skynewsus--2020-11-05--If Biden wins Arizona and Georgia, history will judge it as a decisive victory

We were told this election would take time to interpret and it has .
The red and blue mirages did come true .
But after an undulating election night , the dust has started to settle a little and at the time of writing , Joe Biden appears to have the political momentum needed to win .
As more mail-in votes have been counted , the Democrats closed and surpassed some vital Trump leads .
The so-called Blue Wall that crumbled in 2016 is now slipping out of Trump 's hands .
Pennsylvania , with the most Electoral College votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within his reach , but it 's a heck of a tight race .
He needs it to stay alive and his pride will find it deeply bruising to lose .
As a sign of how dear it is to him , he 's already claimed victory without waiting for the actual count .
But why wait , when you 've got lawsuits .
Mr. Trump appears to think he can win this race through the courts .
His team have launched three lawsuits in Michigan , Wisconsin and Georgia , pushing either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - suggesting to the Democratic Governors in this Great Lakes region that their system is fraudulent or inadequate is one thing .
But suggesting to the Ruby Red governors in Georgia and Arizona that they 're not doing it right will be harder to spin .
There 's a lot of unique aspects to this unprecedented race .
It 's taught us a couple of key things - the polling industry is probably dead , and lawyers are about to enjoy a gold rush .
But there 's also a good deal of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , against the odds , expanded his vote share by more than three million people .
Millions of Americans watched what he did over the past four years and signed up for four more .
That is surely all the proof we need that his presidency is not some historical aberration .
What he represents is here to stay in whatever form that may manifest .
We 've also learned that America cares about its political future - a huge turnout was proof of that .
Just pause for a minute to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes than any Democratic candidate in US political history .
He , like Trump defied some expectations ... except when it comes to a landslide of course .
But after staring down the barrel of what at one stage started to look very 2016 , he clawed it back with some healthy margins in key places ( far more than Donald Trump did last cycle ) .
: : Subscribe to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker He appears at this stage to have achieved in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of enthusiasm among African-American voters that Obama did in 2012 and Hillary Clinton so critically failed to .
If he flips Arizona and Georgia , two Republican strongholds , history will judge it as a decisive victory - the product of a new America and the new demographics in those diverse states .
It may be just beyond him , but this year , something has started to shift .
The country , though , still feels bitterly locked in its own division .
Even if Biden were to win , he 'd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we can probably expect four years of ugly gridlock .

We were told this election would take time to interpret and it has.
The red and blue mirages did come true.
But after an undulating election night, the dust has started to settle a little and at the time of writing, Joe Biden appears to have the political momentum needed to win.
As more mail-in votes have been counted, the Democrats closed and surpassed some vital Trump leads.
The so-called Blue Wall that crumbled in 2016 is now slipping out of Trump's hands. Pennsylvania, with the most Electoral College votes in that industrial Midwest, is still within his reach, but it's a heck of a tight race.
US election 2020 live: Follow the latest updates
He needs it to stay alive and his pride will find it deeply bruising to lose. As a sign of how dear it is to him, he's already claimed victory without waiting for the actual count.
But why wait, when you've got lawsuits. Mr. Trump appears to think he can win this race through the courts.
His team have launched three lawsuits in Michigan, Wisconsin and Georgia, pushing either for recounts or to halt vote counting - suggesting to the Democratic Governors in this Great Lakes region that their system is fraudulent or inadequate is one thing.
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But suggesting to the Ruby Red governors in Georgia and Arizona that they're not doing it right will be harder to spin.
There's a lot of unique aspects to this unprecedented race.
It's taught us a couple of key things - the polling industry is probably dead, and lawyers are about to enjoy a gold rush.
But there's also a good deal of nuance we should acknowledge too. Donald Trump, against the odds, expanded his vote share by more than three million people.
Millions of Americans watched what he did over the past four years and signed up for four more. That is surely all the proof we need that his presidency is not some historical aberration. What he represents is here to stay in whatever form that may manifest.
We've also learned that America cares about its political future - a huge turnout was proof of that.
Just pause for a minute to consider that Joe Biden has secured more votes than any Democratic candidate in US political history. He, like Trump defied some expectations... except when it comes to a landslide of course.
But after staring down the barrel of what at one stage started to look very 2016, he clawed it back with some healthy margins in key places (far more than Donald Trump did last cycle).
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He appears at this stage to have achieved in some cities like Detroit, the kind of enthusiasm among African-American voters that Obama did in 2012 and Hillary Clinton so critically failed to.
If he flips Arizona and Georgia, two Republican strongholds, history will judge it as a decisive victory - the product of a new America and the new demographics in those diverse states.
It may be just beyond him, but this year, something has started to shift. The country, though, still feels bitterly locked in its own division.
Even if Biden were to win, he'd likely lose the Senate. Without it, we can probably expect four years of ugly gridlock.


skynewsus--2020-11-04--Unrest, delays and threats - the 'dicey' fight over the 'blue wall'

This US election looks set to come down to the results in three states which traditionally form a 'blue wall ' across America 's rust belt .
In 2016 the states of Pennsylvania , Michigan and Wisconsin all swung to Donald Trump .
But in 2020 it 's going Joe Biden 's way with victory projected in Michigan and Wisconsin , even though Donald Trump is threatening legal challenges .
So what 's the view to the count in each of the crucial states ?
As Joe Biden 's lead grew in Michigan so did the tension in the counting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it even before entering the building .
A heated group gathered at the entrance were being told to stand back by the police .
One official warned me the atmosphere was `` dicey '' - explaining the crowd of people trying to get in were `` poll watchers '' or `` poll challengers '' as they 're known .
These people monitor the counting and are often from the opposing political party .
`` There 's a lot of posturing going on , '' he said .
At a second internal entrance to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also trying to get access .
Some are angry and a few are beginning to shout .
In the short time since we 've been here police have escorted at least three people out of the hall to cheers and clapping .
They 're being thrown out over accusations of intimidating vote counters .
Officials have started covering windows in the hall to try to prevent the crowd outside from disturbing the counting .
Some responded by banging on the windows and people from the opposing side have been tearing the covers down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Board of Canvassers is here to monitor the integrity of the election for the Republicans .
He explains that all parties have poll watchers in the room .
`` Every political group is allowed 134 challengers present , '' he says .
`` They say that we 're at capacity now and those people are still outside .
The Republicans can come in and monitor .
The issue is they 're not counting the people coming in and going out , so how can you know how many people are in and how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden 's lead is now insurmountable but the Trump campaign has filed a legal challenge at a Michigan court .
Mr Trump is alleging wrongdoing in a state that offers Mr Biden a path to power without the need for Pennsylvania .
We 're seeing first-hand how Mr Trump 's rhetoric and legal action is fanning the division and distrust we feared following this election result .
That 's the guaranteed effect of Donald Trump 's demand for a recount in Wisconsin .
Implications beyond that will come down to the numbers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ margins is no stranger to a recount .
Mr Trump faced one when he triumphed here , against the odds , in 2016 .
He 's not asking for anything beyond his entitlement .
An 'aggrieved ' candidate is entitled to request a recount if he/she is within a percentage point of the election winner .
What 's less clear are the exact grounds for challenge .
A statement from the Trump 2020 campaign manager Bill Stepien spoke of `` irregularities in several Wisconsin counties which raise serious doubts about the validity of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those were .
Guidance from the Wisconsin Electoral Commission speaks of a recount being finished by the end of the first week in December .
It is a timeline to trouble this country as it chases a result and a president .
They are still counting in Pennsylvania .
They have hundreds of thousands of ballots to get through ; many of them absentee ballots legitimately cast in good time and yet now cast as illegitimate by the president .
His election night statement was explicit and built on his characterisation of postal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later his son Eric and lawyer Rudy Giuliani arrived in Philadelphia .
Mr Giuliani said : `` Not a single Republican has been able to look at any of these mail ballots…they could be from Mars as far as we 're concerned ! ''
The core of their argument was that Republican election monitors had not been allowed to monitor counts ( they provided no evidence of this ) and so they could n't be sure that fraud had n't taken place .
But those at the coal face of the counts are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes cast on or before election day by eligible voters is not cheating .
It 's democracy , '' Al Schmidt told me .
He is one of three election commissioners for the city and is a Republican .
North of Philadelphia in Doylestown we met Chris Frey , once a Republican but now a so-called never-Trumper .
`` He basically said 'stop counting the ballots now because I am ahead ' .
That 's not how democracy works , '' he said .
But a block away , evidence of the country-wide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him .
He is not here to 'fraudulent ' any election .
Obviously he 's fighting through because he is doing it for the better of this country , '' he said .
He has tried to claim it again .
The courts will decide if he has a case - when he provides the evidence .

