biden and how many will go to Trump. Election officials in both states warned late Tuesday that full counts could take several days.
Until then, the presidential election hangs in the balance.
Correction: Election officials in Michigan and Pennsylvania warned late Tuesday that full counts could take several days. An earlier version misstated the day.


cnbc--2020-11-05--Florida votes to raise state's minimum wage to $15 an hour

Vote signs outside Palm Beach County Public Library polling station during the 2020 presidential election in Palm Beach , Florida @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 .
Florida voted Tuesday to gradually hike the state 's minimum wage to @ @ @ @ @ joining a growing list of states and municipalities in taking the step .
The 2020 @ @ @ @ @ 60 % support needed to pass , according to The Associated Press .
Florida becomes @ @ @ @ @ a $ 15-an-hour minimum wage , and the second-most populous to do so .
The @ @ @ @ @ 's current $ 8.56-an-hour pay floor to $ 10 next year .
For every year @ @ @ @ @ wage would rise by $ 1 an hour until it hits $ 15 in 2026 @

Vote signs outside Palm Beach County Public Library polling station during the 2020 presidential election in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., November 3, 2020.
Florida voted Tuesday to gradually hike the state's minimum wage to $15 per hour, joining a growing list of states and municipalities in taking the step.
The 2020 election ballot initiative garnered the 60% support needed to pass, according to The Associated Press. Florida becomes the eighth state to approve a $15-an-hour minimum wage, and the second-most populous to do so.
The measure would increase the state's current $8.56-an-hour pay floor to $10 next year. For every year after that, the minimum wage would rise by $1 an hour until it hits $15 in 2026.


cnbc--2020-11-04--Don't expect a call in the presidential race anytime soon as Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin proce

Don't expect a call in the presidential race anytime soon as Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin process votes

A worker with the Detroit Department of Elections waits for the next absentee ballot to be sorted through at the Central Counting Board in the TCF Center on November 4 , 2020 in Detroit , Michigan .
Do n't hold your breath for a call in the presidential race .
Election results from Michigan , Wisconsin and Pennsylvania could take until later this week to complete official tallies , according to officials .
The three states represent a combined 46 electoral votes , with 16 from Michigan , 20 from Pennsylvania and 10 from Wisconsin .
That 's nearly a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a victory .
Georgia and North Carolina , which both were too close to call just after midnight Wednesday , also are likely to take some more time as more ballots come in .
Georgia has 16 electoral votes , and North Carolina has 15 .
Democrat Joe Biden had hoped to pick off at least Florida or North Carolina , but as of midnight Tuesday , President Donald Trump held leads in those two swing states , according to NBC News .
Pennsylvania had long been expected to take a while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials there are not allowed to open mailed ballots until Election Day .
With record numbers of voters casting their ballots by mail because of the coronavirus pandemic , that could significantly delay the results from the state .

A worker with the Detroit Department of Elections waits for the next absentee ballot to be sorted through at the Central Counting Board in the TCF Center on November 4, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan.
Don't hold your breath for a call in the presidential race.
Election results from Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania could take until later this week to complete official tallies, according to officials.
The three states represent a combined 46 electoral votes, with 16 from Michigan, 20 from Pennsylvania and 10 from Wisconsin. That's nearly a fifth of the required 270 electoral votes for a victory.
Georgia and North Carolina, which both were too close to call just after midnight Wednesday, also are likely to take some more time as more ballots come in. Georgia has 16 electoral votes, and North Carolina has 15.
Democrat Joe Biden had hoped to pick off at least Florida or North Carolina, but as of midnight Tuesday, President Donald Trump held leads in those two swing states, according to NBC News.
Pennsylvania had long been expected to take a while for votes to be fully counted since officials there are not allowed to open mailed ballots until Election Day. With record numbers of voters casting their ballots by mail because of the coronavirus pandemic, that could significantly delay the results from the state.


cnbc--2020-11-05--Trump tries to claim victory even as ballots are being counted in several states — NBC has not made

Trump tries to claim victory even as ballots are being counted in several states — NBC has not made a call