This US election looks set to come down to the results in three states which traditionally form a 'blue wall' across America's rust belt.
In 2016 the states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin all swung to Donald Trump.
But in 2020 it's going Joe Biden's way with victory projected in Michigan and Wisconsin, even though Donald Trump is threatening legal challenges.
So what's the view to the count in each of the crucial states?
Sally Lockwood, news correspondent, in Michigan
As Joe Biden's lead grew in Michigan so did the tension in the counting hall in Detroit. You could see it even before entering the building. A heated group gathered at the entrance were being told to stand back by the police.
Image: As Joe Biden's lead grew in Michigan so did the tension in the counting hall in Detroit
One official warned me the atmosphere was "dicey" - explaining the crowd of people trying to get in were "poll watchers" or "poll challengers" as they're known. These people monitor the counting and are often from the opposing political party. "There's a lot of posturing going on," he said.
At a second internal entrance to the counting hall, another group is also trying to get access. Some are angry and a few are beginning to shout. In the short time since we've been here police have escorted at least three people out of the hall to cheers and clapping. They're being thrown out over accusations of intimidating vote counters.
Image: An election challenger in Michigan
Officials have started covering windows in the hall to try to prevent the crowd outside from disturbing the counting. Some responded by banging on the windows and people from the opposing side have been tearing the covers down.
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William Hartmann from the Wayne County Board of Canvassers is here to monitor the integrity of the election for the Republicans. He explains that all parties have poll watchers in the room.
"Every political group is allowed 134 challengers present," he says.
"They say that we're at capacity now and those people are still outside. The Republicans can come in and monitor. The issue is they're not counting the people coming in and going out, so how can you know how many people are in and how many people are out?"
Image: Some people insist they were not allowed the access to the count that they are entitled to
Joe Biden's lead is now insurmountable but the Trump campaign has filed a legal challenge at a Michigan court.
Mr Trump is alleging wrongdoing in a state that offers Mr Biden a path to power without the need for Pennsylvania.
We're seeing first-hand how Mr Trump's rhetoric and legal action is fanning the division and distrust we feared following this election result.
James Matthews, news correspondent, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Delay.
That's the guaranteed effect of Donald Trump's demand for a recount in Wisconsin. Implications beyond that will come down to the numbers, recounted.
This state of razor-thin electoral margins is no stranger to a recount. Mr Trump faced one when he triumphed here, against the odds, in 2016.
He's not asking for anything beyond his entitlement. An 'aggrieved' candidate is entitled to request a recount if he/she is within a percentage point of the election winner.
Image: Election officials were still counting ballots in Milwaukee on Wednesday
The rules make it clear.
What's less clear are the exact grounds for challenge.
A statement from the Trump 2020 campaign manager Bill Stepien spoke of "irregularities in several Wisconsin counties which raise serious doubts about the validity of the results", without detailing what those were.
Guidance from the Wisconsin Electoral Commission speaks of a recount being finished by the end of the first week in December.
It is a timeline to trouble this country as it chases a result and a president.
Image: Counting continues in Pennsylvania
Mark Stone, news correspondent, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
They are still counting in Pennsylvania.
They have hundreds of thousands of ballots to get through; many of them absentee ballots legitimately cast in good time and yet now cast as illegitimate by the president.
His election night statement was explicit and built on his characterisation of postal ballots as vulnerable to fraud.
Image: Rudy Giuliani says Republican election monitors have not been allowed to monitor counts
Hours later his son Eric and lawyer Rudy Giuliani arrived in Philadelphia.
Mr Giuliani said: "Not a single Republican has been able to look at any of these mail ballots…they could be from Mars as far as we're concerned!"
The core of their argument was that Republican election monitors had not been allowed to monitor counts (they provided no evidence of this) and so they couldn't be sure that fraud hadn't taken place.
But those at the coal face of the counts aren't hiding their contempt.
"Counting votes cast on or before election day by eligible voters is not cheating. It's democracy," Al Schmidt told me. He is one of three election commissioners for the city and is a Republican.
North of Philadelphia in Doylestown we met Chris Frey, once a Republican but now a so-called never-Trumper.
"He basically said 'stop counting the ballots now because I am ahead'. That's not how democracy works," he said.
But a block away, evidence of the country-wide divide.
Image: Franco Federico, a local restaurant owner, believes the president's claims of fraud
Franco Federico, a local restaurant owner, believes the president's claims of fraud.
"I certainly do believe him. He is not here to 'fraudulent' any election. Obviously he's fighting through because he is doing it for the better of this country," he said.
Pennsylvania was Donald Trump's biggest prize four years ago.
He has tried to claim it again. The courts will decide if he has a case - when he provides the evidence.


skynewsus--2020-11-05--Why did the US pollsters get the results so wrong?

Pollsters were chastised for incorrectly predicting a large Hillary Clinton win in 2016 , yet they have they have got it wrong again .
Millions of dollars are spent on looking at who will win a US presidential election , and by how much .
Ahead of this year 's election , Joe Biden was predicted a safe win , with the Democrat leading by up to 16 points a month before , which narrowed down to eight points the day before the election .
It was to be the Democrats ' largest lead on the eve of an election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to polling analysis website FiveThirtyEight .
But , that has not been borne out by the results .
It could be some time before the final handful of states declare but getting the all-important 270 electoral college votes has come down to the wire .
If , as the pollsters predicted , Mr Biden had had a strong lead , he would have reached that number within 24 hours of the polling booths closing .
It became clear early on that the pollsters had not hit the mark when Donald Trump won the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden had been expecting a three-point lead here but Mr Trump is thought to have won thanks to the state 's large Cuban-American vote , NBC News exit polls found .
Pollsters are felt to have underestimated a shift towards the president by certain demographics , especially Hispanic voters in specific states .
Like 2016 , another factor was undercounting hard-to-reach voters who tend to be less educated and more conservative - and more likely to vote for Mr Trump .
Nick Beauchamp , assistant professor of political science at Northeastern University , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the `` shy Trumper '' claims of Trump supporters deliberately misrepresenting their intentions to pollsters .
Some pollsters are saying the differences are within the three to five percentage points margin of error , and as some states , such as Florida , were predicted to only be won by Mr Biden by a small percentage , that is within the realms of error .
However , Mr Beauchamp said : `` But it seems awfully large to me for just that . ''
Another factor could be the historic turnout and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sheer numbers making it more difficult to establish who people will vote for .
Polls are also more difficult now as telephone polling is not as effective because voters are less likely to answer phone calls on their mobiles when they do not recognise the number - unlike when landlines were called and the number did not show up .
As a result , pollsters often rely on online panels to approximate random samples , making it harder to target all types of demographics and therefore more difficult to get a good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker These are all possible factors , but the real reason why the pollsters got it wrong will most likely be figured out by sometime next year .
`` A full examination of what went wrong with polls this year is going to take a while , '' Doug Schwartz , director of polling at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut told the Boston Globe .
`` After the 2016 election , it took six months for the American Association for Public Opinion Research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I would expect a full evaluation of 2020 to take at least as long . ''