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump falsely claimed early Wednesday that he had won the presidential election , even though millions of legitimate votes had yet to be counted and a half-dozen battleground states were still not called .
`` A very sad group of people is trying to disenfranchise [ people who voted for me ] and we wo n't stand for this , '' Trump told supporters in the White House shortly before 2:30 a.m. More than an hour earlier , Democrat Joe Biden told supporters he 's confident about winning the presidential election and urged Americans to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump said : `` We were getting ready for a big celebration .
We were winning everything , and all of a sudden it was just called off . ''
`` We 'll be going to the U.S. Supreme Court , we want all voting to stop , '' Trump continued more than an hour after the final U.S. polls closed in Alaska .
`` We do n't want them to find any ballots at 4 o'clock in the morning and add them to the list . ''
It was unclear what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court , '' given that the nation 's highest court is rarely the first judicial venue for a case , but rather , it reviews lower court rulings .
The White House referred CNBC to the Trump campaign when asked about Trump 's suggestion that he would involve the Supreme Court in the election .
The campaign did n't immediately respond to the query .
`` This is a fraud on the American public .
This is an embarrassment to our country .
We were getting ready to win this election .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Trump falsely claimed .
`` It 's a very sad moment to me , a very sad moment , and we are going to win this , '' he said .
`` As far as I 'm concerned , we already have won this , so I want to thank all of our supporters and I want to thank everybody that worked with us . ''
Trump 's election night claim of victory was not a spontaneous response to favorable results in key states , however , as he would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been months in the making .
As Trump has trailed Biden in polls , he has sought to undermine faith in the multiday process of vote tallying , and to lay the groundwork for insisting that the only valid election results were those tallied on election night .

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump falsely claimed early Wednesday that he had won the presidential election, even though millions of legitimate votes had yet to be counted and a half-dozen battleground states were still not called.
"A very sad group of people is trying to disenfranchise [people who voted for me] and we won't stand for this," Trump told supporters in the White House shortly before 2:30 a.m.
More than an hour earlier, Democrat Joe Biden told supporters he's confident about winning the presidential election and urged Americans to be patient.
In his East Wing comments, Trump said: "We were getting ready for a big celebration. We were winning everything, and all of a sudden it was just called off."
"We'll be going to the U.S. Supreme Court, we want all voting to stop," Trump continued more than an hour after the final U.S. polls closed in Alaska. "We don't want them to find any ballots at 4 o'clock in the morning and add them to the list."
It was unclear what Trump meant by "going to the Supreme Court," given that the nation's highest court is rarely the first judicial venue for a case, but rather, it reviews lower court rulings.
The White House referred CNBC to the Trump campaign when asked about Trump's suggestion that he would involve the Supreme Court in the election. The campaign didn't immediately respond to the query.
"This is a fraud on the American public. This is an embarrassment to our country. We were getting ready to win this election. Frankly, we did win this election," Trump falsely claimed.
"It's a very sad moment to me, a very sad moment, and we are going to win this," he said. "As far as I'm concerned, we already have won this, so I want to thank all of our supporters and I want to thank everybody that worked with us."
Trump's election night claim of victory was not a spontaneous response to favorable results in key states, however, as he would have people believe.
Instead, it has been months in the making. As Trump has trailed Biden in polls, he has sought to undermine faith in the multiday process of vote tallying, and to lay the groundwork for insisting that the only valid election results were those tallied on election night.


cnbc--2020-11-04--Biden urges patience with vote count, says he's on track to win

Joe Biden , 2020 Democratic presidential nominee , left , and wife Jill Biden arrive to an election night party in Wilmington , Delaware , U.S. , on Wednesday , Nov. 4 , 2020 .
`` I 'm optimistic about this outcome , '' a smiling Biden said in Wilmington , Delaware .
`` We 're confident about Arizona '' and Minnesota .
`` We 're still in the game in Georgia , although that 's not one we expected ... and we 're feeling real good about Wisconsin and Michigan . ''
Biden said he 's also confident `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Millions of legitimate absentee and mail-in ballots have not been counted , especially in the key states of Pennsylvania , Michigan and Wisconsin , three states that count in-person votes first , then absentee votes .
`` We knew because of the unprecedented mail-in vote and the early vote that it was going to take a while , '' said Biden , `` and we have to be patient , and it 's not over until every vote is counted . ''
As of 12:45 a.m .
ET Wednesday , NBC News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes , while President Donald Trump had won 171 .
The evening was a roller-coaster ride for Republicans and Democrats , as Trump secured victories in must-win states but failed to carve out a wider path for himself to 270 electoral votes .
With projected victories in the battleground states of Florida , Ohio and North Carolina , Trump has defied predictions of a Biden landslide .
But full results have yet to be tallied in other key states , including Georgia , Arizona , Nevada , Michigan , Wisconsin and Pennsylvania .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and political groundwork to challenge the results in half a dozen states that continue to count absentee ballots past Election Day .
While Biden was speaking , Trump falsely accused Democrats of trying to `` steal the election . ''
`` We are up BIG , but they are trying to STEAL the Election .
We will never let them do it .
Votes can not be cast after the Polls are closed ! ''
he tweeted .
Shortly before 2:30 a.m .
ET , Trump addressed supporters in the East Room of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had won , even though millions of legitimate votes that have yet to be counted .

Joe Biden, 2020 Democratic presidential nominee, left, and wife Jill Biden arrive to an election night party in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020.
WASHINGTON — Democrat Joe Biden told supporters early Wednesday he's confident about winning the presidential election.
"I'm optimistic about this outcome," a smiling Biden said in Wilmington, Delaware. "We're confident about Arizona" and Minnesota.
"We're still in the game in Georgia, although that's not one we expected ... and we're feeling real good about Wisconsin and Michigan."
Biden said he's also confident "we're going to win Pennsylvania."
Millions of legitimate absentee and mail-in ballots have not been counted, especially in the key states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, three states that count in-person votes first, then absentee votes.
"We knew because of the unprecedented mail-in vote and the early vote that it was going to take a while," said Biden, "and we have to be patient, and it's not over until every vote is counted."
As of 12:45 a.m. ET Wednesday, NBC News projected that Biden had clinched 205 electoral votes, while President Donald Trump had won 171.
The evening was a roller-coaster ride for Republicans and Democrats, as Trump secured victories in must-win states but failed to carve out a wider path for himself to 270 electoral votes.
With projected victories in the battleground states of Florida, Ohio and North Carolina, Trump has defied predictions of a Biden landslide. But full results have yet to be tallied in other key states, including Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
Trump has spent months laying the legal and political groundwork to challenge the results in half a dozen states that continue to count absentee ballots past Election Day.
While Biden was speaking, Trump falsely accused Democrats of trying to "steal the election."
"We are up BIG, but they are trying to STEAL the Election. We will never let them do it. Votes cannot be cast after the Polls are closed!" he tweeted.
Shortly before 2:30 a.m. ET, Trump addressed supporters in the East Room of the White House, falsely claiming he had won, even though millions of legitimate votes that have yet to be counted.


cnbc--2020-11-04--Joe Biden projected to flip electoral vote in Nebraska's 2nd District

In this photo illustration the US President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate and former US Vice President Joe Biden are seen during the final presidential debate displayed on a screen of a smartphone .
Joe Biden will win the presidential race in Nebraska 's 2nd Congressional District , NBC News projects , flipping blue one electoral vote that President Donald Trump won in 2016 .
Nebraska and Maine are the only states that do n't play by winner-take-all rules under the Electoral College .
Instead , both have laws that distribute their electoral votes in part by the statewide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who gets more votes in each of the state 's congressional districts .
Nebraska has five electoral votes — four of which were projected by NBC to go to Trump .
But polls of the 2nd District , which covers the city of Omaha and swaths of suburban voters who tend to lean more toward Biden , appeared to favor the Democratic nominee .
In 2016 , Trump won all five of Nebraska 's votes over Hillary Clinton .
In 2020 , however , the Omaha-area district appeared less secure , and Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week of the campaign to hold a rally .

In this photo illustration the US President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate and former US Vice President Joe Biden are seen during the final presidential debate displayed on a screen of a smartphone.
Joe Biden will win the presidential race in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District, NBC News projects, flipping blue one electoral vote that President Donald Trump won in 2016.
Nebraska and Maine are the only states that don't play by winner-take-all rules under the Electoral College. Instead, both have laws that distribute their electoral votes in part by the statewide popular vote winner and in part by who gets more votes in each of the state's congressional districts.
Nebraska has five electoral votes — four of which were projected by NBC to go to Trump. But polls of the 2nd District, which covers the city of Omaha and swaths of suburban voters who tend to lean more toward Biden, appeared to favor the Democratic nominee.
In 2016, Trump won all five of Nebraska's votes over Hillary Clinton. In 2020, however, the Omaha-area district appeared less secure, and Trump traveled to the city during the final week of the campaign to hold a rally.
— Kevin Breuninger


cnbc--2020-11-05--Republican Sen. Steve Daines projected to win Montana Senate race