Pollsters were chastised for incorrectly predicting a large Hillary Clinton win in 2016, yet they have they have got it wrong again.
Millions of dollars are spent on looking at who will win a US presidential election, and by how much.
Ahead of this year's election, Joe Biden was predicted a safe win, with the Democrat leading by up to 16 points a month before, which narrowed down to eight points the day before the election.
It was to be the Democrats' largest lead on the eve of an election since Bill Clinton in 1996, according to polling analysis website FiveThirtyEight.
US election 2020 live: Follow the latest updates
But, that has not been borne out by the results.
It could be some time before the final handful of states declare but getting the all-important 270 electoral college votes has come down to the wire.
If, as the pollsters predicted, Mr Biden had had a strong lead, he would have reached that number within 24 hours of the polling booths closing.
Hispanic voters
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It became clear early on that the pollsters had not hit the mark when Donald Trump won the most-prized swing state of Florida.
Image: There was dancing on the streets of Miami when Donald Trump overtook Joe Biden for the swing state of Florida
Mr Biden had been expecting a three-point lead here but Mr Trump is thought to have won thanks to the state's large Cuban-American vote, NBC News exit polls found.
Pollsters are felt to have underestimated a shift towards the president by certain demographics, especially Hispanic voters in specific states.
Hard-to-reach voters
Like 2016, another factor was undercounting hard-to-reach voters who tend to be less educated and more conservative - and more likely to vote for Mr Trump.
Nick Beauchamp, assistant professor of political science at Northeastern University, wrote that he is not as convinced by the "shy Trumper" claims of Trump supporters deliberately misrepresenting their intentions to pollsters.
Image: There was a record turnout for the election
Margin of error
Some pollsters are saying the differences are within the three to five percentage points margin of error, and as some states, such as Florida, were predicted to only be won by Mr Biden by a small percentage, that is within the realms of error.
However, Mr Beauchamp said: "But it seems awfully large to me for just that."
Historic turnout, mail-in voting and online polling
Another factor could be the historic turnout and a surge in mail-in voting, with the sheer numbers making it more difficult to establish who people will vote for.
Polls are also more difficult now as telephone polling is not as effective because voters are less likely to answer phone calls on their mobiles when they do not recognise the number - unlike when landlines were called and the number did not show up.
As a result, pollsters often rely on online panels to approximate random samples, making it harder to target all types of demographics and therefore more difficult to get a good representation.
:: Subscribe to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
These are all possible factors, but the real reason why the pollsters got it wrong will most likely be figured out by sometime next year.
"A full examination of what went wrong with polls this year is going to take a while," Doug Schwartz, director of polling at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut told the Boston Globe.
"After the 2016 election, it took six months for the American Association for Public Opinion Research to release their findings about polling errors.
"I would expect a full evaluation of 2020 to take at least as long."


skynewsus--2020-11-05--Trump supporters - some armed with rifles - gather outside vote counting centres for protests

Donald Trump supporters - some armed with rifles and handguns - have descended on election counting centres where mail-in ballots continue to be tallied up .
In the state of Arizona , a mostly unmasked crowd chanted `` stop the steal '' following unsubstantiated claims that votes for the Republican president were deliberately not being counted .
A reported 300 protesters - some of whom were armed - rallied in front of the Maricopa County Elections Department in Phoenix on Wednesday night as Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden held a razor-thin lead in the critical battleground state .
There are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winner - Arizona among them - with the president 's path to power now appearing slightly tighter .
Chris Michael , 40 , from Gilbert , Arizona , said he came to the election centre to make sure all votes were counted .
The 40-year-old said he wanted assurances that the counting was done `` ethically and legally '' .
Observers from both parties were inside the election centre as ballots were being counted , with it being livestreamed online throughout .
Two county officials - one Democrat and the other Republican - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misinformation spread about the integrity of the election process .
Clint Hickman , the Republican chairman of Maricopa County Board of Supervisors , and Democratic supervisor Steve Gallardo said : `` Everyone should want all the votes to be counted , whether they were mailed or cast in person .
`` An accurate vote takes time .
This is evidence of democracy , not fraud . ''
Trump supporters also showed up at counts in neighbouring Nevada .
According to local media reports , about 75 people turned up in Vegas waving Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' .
Elsewhere , in Michigan , dozens of Trump-supporting `` stop the count '' protesters rallied outside another election counting centre in Detroit .
Demonstrators vented their anger before Mr Biden was finally declared as winning the state .
Video from the count centre showed frustrated crowds outside the vote centre and inside its lobby shouting `` let us in '' , with police lining up to keep them from storming the counting area .
In New York City , hundreds of counter-protesters in Manhattan called for every vote to be counted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 arrests were made after a smaller group began protesting police misconduct .
Similar protests took place in Chicago , Los Angeles , Seattle , Houston , Pittsburgh , Minneapolis and San Diego .
The demonstrations come as the Trump campaign said it filed lawsuits in Pennsylvania and Michigan to demand better access to locations where ballots were being processed and counted .
It also called for a temporary halt in the counting of votes in both states and asked for a recount in Wisconsin , where Mr Biden has already won .

Donald Trump supporters - some armed with rifles and handguns - have descended on election counting centres where mail-in ballots continue to be tallied up.
In the state of Arizona, a mostly unmasked crowd chanted "stop the steal" following unsubstantiated claims that votes for the Republican president were deliberately not being counted.
US election 2020 live: Follow the latest updates
Image: There are six states still to declare a winner - among them, Arizona
A reported 300 protesters - some of whom were armed - rallied in front of the Maricopa County Elections Department in Phoenix on Wednesday night as Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden held a razor-thin lead in the critical battleground state.
There are currently six states still to declare a winner - Arizona among them - with the president's path to power now appearing slightly tighter.
Chris Michael, 40, from Gilbert, Arizona, said he came to the election centre to make sure all votes were counted.
The 40-year-old said he wanted assurances that the counting was done "ethically and legally".
Observers from both parties were inside the election centre as ballots were being counted, with it being livestreamed online throughout.
Two county officials - one Democrat and the other Republican - issued a joint statement expressing concern over misinformation spread about the integrity of the election process.
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Clint Hickman, the Republican chairman of Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, and Democratic supervisor Steve Gallardo said: "Everyone should want all the votes to be counted, whether they were mailed or cast in person.
"An accurate vote takes time. This is evidence of democracy, not fraud."
Image: One protester wanted assurances the counting was done 'ethically and legally'
Trump supporters also showed up at counts in neighbouring Nevada. According to local media reports, about 75 people turned up in Vegas waving Trump flags and chanted "stop the steal".
Elsewhere, in Michigan, dozens of Trump-supporting "stop the count" protesters rallied outside another election counting centre in Detroit.
Image: Trump supporters rallied outside another counting centre in Detroit
Demonstrators vented their anger before Mr Biden was finally declared as winning the state.
Video from the count centre showed frustrated crowds outside the vote centre and inside its lobby shouting "let us in", with police lining up to keep them from storming the counting area.
Image: Counter protesters in Manhattan called for every vote to be counted
In New York City, hundreds of counter-protesters in Manhattan called for every vote to be counted. It was largely peaceful, but 20 arrests were made after a smaller group began protesting police misconduct.
Similar protests took place in Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Houston, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis and San Diego.
The demonstrations come as the Trump campaign said it filed lawsuits in Pennsylvania and Michigan to demand better access to locations where ballots were being processed and counted.
It also called for a temporary halt in the counting of votes in both states and asked for a recount in Wisconsin, where Mr Biden has already won.


skynewsus--2020-11-04--Win or lose, Trump still has millions more votes than in 2016 - and that matters

Whoever wins this nail-biter of an election , it may spell the end of the world order as we know it .
Whatever the outcome , one fact stands out : millions more people have voted for Donald Trump than in 2016 , and that is very significant for those outside of America .
Throughout the president 's first term in office there has been one question on the minds of many outside of the US , friend or foe .
Was the decision made by Americans four years ago a one-off , an aberration or a sign of things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an answer regardless of the result .
America built the world we live in , it was the architect of the post-war world order , its institutions , and the rules and agreements that have made our lives safer and more prosperous than they would otherwise have been .
And yet Donald Trump seemed opposed to so much of that .
He has openly derided international organisations and pulled out of some of them .
He has gone back on America 's word by pulling out of international agreements on the climate and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ openly admired strongmen and autocrats .
He has undermined NATO by raising the possibility of America withdrawing from the western alliance .
If he is elected , he may well follow through on that threat .
So traditional US allies as well as its rivals and enemies will have been watching this election closely to see if Americans endorsed that radical break with the country 's past , or rejected it .
Many Americans it seems are perfectly happy with a president disrupting so much of what the country worked so hard to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with America 's place in the world as it has become and used their vote to endorse Trump 's record .
If Joe Biden wins , he can work hard to restore America 's credibility among allies , renewing US support for the deals on Iran and the climate .
He will try and repair relations and alliances and put the US back at the centre of the world order .
But even then , allies may continue to doubt America as a reliable partner .
They will know that it has voted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for someone like him again .
To have dispelled those doubts , Americans needed to have voted decisively against Trump .
Millions more have voted for him this time round than the first time - even in the middle of a pandemic that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives .
Whoever wins , America 's allies will need to hedge their bets in future , knowing there is a substantial chunk of the US electorate who have been willing twice to vote for a revolutionary disrupter on the world stage .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possibility that America will pull out of NATO , and without America 's unconditional support that alliance is undoubtedly weakened .
And they will know that Trump has shown the way for others like him .
Trump wannabes know there is considerable support for his kind of agenda at home and abroad that they will be able to tap into in future .
It turns out there is not the kind of unqualified enthusiasm for NATO , and the liberal democratic world order that allies have till now taken for granted .
: @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker America set up the institutions and wrote the rules that run much of the world in a way that suits America .
For an American president to retreat from leading that order and threaten to dismantle parts of it is hard to understand .
Isolationism is nothing to new to America and it has paid the price for it in the past , forced to intervene in two bloody world wars .
In the wake of the second , President Roosevelt led efforts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ West 's prosperity and security to avoid the need for more costly interventions .
The support for Trump suggests Americans no longer see value for money in those arrangements .
America 's western allies will need to make plans accordingly .

Whoever wins this nail-biter of an election, it may spell the end of the world order as we know it.
Whatever the outcome, one fact stands out: millions more people have voted for Donald Trump than in 2016, and that is very significant for those outside of America.
US election 2020 live: Follow the latest updates
Throughout the president's first term in office there has been one question on the minds of many outside of the US, friend or foe.
Was the decision made by Americans four years ago a one-off, an aberration or a sign of things to come? We may now have an answer regardless of the result.
America built the world we live in, it was the architect of the post-war world order, its institutions, and the rules and agreements that have made our lives safer and more prosperous than they would otherwise have been.
And yet Donald Trump seemed opposed to so much of that.
He has openly derided international organisations and pulled out of some of them. He has gone back on America's word by pulling out of international agreements on the climate and Iran. He has criticised allies and openly admired strongmen and autocrats.
He has undermined NATO by raising the possibility of America withdrawing from the western alliance. If he is elected, he may well follow through on that threat.
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So traditional US allies as well as its rivals and enemies will have been watching this election closely to see if Americans endorsed that radical break with the country's past, or rejected it.
Image: Joe Biden has urged his supporters to 'keep the faith' as they wait for results
Many Americans it seems are perfectly happy with a president disrupting so much of what the country worked so hard to put together.
They are not happy with America's place in the world as it has become and used their vote to endorse Trump's record.
If Joe Biden wins, he can work hard to restore America's credibility among allies, renewing US support for the deals on Iran and the climate.
He will try and repair relations and alliances and put the US back at the centre of the world order.
But even then, allies may continue to doubt America as a reliable partner. They will know that it has voted for a Trump once and could vote for someone like him again.
To have dispelled those doubts, Americans needed to have voted decisively against Trump.
Millions more have voted for him this time round than the first time - even in the middle of a pandemic that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.
Whoever wins, America's allies will need to hedge their bets in future, knowing there is a substantial chunk of the US electorate who have been willing twice to vote for a revolutionary disrupter on the world stage.
They will need to take into account the possibility that America will pull out of NATO, and without America's unconditional support that alliance is undoubtedly weakened.
And they will know that Trump has shown the way for others like him.
Trump wannabes know there is considerable support for his kind of agenda at home and abroad that they will be able to tap into in future.
It turns out there is not the kind of unqualified enthusiasm for NATO, and the liberal democratic world order that allies have till now taken for granted.
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This is extraordinary.
America set up the institutions and wrote the rules that run much of the world in a way that suits America.
For an American president to retreat from leading that order and threaten to dismantle parts of it is hard to understand.
Isolationism is nothing to new to America and it has paid the price for it in the past, forced to intervene in two bloody world wars.
In the wake of the second, President Roosevelt led efforts to build a world order to safeguard the West's prosperity and security to avoid the need for more costly interventions.
The support for Trump suggests Americans no longer see value for money in those arrangements.
America's western allies will need to make plans accordingly.


skynewsus--2020-11-05--Wafer-thin margin in key battleground state of Georgia as White House race heats up

Joe Biden is closing in on Donald Trump in the key battleground of Georgia , hoping to flip a third state from the Republicans and put himself within touching distancing of the White House .
The Democrat challenger is now 18,000 votes behind - a much smaller gap than the 372,000 he trailed behind by 24 hours ago - as counting continues in a series of knife-edge elections .
But his fortunes have begun slipping away in Arizona - one of his highly-prized targets in the southern Sun Belt .
There , the race has tightened to give Mr Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a handful of `` toss up '' states are left in play as he and Donald Trump vie for the crucial 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the US presidency .
So far , Mr Biden is the closest on 253 - also leading in the popular vote and breaking the record for the most number of votes ever cast for a presidential candidate .
Mr Trump has 214 Electoral College votes , also surpassing the number of total people who backed him in 2016 by more than three million .
Despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the stakes have been significantly raised by Mr Trump 's campaign launching legal challenges .
`` Poll watchers '' have amassed outside some counts , with the mood febrile as they chant and demand access to the counting halls , while protests against Mr Trump raged in New York and Pennsylvania .
And the president himself has threatened to take his fight to the Supreme Court , with his lawyer Rudy Giuliani wildly speculating , without evidence , that Mr Biden may have voted illegally 5,000 times .
Mr Trump himself has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in states where no result has been announced - Pennsylvania , Georgia and North Carolina .
But speaking from Delaware , where he hoped to be able to make a victory speech on election night , Mr Biden on Wednesday told supporters it is `` clear '' he is on course to win .
`` I 'm not here to declare that I 've won , '' he said , but pointed out that in undeclared races , he is leading by more votes than Mr Trump won them by at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We the people will not be silenced ; we the people will not be bullied ; we the people will not surrender . ''
Despite his confidence , Mr Biden will likely be disappointed he did not take an earlier , convincing lead once the results began trickling in .
He failed to capture swing states such as Florida and Ohio that would have already cemented his position , and fell short of taking `` ruby red '' Texas under the landslide some pollsters had forecasted .
But Mr Biden did gain momentum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , taking Wisconsin and Michigan , according to a Sky News/ NBC forecast .
In a bid to thwart that , Mr Trump accused his opponents of a `` major fraud '' and launched two lawsuits , also demanding a recount in Wisconsin .
`` How come every time they count Mail-In ballot dumps they are so devastating in their percentage and power of destruction ? ''
he wrote , as part of a series of tweets trying to cast doubt over the election process .
Twitter then stepped in to censor several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some or all of the content shared in this Tweet is disputed and might be misleading about an election or other civic process . ''