Sen. Steve Daines , R- Mont.
, speaks to a crowd of supporters at a Republican campaign rally in Belgrade , Mont .
He is expected to defeat Democratic Gov .
Steve Bullock .
The projected win ensures Republicans will hold at least 47 Senate seats in the next Congress , boosting the party 's hopes of holding its majority after the 2020 election .
States with still undecided Senate races include Arizona , North Carolina and Maine .
First-term Republican Daines faced an unexpectedly competitive challenge from two-term Democratic Gov .
Bullock .
The governor , who ca n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bid in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary before dropping out and shifting to Montana 's Senate seat .
Montana 's competition became one of the most expensive Senate races of the election season .
Bullock 's campaign spent more than $ 38.6 million while Daine 's campaign spent about $ 26.1 million .
Polling averages suggested a neck-and-neck race between Daines and Bullock .
Daines won his 2014 Senate race with 58 % of the vote .
Bullock won his 2012 and 2016 gubernatorial races by 2 and 4 percentage points , respectively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won the state by 20 percentage points .
Montana has n't voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1992 , but ticket splitting is not a rare occurrence in the state .

Sen. Steve Daines, R- Mont., speaks to a crowd of supporters at a Republican campaign rally in Belgrade, Mont.
Republican Sen. Steve Daines is projected to win Montana's Senate race, NBC News projected early Wednesday.
He is expected to defeat Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock. The projected win ensures Republicans will hold at least 47 Senate seats in the next Congress, boosting the party's hopes of holding its majority after the 2020 election.
States with still undecided Senate races include Arizona, North Carolina and Maine.
First-term Republican Daines faced an unexpectedly competitive challenge from two-term Democratic Gov. Bullock. The governor, who can't run for reelection, first made a bid in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary before dropping out and shifting to Montana's Senate seat.
Montana's competition became one of the most expensive Senate races of the election season. Bullock's campaign spent more than $38.6 million while Daine's campaign spent about $26.1 million.
Polling averages suggested a neck-and-neck race between Daines and Bullock. Daines won his 2014 Senate race with 58% of the vote. Bullock won his 2012 and 2016 gubernatorial races by 2 and 4 percentage points, respectively. In 2016, President Donald Trump won the state by 20 percentage points.
Montana hasn't voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1992, but ticket splitting is not a rare occurrence in the state.


cnbc--2020-11-05--Twitter and Facebook flag Trump message claiming opponents are trying to steal the election

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the White House after returning from hospitalization at the Walter Reed Medical Center for coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) treatment , in Washington , October 5 , 2020 , in this still image from video posted on Trump 's Twitter page .
Twitter has appended a warning over a tweet of President Donald Trump 's claiming that the opposition is trying to steal the election .
`` We are up BIG , but they are trying to STEAL the Election .
We will never let them do it .
Votes can not be cast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president 's tweet reads .
Twitter attached a label over the tweet , reading `` Some or all of the content shared in this Tweet is disputed and might be misleading about an election or other civic process . ''
It offered a link to `` learn more '' about its civic integrity policy .
President Trump also posted a tweet saying `` I will be making a statement tonight .
A big WIN ! ''
which did not have a warning appended as of press time .
NBC News has not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A Twitter spokeswoman , asked whether this was within its policies around declaring premature victory , said `` It 's unclear what is being referenced by a big WIN ! ''
Facebook stopped short of blocking the messages , but added warning labels to both .
For Trump 's post claiming the opposition was trying to steal the election , Facebook added a message saying `` Final results may be different from initial vote counts , as ballot counting will continue for days or weeks . ''
For the other Trump post claiming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Votes are being counted .
The winner of the 2020 US Presidential Election has not been projected . ''
This is in line with what the company pledged to do in September .

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the White House after returning from hospitalization at the Walter Reed Medical Center for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) treatment, in Washington, October 5, 2020, in this still image from video posted on Trump's Twitter page.
Twitter has appended a warning over a tweet of President Donald Trump's claiming that the opposition is trying to steal the election.
"We are up BIG, but they are trying to STEAL the Election. We will never let them do it. Votes cannot be cast after the Polls are closed!" the president's tweet reads.
Twitter attached a label over the tweet, reading "Some or all of the content shared in this Tweet is disputed and might be misleading about an election or other civic process." It offered a link to "learn more" about its civic integrity policy.
President Trump also posted a tweet saying "I will be making a statement tonight. A big WIN!" which did not have a warning appended as of press time.
NBC News has not yet projected the presidential election results. A Twitter spokeswoman, asked whether this was within its policies around declaring premature victory, said "It's unclear what is being referenced by a big WIN!"
Facebook stopped short of blocking the messages, but added warning labels to both.
For Trump's post claiming the opposition was trying to steal the election, Facebook added a message saying "Final results may be different from initial vote counts, as ballot counting will continue for days or weeks."
For the other Trump post claiming a big win, the label said "Votes are being counted. The winner of the 2020 US Presidential Election has not been projected."
This is in line with what the company pledged to do in September.


cnbc--2020-11-05--Joe Biden is projected to win Minnesota

Joe Biden is projected to win Minnesota

Democratic U.S. presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks with union carpenters in front of a Minnesota state @ @ @ @ @ the Jerry Alander Carpenter Training Center before a campaign event in Hermantown , a suburb @ @ @ @ @ U.S. , September 18 , 2020 .
Democratic nominee Joe Biden is projected to win @ @ @ @ @ votes , according to NBC News .
Polling averages had indicated Biden held a lead @ @ @ @ @ state has chosen Democratic presidential candidates for the last 11 elections .
However , Trump @ @ @ @ @ Clinton by 1.5 % in 2016 .
Democratic Sen. Tina Smith is also projected to @ @ @ @ @ facing a challenge from Republican Jason Lewis .
WATCH : Here 's how the electoral @ @ @ @ @ EST

Democratic U.S. presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks with union carpenters in front of a Minnesota state flag during a tour of the Jerry Alander Carpenter Training Center before a campaign event in Hermantown, a suburb of Duluth, Minnesota, U.S., September 18, 2020.
Democratic nominee Joe Biden is projected to win Minnesota's 10 Electoral College votes, according to NBC News.
Polling averages had indicated Biden held a lead in the state.
The state has chosen Democratic presidential candidates for the last 11 elections. However, Trump only trailed Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton by 1.5% in 2016.
Democratic Sen. Tina Smith is also projected to hold onto her seat after facing a challenge from Republican Jason Lewis.
WATCH: Here's how the electoral college looks as of 2am EST


cnbc--2020-11-04--Republican Sen. Joni Ernst is projected to win Iowa Senate race

Senator Joni Ernst , a Republican from Iowa , speaks during a news conference following the Republican Senate policy luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington , D.C. , U.S. , on Wednesday , Sept. 9 , 2020 .
The first-term senator is expected to defeat Democrat Theresa Greenfield , who acknowledged in a statement early Wednesday that she `` came up short . ''
In a statement of her own , Ernst said she is `` honored by the opportunity to serve Iowa for another 6 years . ''
The projected result further reduces the chances of Democrats flipping in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the GOP flipped Alabama 's Democratic-held Senate seat and notched projected wins in Texas , South Carolina and Kentucky .
Democrat John Hickenlooper is projected to defeat Republican Sen. Cory Gardner in Colorado , while several other key races are undecided , according to NBC .
At the same time , NBC projected Republican President Donald Trump will defeat Democrat Joe Biden in Iowa .
Ernst faced a serious challenge from Greenfield , who has never before held elected office .
She ran for Congress in 2018 , but her bid ended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forging signatures without her knowledge to get her on the primary ballot and she was unable to make up the signatures in time .
The race garnered national attention because of its potential to be one of the few seats that could bring Democrats a majority in the Senate .
Ernst has been a fairly reliable ally to Trump , whose trade policies have hurt farmers in Iowa .
But many farmers have stuck by him as they reason that the short-term pain will benefit them in the end .
The candidates painted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would best represent Iowa in Washington .
Ernst 's campaign has attacked Greenfield 's for the sizable amount of funds she has received from outside groups it 's labeled as `` liberal special interest allies . ''
Greenfield 's campaign has pointed to allegations that Ernst 's camp has illegally coordinated with so-called dark money groups — political nonprofits that can take unlimited amounts of money without revealing their donors but are required to keep their work separate from candidates .
The Associated Press found in December 2019 that top aides to Ernst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closely with her to raise money for her reelection .
Based on documents reviewed by the AP , it said the level of overlap could potentially be illegal .
A senior advisor to Ernst told the AP at the time that the campaign `` is completely separate and independent from any outside organization , '' and said `` For the AP to suggest otherwise , is the definition of fake news . ''
WATCH : Iowa farmer support for Trump support has increased since 2016

Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican from Iowa, speaks during a news conference following the Republican Senate policy luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020.
Republican Sen. Joni Ernst will win Iowa's Senate race, NBC News projected early Wednesday.
The first-term senator is expected to defeat Democrat Theresa Greenfield, who acknowledged in a statement early Wednesday that she "came up short." In a statement of her own, Ernst said she is "honored by the opportunity to serve Iowa for another 6 years."
The projected result further reduces the chances of Democrats flipping in the Senate in the 2020 election, after the GOP flipped Alabama's Democratic-held Senate seat and notched projected wins in Texas, South Carolina and Kentucky. Democrat John Hickenlooper is projected to defeat Republican Sen. Cory Gardner in Colorado, while several other key races are undecided, according to NBC.
At the same time, NBC projected Republican President Donald Trump will defeat Democrat Joe Biden in Iowa.
Ernst faced a serious challenge from Greenfield, who has never before held elected office. She ran for Congress in 2018, but her bid ended after her former campaign manager admitted to forging signatures without her knowledge to get her on the primary ballot and she was unable to make up the signatures in time.
The race garnered national attention because of its potential to be one of the few seats that could bring Democrats a majority in the Senate.
Ernst has been a fairly reliable ally to Trump, whose trade policies have hurt farmers in Iowa. But many farmers have stuck by him as they reason that the short-term pain will benefit them in the end.
The candidates painted the race as one about which person would best represent Iowa in Washington.
Ernst's campaign has attacked Greenfield's for the sizable amount of funds she has received from outside groups it's labeled as "liberal special interest allies."
Greenfield's campaign has pointed to allegations that Ernst's camp has illegally coordinated with so-called dark money groups — political nonprofits that can take unlimited amounts of money without revealing their donors but are required to keep their work separate from candidates.
The Associated Press found in December 2019 that top aides to Ernst had created an outside group that worked closely with her to raise money for her reelection. Based on documents reviewed by the AP, it said the level of overlap could potentially be illegal. A senior advisor to Ernst told the AP at the time that the campaign "is completely separate and independent from any outside organization," and said "For the AP to suggest otherwise, is the definition of fake news."
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WATCH: Iowa farmer support for Trump support has increased since 2016


cnbc--2020-11-04--President Trump projected to win Ohio's 18 electoral votes

President Donald Trump is projected to win Ohio over former Vice President Joe Biden , according to NBC News .
@ @ @ @ @ votes .
Polling averages had indicated a tight race in a state Trump won handily @ @ @ @ @ .
Long considered a bellwether for national politics , Ohio has voted for the winning @ @ @ @ @ since 1964 .
No Republican has ever won the presidency without winning the Buckeye State @ @ @ @ @ commanding victory in 2016 and a near Republican sweep in 2018 statewide races , Ohio @ @ @ @ @ become a foregone conclusion .
Polling trackers had given little indication of which candidate held @ @ @ @ @ heading into Election Day .
RealClearPolitics showed Biden with a slim lead over Trump that @ @ @ @ @ in the final days .
GOP pollster Frank Luntz deemed Ohio a must-win state for @ @ @ @ @ Carolina and Florida .

President Donald Trump is projected to win Ohio over former Vice President Joe Biden, according to NBC News.
Ohio has 18 Electoral College votes. Polling averages had indicated a tight race in a state Trump won handily in 2016 over Hillary Clinton.
Long considered a bellwether for national politics, Ohio has voted for the winning presidential candidate in every election since 1964. No Republican has ever won the presidency without winning the Buckeye State.
But with Trump's commanding victory in 2016 and a near Republican sweep in 2018 statewide races, Ohio's red-state status had increasingly become a foregone conclusion.
Polling trackers had given little indication of which candidate held a clear advantage in Ohio heading into Election Day.
RealClearPolitics showed Biden with a slim lead over Trump that tightened to a neck-and-neck race in the final days.
GOP pollster Frank Luntz deemed Ohio a must-win state for Trump, along with North Carolina and Florida.


cnbc--2020-11-04--President Trump is projected to win Iowa

President Donald Trump arrives to speak during the Republican Party of Iowa Annual Dinner at The Ron Pearson Center in @ @ @ @ @ on June 11 , 2019 .
President Donald Trump is projected to win Iowa , @ @ @ @ @ Iowa has 6 Electoral College votes .
Polling averages had indicated a close race in @ @ @ @ @ state has chosen Democratic candidates in six of seven presidential races from 1988 to 2012 @ @ @ @ @ Iowa by a convincing margin of 9.5 % in 2016 .
The state had also @ @ @ @ @ between incumbent Republican Joni Ernst and Democratic challenger Theresa Greenfield .
NBC News projected Ernst @ @ @ @ @ for a second term .
WATCH : Here 's what Election Day looked like across @