Joe Biden is closing in on Donald Trump in the key battleground of Georgia, hoping to flip a third state from the Republicans and put himself within touching distancing of the White House.
The Democrat challenger is now 18,000 votes behind - a much smaller gap than the 372,000 he trailed by 24 hours ago - as counting continues in a series of knife-edge elections - despite the president's demand that they stop.
Live updates as election still too close to call
But his fortunes have begun slipping away in Arizona - one of his highly-prized targets in the southern Sun Belt.
There, the race has tightened to give Mr Biden a lead of just 68,000.
Only a handful of "toss up" states are left in play as he and Mr Trump vie for the crucial 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the US presidency.
So far, Mr Biden is the closest on 253 - also leading in the popular vote and breaking the record for the most number of votes ever cast for a presidential candidate.
Mr Trump has 214 Electoral College votes and has surpassed the number of total people who backed him in 2016 by more than three million.
Despite election administrators' appeals for patience and calm, the stakes have been significantly raised by Mr Trump's campaign launching legal challenges.
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On Thursday, the president tweeted: "STOP THE COUNT!"
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:54 Pro-Trump protesters chant 'stop the count!'
Image: Protesters have taken to the street in New York and Pennsylvania against Mr Trump
"Poll watchers" have amassed outside some counts, with the mood febrile as they chant and demand access to the counting halls, while protests against Mr Trump raged in New York and Pennsylvania.
And the president himself has threatened to take his fight to the Supreme Court, with his lawyer Rudy Giuliani wildly speculating, without evidence, that Mr Biden may have voted illegally 5,000 times.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:00 'Biden could have voted 50 times as far as we know, or 5,000 times'
Mr Trump himself has already claimed victory in the election overall and in states where no result has been announced - Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina.
But speaking from Delaware, where he hoped to be able to make a victory speech on election night, Mr Biden on Wednesday told supporters it is "clear" he is on course to win.
"I'm not here to declare that I've won," he said, but pointed out that in undeclared races, he is leading by more votes than Mr Trump won them by at the last election.
He added: "We the people will not be silenced; we the people will not be bullied; we the people will not surrender."
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:02 Biden: 'I'm confident we'll emerge victorious'
Despite his confidence, Mr Biden will likely be disappointed he did not take an earlier, convincing lead once the results began trickling in.
He failed to capture swing states such as Florida and Ohio that would have already cemented his position, and fell short of taking "ruby red" Texas under the landslide some pollsters had forecasted.
But Mr Biden did gain momentum with his first major successes on Wednesday, taking Wisconsin and Michigan, according to a Sky News/ NBC forecast.
In a bid to thwart that, Mr Trump accused his opponents of a "major fraud" and launched two lawsuits, also demanding a recount in Wisconsin.
"How come every time they count Mail-In ballot dumps they are so devastating in their percentage and power of destruction?" he wrote, as part of a series of tweets trying to cast doubt over the election process.
Twitter then stepped in to censor several his messages, warning readers: "Some or all of the content shared in this Tweet is disputed and might be misleading about an election or other civic process."


skynewsus--2020-10-21--Exit polls reveal how Americans voted - and the issues they cared about the most

America has now voted in the 2020 presidential election .
The first indication of how people have voted has started to emerge as exit polls are published .
Exit polls can provide an early sense of which candidate is leading and how certain key demographics have voted .
Voters are interviewed after they come out of the polling station about different topics such as what demographic they are , what the main issues are for them and what they think of each candidate .
Sky News election analyst Michael Thrasher said the exit polls are showing Democrat Joe Biden has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wins the all-important Electoral College remains `` on a knife edge '' .
Sky News , in association with Edison/Reuters , has all the latest exit poll data here : There has been little change in the gender and age profile of the electorate , but the exit polls show an increase in non-white voters and college graduates while Donald Trump 's 2016 core vote of white non-college voters is down - which all points to a popular vote win for Mr Biden .
One of the key features of the 2020 electorate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and they have decisively shifted towards the Democrats compared with 2016 .
Main issues/reasons to vote for Donald Trump or Joe Biden With an election happening during the coronavirus pandemic , the disease was always going to be one of the main issues - especially in one of the hardest hit countries .
However , it was only third in the most important issues for voters , behind the economy and racial inequality .
Democrat voters were much more concerned about the pandemic than Republicans , the exit polls show .
Here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel Mr Biden and Mr Trump have handled COVID-19 and its effect on them .
Black Lives Matter protests have been taking place across the US during the campaign , making it one of the top issues , along with mail-in ballots which Mr Trump has said would result in higher levels of voter fraud .
A Black Lives Matter protest has been happening overnight in Washington DC as votes were counted .
Just weeks before election day , Supreme Court heavyweight Ruth Bader Ginsberg died , with Mr Trump 's replacement pick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This exit poll found that Democrats were much more concerned about racism in the US than Republicans .
Several other issues remain important to how people choose to vote , including candidates ' positions on abortion , crime , their health care policies and the economy .
As the US system sees people voting for a person , rather than a party , their opinion on Mr Biden and Mr Trump - and their deputies - often plays an important part in how they vote .
Both presidential candidates are over 70 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health has been questioned , but Republicans overwhelmingly believe Mr Trump is the only candidate to trust on that front , with exactly the same number of Democrats saying the same of Mr Biden .

America has now voted in the 2020 presidential election. The first indication of how people have voted has started to emerge as exit polls are published.
Exit polls can provide an early sense of which candidate is leading and how certain key demographics have voted.
Voters are interviewed after they come out of the polling station about different topics such as what demographic they are, what the main issues are for them and what they think of each candidate.
US election 2020 live: Follow the latest updates
Sky News election analyst Michael Thrasher said the exit polls are showing Democrat Joe Biden has won the popular vote but whether he wins the all-important Electoral College remains "on a knife edge".
Sky News, in association with Edison/Reuters, has all the latest exit poll data here:
Demographics
There has been little change in the gender and age profile of the electorate, but the exit polls show an increase in non-white voters and college graduates while Donald Trump's 2016 core vote of white non-college voters is down - which all points to a popular vote win for Mr Biden.
One of the key features of the 2020 electorate is an increase in college graduates voting, and they have decisively shifted towards the Democrats compared with 2016.
Main issues/reasons to vote for Donald Trump or Joe Biden
With an election happening during the coronavirus pandemic, the disease was always going to be one of the main issues - especially in one of the hardest hit countries.
However, it was only third in the most important issues for voters, behind the economy and racial inequality. Democrat voters were much more concerned about the pandemic than Republicans, the exit polls show.
Here, voters answered questions on how they feel Mr Biden and Mr Trump have handled COVID-19 and its effect on them.
Black Lives Matter protests have been taking place across the US during the campaign, making it one of the top issues, along with mail-in ballots which Mr Trump has said would result in higher levels of voter fraud.
A Black Lives Matter protest has been happening overnight in Washington DC as votes were counted.
Just weeks before election day, Supreme Court heavyweight Ruth Bader Ginsberg died, with Mr Trump's replacement pick, Amy Coney Barrett, proving controversial.
This exit poll found that Democrats were much more concerned about racism in the US than Republicans.
Several other issues remain important to how people choose to vote, including candidates' positions on abortion, crime, their health care policies and the economy.
Candidates' characteristics and people's opinions
As the US system sees people voting for a person, rather than a party, their opinion on Mr Biden and Mr Trump - and their deputies - often plays an important part in how they vote.
Both presidential candidates are over 70 years old and their physical and mental health has been questioned, but Republicans overwhelmingly believe Mr Trump is the only candidate to trust on that front, with exactly the same number of Democrats saying the same of Mr Biden.


skynewsus--2020-11-04--Trump prepares to fight election results in court - this is what he wants to do

President Donald Trump has launched legal action as he tries to temporarily stop vote counting in two states , including one that Joe Biden is projected to win , and wants a recount in a third where his election rival has apparently also triumphed .
Mr Biden and his team have said they have lawyers `` standing by '' to fight any challenge .
The president has vowed to take his case to the US Supreme Court in Washington but what are his claims centred on ?
His team is particularly showing concern and anger about the huge influx of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late to be counted in Michigan , Wisconsin and Pennsylvania - key states now set to prove crucial in who gets the keys to the White House .
The Trump campaign claims it has : • Filed lawsuits in Pennsylvania and Michigan to demand better access to locations where ballots are being processed and counted • Called for a temporary halt in the counting of votes in both states • Asked for a recount in Wisconsin - a state where Mr Biden is believed to have won A candidate can request a recount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ met : The candidate ran for one of the following offices : president and vice president , state executive ( e.g.
, governor ) , U.S. Senate , U.S. House , circuit judges , or state senators and state representatives elected from districts that span more than one county .
The request `` alleges that the candidate is aggrieved on account of fraud or mistake in the canvass of the votes '' .
The request `` shall contain specific allegations of wrongdoing only if evidence of that wrongdoing is available to the petitioner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available , the petitioner is only required to allege fraud or a mistake in the petition without further specification . ''
The request `` sets forth as nearly as possible the nature and character of the fraud or mistakes alleged and the counties , cities , or townships and the precincts in which they exist . ''
The request `` specifies the counties , cities , townships , and precincts in which the recount is requested . ''
The requester is responsible for costs associated with the recount unless the recount changes the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ costs are refunded .
If during the course of a recount , a precinct is deemed not recountable or is not recounted due to the withdrawal of the request , the costs paid by the requester to recount that precinct are refunded .
The deadline to request a recount is no later than 48 hours following completion of the canvass of votes .
The president is ahead of Mr Biden in Pennsylvania but his margin is shrinking as more postal ballots are counted .
Michigan is projected to go to Mr Biden .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to temporarily stop ballot counting in Pennsylvania until there is `` meaningful transparency '' .
It also said it is filing lawsuits to prevent Democratic election officials `` hiding '' ballot counting and processing from Republican poll observers in the state .
The Trump campaign said in a statement : `` The eyes of the country are on Pennsylvania , but Pennsylvania has kept eyes off of the absentee ballot counting process all along , and that must stop today . ''
And despite incomplete results and no projections of a win , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declaring a victory in Pennsylvania '' .
A Trump campaign spokesman also said it would seek to intervene in an ongoing state supreme court case involving the deadline for receiving mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania .
The state had a total of 3.1 million postal ballots .
Last week the court upheld a decision that mail-in votes could be counted three days after the election - as long as they were postmarked by election day .
: : Subscribe to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winner in Wisconsin , Mr Trump 's campaign manager said he would `` immediately '' request a recount due to `` reports of irregularities '' in several counties .
According to Wisconsin 's rules on recounts , the second-place candidate only has the right to request a recount if the election result is within 1 % of the winner 's total .
NBC News reports Mr Biden picked up 49.4 % of votes in the state , while Mr Trump was on 48.8 % .
The Biden campaign did not immediately comment on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over access for campaign observers .
However , the campaign has been seeking donations for what it is calling the `` Biden Fight Fund '' .
`` Our legal team is standing by , and they will prevail , '' campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon said earlier on Wednesday .
Postal voting has been a key issue for Mr Trump - something he has been criticising for months as having what he says is the potential to undermine the result .
More than 100 million people voted by post ahead of polling day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be reluctant to go out in person because of COVID-19 .
Mr Trump , 74 , said on Wednesday he wanted to ensure any votes cast after the polls closed - ( `` at 4 o'clock in the morning '' , as he put it ) - would not be counted .
He consistently claimed in the run-up to the big day that there was a risk from the system - and he 's now doubled-down on that by saying a `` major fraud on our nation '' is playing out .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that happening .
Importantly , Democrat voters are historically more likely to vote by post than Republicans , meaning any early advantage Mr Trump has could be wiped out .
The US Postal Service warned 46 states in July that it could not guarantee all votes would arrive by the cut-off time .
A federal judge in Washington has now ordered US Postal Service inspectors to sweep more than two dozen depots for any ballots - including in Pennsylvania and parts of Wisconsin - and to process them immediately .
Mr Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ai n't over until every vote is counted , every ballot is counted '' .
He has called Mr Trump 's claims of fraud `` outrageous , unprecedented , and incorrect '' .
`` Having encouraged Republican efforts in multiple states to prevent the legal counting of these ballots before election day , now Donald Trump is saying these ballots ca n't be counted after election day either , '' said Mr Biden .
Under the 12th Amendment , a `` contingent election '' would be triggered if it is determined that neither @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes - which would see the House of Representatives choose the next president , while the Senate selects the vice president .

President Donald Trump has launched legal action as he tries to temporarily stop vote counting in two states, including one that Joe Biden is projected to win, and wants a recount in a third where his election rival has apparently also triumphed.
Mr Biden and his team have said they have lawyers "standing by" to fight any challenge.
The president has vowed to take his case to the US Supreme Court in Washington but what are his claims centred on?
US election 2020 live: Follow the latest updates
His team is particularly showing concern and anger about the huge influx of postal or mail-in ballots, which were late to be counted in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania - key states now set to prove crucial in who gets the keys to the White House.
The Trump campaign claims it has:
Filed lawsuits in Pennsylvania and Michigan to demand better access to locations where ballots are being processed and counted
Called for a temporary halt in the counting of votes in both states
Asked for a recount in Wisconsin - a state where Mr Biden is believed to have won
Michigan Recount Rules
A candidate can request a recount if all of the following conditions are met:
The candidate ran for one of the following offices: president and vice president, state executive (e.g., governor), U.S. Senate, U.S. House, circuit judges, or state senators and state representatives elected from districts that span more than one county.
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The request "alleges that the candidate is aggrieved on account of fraud or mistake in the canvass of the votes".
The request "shall contain specific allegations of wrongdoing only if evidence of that wrongdoing is available to the petitioner. If evidence of wrongdoing is not available, the petitioner is only required to allege fraud or a mistake in the petition without further specification."
The request "sets forth as nearly as possible the nature and character of the fraud or mistakes alleged and the counties, cities, or townships and the precincts in which they exist."
The request "specifies the counties, cities, townships, and precincts in which the recount is requested."
The requester is responsible for costs associated with the recount unless the recount changes the election outcome, in which case the costs are refunded. If during the course of a recount, a precinct is deemed not recountable or is not recounted due to the withdrawal of the request, the costs paid by the requester to recount that precinct are refunded.
The deadline to request a recount is no later than 48 hours following completion of the canvass of votes.
The president is ahead of Mr Biden in Pennsylvania but his margin is shrinking as more postal ballots are counted. Michigan is projected to go to Mr Biden.
The Trump campaign said it is suing to temporarily stop ballot counting in Pennsylvania until there is "meaningful transparency".
It also said it is filing lawsuits to prevent Democratic election officials "hiding" ballot counting and processing from Republican poll observers in the state.
The Trump campaign said in a statement: "The eyes of the country are on Pennsylvania, but Pennsylvania has kept eyes off of the absentee ballot counting process all along, and that must stop today."
And despite incomplete results and no projections of a win, the Trump campaign said it is "declaring a victory in Pennsylvania".
A Trump campaign spokesman also said it would seek to intervene in an ongoing state supreme court case involving the deadline for receiving mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania. The state had a total of 3.1 million postal ballots.
Last week the court upheld a decision that mail-in votes could be counted three days after the election - as long as they were postmarked by election day.
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Even before Mr Biden was declared the apparent winner in Wisconsin, Mr Trump's campaign manager said he would "immediately" request a recount due to "reports of irregularities" in several counties.
According to Wisconsin's rules on recounts, the second-place candidate only has the right to request a recount if the election result is within 1% of the winner's total.
NBC News reports Mr Biden picked up 49.4% of votes in the state, while Mr Trump was on 48.8%.
The Biden campaign did not immediately comment on the new lawsuits in Michigan or Pennsylvania over access for campaign observers.
However, the campaign has been seeking donations for what it is calling the "Biden Fight Fund".
"Our legal team is standing by, and they will prevail," campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon said earlier on Wednesday.
Image: The president's latest claims over the postal vote system have not be substantiated
Postal voting has been a key issue for Mr Trump - something he has been criticising for months as having what he says is the potential to undermine the result.
More than 100 million people voted by post ahead of polling day - a record - with many said to be reluctant to go out in person because of COVID-19.
Mr Trump, 74, said on Wednesday he wanted to ensure any votes cast after the polls closed - ("at 4 o'clock in the morning", as he put it) - would not be counted.
He consistently claimed in the run-up to the big day that there was a risk from the system - and he's now doubled-down on that by saying a "major fraud on our nation" is playing out.
Image: Postal ballots being processed in LA last week
However, there is currently no evidence of that happening. Importantly, Democrat voters are historically more likely to vote by post than Republicans, meaning any early advantage Mr Trump has could be wiped out.
The US Postal Service warned 46 states in July that it could not guarantee all votes would arrive by the cut-off time.
A federal judge in Washington has now ordered US Postal Service inspectors to sweep more than two dozen depots for any ballots - including in Pennsylvania and parts of Wisconsin - and to process them immediately.
Mr Biden, 77, has said it "ain't over until every vote is counted, every ballot is counted".
Image: The president has threatened to go to the Supreme Court - but whether it gets that far is still to be seen
He has called Mr Trump's claims of fraud "outrageous, unprecedented, and incorrect".
"Having encouraged Republican efforts in multiple states to prevent the legal counting of these ballots before election day, now Donald Trump is saying these ballots can't be counted after election day either," said Mr Biden.
Under the 12th Amendment, a "contingent election" would be triggered if it is determined that neither candidate has secured a majority of electoral votes - which would see the House of Representatives choose the next president, while the Senate selects the vice president.