President Donald Trump arrives to speak during the Republican Party of Iowa Annual Dinner at The Ron Pearson Center in West Des Moines, Iowa on June 11, 2019.
President Donald Trump is projected to win Iowa, according to NBC News.
Iowa has 6 Electoral College votes. Polling averages had indicated a close race in the state.
The battleground state has chosen Democratic candidates in six of seven presidential races from 1988 to 2012. Then, Trump won Iowa by a convincing margin of 9.5% in 2016.
The state had also seen a close Senate race between incumbent Republican Joni Ernst and Democratic challenger Theresa Greenfield. NBC News projected Ernst will also secure her seat for a second term.
WATCH: Here's what Election Day looked like across America


cnbc--2020-11-04--Democrats projected to retain control of the House of Representatives

Democrats will keep their House majority , NBC News projected Tuesday , as the major U.S. parties jockeyed for control @ @ @ @ @ Senate in the 2020 election .
Democrats entered Election Day heavily favored to keep control @ @ @ @ @ hopes of expanding their advantage appeared to dim on election night , as some Democratic @ @ @ @ @ party will fall short in picking up some of its top GOP-held targets , according @ @ @ @ @ As of early Wednesday morning , NBC News estimated Democrats would hold 227 seats and @ @ @ @ @ the next Congress .
The projection could change .
Democrats have a 232-197 majority in @ @ @ @ @ representative is a Libertarian , while the House has five vacancies .

Democrats will keep their House majority, NBC News projected Tuesday, as the major U.S. parties jockeyed for control of the White House and Senate in the 2020 election.
Democrats entered Election Day heavily favored to keep control of the chamber. Their hopes of expanding their advantage appeared to dim on election night, as some Democratic incumbents will lose and the party will fall short in picking up some of its top GOP-held targets, according to NBC News projections.
As of early Wednesday morning, NBC News estimated Democrats would hold 227 seats and Republicans would have 208 in the next Congress. The projection could change.
Democrats have a 232-197 majority in the current Congress. One representative is a Libertarian, while the House has five vacancies.


cnbc--2020-11-04--Georgia Senate special election result projected to go to a runoff between Sen. Loeffler and Democra

Georgia Senate special election result projected to go to a runoff between Sen. Loeffler and Democrat Warnock

The hotly contested Georgia special election is projected to go to a January runoff between Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Ebenezer Baptist Church Pastor Raphael Warnock , NBC News projected .
Loeffler , who was appointed to the seat late last year , had fought fiercely with Rep. Doug Collins for dominance on the Republican side of the special election .
Recent polls of the race showed support split relatively evenly between them .
But after results began to roll in Tuesday night , Collins announced in a tweet that he had endorsed Loeffler .
`` I just called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ runoff , '' Collins tweeted .
`` She has my support and endorsement .
I look forward to all Republicans coming together . ''
With no candidate projected to reach more than 50 % of the vote , special election rules state that the top two finishers will compete in a Jan. 5 runoff that will help determine which party takes control of the U.S. Senate .
The special election pitted several candidates against each other to replace Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson , who retired last year because of health challenges .
Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesswoman Loeffler in late 2019 to temporarily replace Isakson , who retired with three years left in his term .
Since Isakson had so much time left , his seat is up for election both this year in the special contest to finish the current term , and in 2022 for a regular , six-year Senate term .
On the Democratic side , support had mostly consolidated by November behind Warnock .
His Atlanta church is where the Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. was pastor in the 1960s .
Warnock 's principal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , son of former Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman .
Lieberman faced widespread pressure from fellow Democrats to drop out of the race out of fear his presence on the ballot could jeopardize the party 's chances to qualify for the runoff .
Notable demographic changes around Georgia 's major cities such as Atlanta have slowly put the historically Republican state in play for Democrats on the national stage .
On the Republican side , Loeffler faced a tough reelection challenge from Collins , a fierce supporter of President Donald Trump .
Loeffler in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgia in the Senate .
Kemp resisted Trump 's calls to nominate Collins .
Other Republicans worried that Loeffler , who once supported Mitt Romney , simply was n't conservative enough .
Loeffler was quick to bolster her conservative resume throughout 2020 in the hopes of fending off attacks from Collins , who had for months argued that he has a more consistent political track record .
Asked during a debate in October to name one thing Trump has said or done that she disagrees with , Loeffler said `` No . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of voting with the president .
For his part , Collins for months touted what he believes is his more consistent adherence to conservative values and attacked Loeffler for `` shady '' stock trading earlier in the year .
Loeffler , the wealthiest member of Congress , came under fire in the spring after it was revealed that she and her husband had sold up to $ 3 million worth of equities .
Those stock sales came right before a massive drop in the market in reaction to the spread of Covid-19 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scrutiny , Loeffler is married to Jeffrey Sprecher , chairman and CEO of Intercontinental Exchange , the company that owns the New York Stock Exchange .
The couple 's combined net worth is about $ 520 million , according to The Washington Post .
The regular election for Georgia 's other Senate seat , between incumbent Republican David Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff , is also extremely competitive .

Kelly Loeffler, Raphael Warnock, Doug Collins, candidates for Georgia Senate Reuters; Getty Images
The hotly contested Georgia special election is projected to go to a January runoff between Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Ebenezer Baptist Church Pastor Raphael Warnock, NBC News projected.
Loeffler, who was appointed to the seat late last year, had fought fiercely with Rep. Doug Collins for dominance on the Republican side of the special election. Recent polls of the race showed support split relatively evenly between them. But after results began to roll in Tuesday night, Collins announced in a tweet that he had endorsed Loeffler. "I just called @kloeffler and congratulated her on making the runoff," Collins tweeted. "She has my support and endorsement. I look forward to all Republicans coming together." With no candidate projected to reach more than 50% of the vote, special election rules state that the top two finishers will compete in a Jan. 5 runoff that will help determine which party takes control of the U.S. Senate.
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The special election pitted several candidates against each other to replace Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson, who retired last year because of health challenges. Georgia's Republican Gov. Brian Kemp chose businesswoman Loeffler in late 2019 to temporarily replace Isakson, who retired with three years left in his term. Since Isakson had so much time left, his seat is up for election both this year in the special contest to finish the current term, and in 2022 for a regular, six-year Senate term.
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Rev. Raphael Warnock speaks during an Election Night event on November 3, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. Jessica McGowan | Getty Images
On the Democratic side, support had mostly consolidated by November behind Warnock. His Atlanta church is where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was pastor in the 1960s. Warnock's principal opponent on the left was Matt Lieberman, son of former Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman. Lieberman faced widespread pressure from fellow Democrats to drop out of the race out of fear his presence on the ballot could jeopardize the party's chances to qualify for the runoff. Notable demographic changes around Georgia's major cities such as Atlanta have slowly put the historically Republican state in play for Democrats on the national stage. On the Republican side, Loeffler faced a tough reelection challenge from Collins, a fierce supporter of President Donald Trump.
Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., who is running for reelection, speaks during a campaign event at the Floyd County Republican Party Headquarters in Rome, Ga., on Saturday, October 31, 2020. Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images


cnbc--2020-11-04--Joe Biden projected to win New Hampshire

Democratic candidate for President Joe Biden shakes hands as he leaves after speaking at a campaign event on June 4 @ @ @ @ @ NH .
Former Vice President Joe Biden is projected to win New Hampshire over President @ @ @ @ @ NBC News .
New Hampshire has four Electoral College votes .
While Trump lost the @ @ @ @ @ a percentage point in the 2016 race against then-Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton , Biden had @ @ @ @ @ 2020 .
The state is typically considered a battleground , though it has voted Democratic @ @ @ @ @ seven presidential elections .
The state 's polls closed at 8 p.m .
ET .
@ @ @ @ @ Granite State over the summer and returned there in late October .

Democratic candidate for President Joe Biden shakes hands as he leaves after speaking at a campaign event on June 4, 2019 in Concord, NH.
Former Vice President Joe Biden is projected to win New Hampshire over President Donald Trump, according to NBC News.
New Hampshire has four Electoral College votes. While Trump lost the state by less than half a percentage point in the 2016 race against then-Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, Biden had been favored to win in 2020.
The state is typically considered a battleground, though it has voted Democratic in six of the last seven presidential elections. The state's polls closed at 8 p.m. ET.
Trump had traveled to the Granite State over the summer and returned there in late October.