skynewsus--2020-11-04--Once again, pollsters have got egg on their faces - the cult of Trump has not ended

On a night where so many polls , models and expectations were obliterated , there was at least one prediction that remained intact by the morning : that this presidential election would probably end up hinging on a few states in the rust belt .
What happens over the coming hours remains unclear .
Indeed , there is a reasonable chance that the final tally ends up taking weeks .
But one thing is certainly clear .
The pollsters who predicted that lightning could n't strike twice - that their confident probabilities about a landslide victory would n't be proved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ row - have egg on their faces all over again .
And , whoever ends up occupying the Oval Office in January will preside over a country which remains deeply divided , where those divisions are writ in the electoral college and in Congress .
Most pundits presumed this was the moment where the Democrats would seize control of both the executive and the legislature , winning both the presidency and the Senate back from the Republicans .
Even if Joe Biden wins a narrow victory in the presidential election , he looks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if he wins , the cult of Donald Trump has not ended .
The American people came out and voted for their president in numbers far greater than anyone had anticipated .
They defied both the media and the pollsters who assumed they would punish the president for his handling of COVID-19 .
Quite where things departed from the script written by the pollsters is hard to say .
Was it the Latino voters in Miami who abandoned Joe Biden in favour of Donald Trump ?
Was it the white non-college educated voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the president , rather than turning back to the Democrats ?
: : Subscribe to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Was it the suburban women who did n't quite follow the script they were expected to ?
Was it the fact that no one could quite anticipate the impact of early voting ?
In time we will find out .
It is still way too early to take any lessons from this evening and morning - save that we should remain deeply sceptical about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections .
To make one enormous polling error may be regarded as a misfortune ; to make two in a row looks like carelessness .

On a night where so many polls, models and expectations were obliterated, there was at least one prediction that remained intact by the morning: that this presidential election would probably end up hinging on a few states in the rust belt.
What happens over the coming hours remains unclear. Indeed, there is a reasonable chance that the final tally ends up taking weeks.
But one thing is certainly clear. The pollsters who predicted that lightning couldn't strike twice - that their confident probabilities about a landslide victory wouldn't be proved wrong for a second time in a row - have egg on their faces all over again.
And, whoever ends up occupying the Oval Office in January will preside over a country which remains deeply divided, where those divisions are writ in the electoral college and in Congress.
US election 2020 live: Follow the latest updates
Most pundits presumed this was the moment where the Democrats would seize control of both the executive and the legislature, winning both the presidency and the Senate back from the Republicans.
Even if Joe Biden wins a narrow victory in the presidential election, he looks unlikely to take the Senate.
Even if he wins, the cult of Donald Trump has not ended. The American people came out and voted for their president in numbers far greater than anyone had anticipated.
They defied both the media and the pollsters who assumed they would punish the president for his handling of COVID-19.
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Quite where things departed from the script written by the pollsters is hard to say.
Was it the Latino voters in Miami who abandoned Joe Biden in favour of Donald Trump? Was it the white non-college educated voters who turned out to redouble their support for the president, rather than turning back to the Democrats?
:: Subscribe to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
Was it the suburban women who didn't quite follow the script they were expected to? Was it the fact that no one could quite anticipate the impact of early voting?
In time we will find out. It is still way too early to take any lessons from this evening and morning - save that we should remain deeply sceptical about firmly held assumptions when it comes to elections.
To make one enormous polling error may be regarded as a misfortune; to make two in a row looks like carelessness.


skynewsus--2020-11-05--The battleground states that are making the difference in the result

The 2020 election campaign has been marked by the division in US society .
Joe Biden has picked up several states .
But Donald Trump 's support held up in numerous areas within those states .
And Mr Trump 's support increased among groups which have been traditionally seen as being pro-Democrat .
Here are the key conflict zones which are deciding who will end up in the White House .
Joe Biden has already got more votes than any other candidate in history , but that won ’ t be enough to remove Donald Trump from the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it will come down to the result in seven states which will hand either candidate the keys to the White House .
Winning back the blue wall of heavily industrial states was essential for Mr Biden to capture the presidency .
WISCONSIN Democrats increased support in educated and urban areas .
In Dane the second most populous county , half of the population has a degree and almost 9 in 10 live in urban areas .
The high number of young and liberal people may explain why Democrats got more than three times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traditionally Republican northeast again backed Mr Trump , but Mr Biden cut the margin , gaining votes which helped him seal the state-wide vote .
MICHIGAN In 2016 , Mr Trump won by less than 11,000 , and the Democrats lost votes to minority parties which got 5.2 % of the support .
But this time , only 1.8 % of the votes have gone to other parties .
The Democrats have increased their margins in educated , urban and more diverse populations in metropolitan centres , like Oakland , the second most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counting its postal votes , Mr Trump had a big lead in Pennsylvania .
Mr Biden then started to see his vote share rise and rise .
Philadelphia ’ s urban centre is key to pushing him over the finishing line .
The Democrats held the county where Mr Biden grew up comfortably until Trump cut the margin to 3 points in 2016 .
The Republican appears to have lost support among non-college educated whites .
GEORGIA State-wide demographic changes have begun to shift politics .
In the biggest county , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has a degree and 4 in 10 are African American , Democratic support has increased .
Postal ballots in Fulton were mainly responsible for closing the gap .
But Trump has also expanded his vote share in places like Twiggs , a county in the Black Belt , which is 100 % rural and where only 9 % of adults have a degree , helping him close the gap .
FLORIDA Latinos surprised many by supporting Republicans in large numbers .
Miami-Dade , the biggest county , was previously safely Democrat , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 , costing him many votes and the state .
ARIZONA The influx of young educated professionals has shifted some of Arizona ’ s major population centres towards the political left .
Maricopa , the largest county in Arizona , is an example of this demographic change .
Republicans used to win Maricopa , but in 2020 it was separated by a whisker .
Win here and you generally win the state ... …but Pima County might add votes to the Democrats .
NEVADA The key to victory here lies in Clark County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s potential electorate live .
It contains Las Vegas and has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country .
Not all the votes have been counted .
Scroll down to explore all the county-level results so far .

The 2020 election campaign has been marked by the division in US society.
Joe Biden has picked up several states.
But Donald Trump's support held up in numerous areas within those states.
And Mr Trump's support increased among groups which have been traditionally seen as being pro-Democrat.
Here are the key conflict zones which are deciding who will end up in the White House.
Joe Biden has already got more votes than any other candidate in history, but that won’t be enough to remove Donald Trump from the White House.
With votes still being counted, it will come down to the result in seven states which will hand either candidate the keys to the White House.
Winning back the blue wall of heavily industrial states was essential for Mr Biden to capture the presidency.
WISCONSIN
Democrats increased support in educated and urban areas.
In Dane the second most populous county, half of the population has a degree and almost nine in 10 live in urban areas. The high number of young and liberal people may explain why Democrats got more than three times the number of votes there.
The traditionally Republican northeast again backed Mr Trump, but Mr Biden cut the margin, gaining votes which helped him seal the state-wide vote.
MICHIGAN
In 2016, Mr Trump won by less than 11,000, and the Democrats lost votes to minority parties which got 5.2% of the support. But this time, only 1.8% of the votes have gone to other parties.
The Democrats have increased their margins in educated, urban and more diverse populations in metropolitan centres, like Oakland, the second most populous county.
PENNSYLVANIA
Before Philadelphia started counting its postal votes, Mr Trump had a big lead in Pennsylvania. Mr Biden then started to see his vote share rise and rise. Philadelphia’s urban centre is key to pushing him over the finishing line.
The Democrats held the county where Mr Biden grew up comfortably until Mr Trump cut the margin to three points in 2016. The Republican appears to have lost support among non-college educated whites.
GEORGIA
State-wide demographic changes have begun to shift politics. In the biggest county, which is urban, where half of the population has a degree and four in 10 are African American, Democratic support has increased.
Postal ballots in Fulton were mainly responsible for closing the gap.
But Mr Trump has also expanded his vote share in places like Twiggs, a county in the Black Belt, which is 100% rural and where only 9% of adults have a degree, helping him close the gap.
FLORIDA
Latinos surprised many by supporting Republicans in large numbers.
Miami-Dade, the biggest county, was previously safely Democrat, but Mr Biden lost 10 points compared to 2016, costing him many votes and the state.
ARIZONA
The influx of young educated professionals has shifted some of Arizona’s major population centres towards the political left.
Maricopa, the largest county in Arizona, is an example of this demographic change. Republicans used to win Maricopa, but in 2020 it was separated by a whisker. Win here and you generally win the state...
…but Pima County might add votes to the Democrats.
NEVADA
The key to victory here lies in Clark County where seven in 10 of the state’s potential electorate live. It contains Las Vegas and has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country.
Not all the votes have been counted. Scroll down to explore all the county-level results so far.


skynewsus--2020-11-05--Why is the US election result taking so long?

Polling experts and election boffins tell us they never expected a winner to be announced on the night .
But people across the world are now starting to wonder why - almost two day after polls closed - we still do n't know who will be the president of the United States .
In a speech in the initial early hours of counting , Donald Trump declared himself the winner of the US election - but his challenger Joe Biden preferred to tell his supporters : `` patience , patience , patience '' .
And now it seems like patience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why there 's been a delay : Postal votes are largely to blame .
As is the US system of allowing states to make all their own ( and often differing ) rules on anything , but in this case specifically , also on vote counting .
This means that each state sets a different timeline and deadline for when they should be tallied .
Rules in some states do n't allow election workers to begin the labour-intensive work of processing postal ( or `` mail-in ballots '' as they are known in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The deadline for postal votes in North Carolina is 10 November , Alaska is 12 November , and in Washington state , it stretches to 23 November .
Washington and Alaska are relatively unimportant for the final result in the presidential race , in that Washington is strongly Democrat and Alaska is fairly solidly Republican , but it nevertheless means a full vote count will not be available for many days to come .
Postal votes typically take longer to count then those made at a polling station , as they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steps to ensure they are not fraudulent .
Of course , this year , there have been record numbers of them - more than 99 million - due to the coronavirus pandemic .
And because of that , dozens of states have modified their rules for mail-in voting - some of those changes being more substantial than others .
California , Nevada , New Jersey and Vermont , along with Washington DC for instance , sent mail-in ballots to all voters , joining the handful of states that already conduct all-mail elections .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in who can vote `` absentee '' .
Many states , including New Hampshire and New York , have suspended the need for an excuse to obtain an absentee ballot , or said fear of contracting COVID-19 while voting is a valid excuse .
Other states have altered deadlines and/or loosened rules for submitting an absentee ballot .
Some states - often as the result of litigation - have said mail-in ballots only need to be postmarked by election day , rather than received by then .
And in Virginia , for instance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a witness signature .
In short , the voting rules vary widely , making announcing an overall winner a difficult - and slow - process .
Of the final states left to declare : State law in Arizona allows election officials to count mail votes up to two weeks before election day .
Those tallies can be released starting around 10pm on election night .
However , absentee ballots sent right before the election ( as long as they are postmarked before 3 November ) , may not be tallied until today or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undecided into next week .
The North Carolina State Board of Elections estimated 80 % of votes would be cast early or by mail and were largely counted after their polls closed at 7.30pm on the night .
But its outside deadline for these kinds of votes is 12 November , meaning a full count total will not be available for some days yet .
So long as the mail-in votes were postmarked by election day , they will be counted - a policy recently upheld by the US Supreme Court .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail ballot deadlines , those final ballots could mean the full result is unclear for days .
This state has a deadline of 10 November for mail-in ballots .
Alaska is one of only two states that begin counting absentee ballots after election day .
New York is the other state , and it begins counting absentees three days after the election .
Alaska 's deadline for finishing is 13 November .
Soon after President Donald Trump took the key swing state of Florida , the focus shifted to the northeastern US and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2016 , Mr Trump 's win here is what ultimately led to his victory over Hillary Clinton .
Of the three , it is Pennsylvania - and its 20 electoral college votes - that has always been expected to be close , with thin margins and the very real prospect of recounts and legal challenges .
Its deadline for postal ballots is Friday 6 November .
Pennsylvania election officials can accept mail ballots that arrive up to three days after the election , as long as they were postmarked by 3 November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soon as they were allowed - at 7am on polling day - but a handful said they would not begin dealing with absentee ballots until the next morning at the earliest .
If the 2020 election comes down to Pennsylvania , and the margin remains tight , it is possible the election hangs in the balance for several days .
Donald Trump 's campaign on Wednesday declared victory in the state , and also filed a suit in the Supreme Court asking for the remaining ballots not to be counted .
The campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop the vote count in Pennsylvania , citing a lack of `` transparency '' in the count process .
What is Trump 's issue with postal voting ?
The sitting president has made no secret of the fact that he is against people voting by post and indeed , most Republicans listened to his argument and voted in person .
He described the mail-in system as being subject to `` tremendous fraud '' .
His stance was in some way boosted by a warning from the US Postal Service ( USPS ) back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes may not arrive in time to be counted due to the record numbers of applications .
Critics even went so far as to blame the new USPS head - a loyal supporter of President Donald Trump - for a slowdown in deliveries .
Mr Trump feared postal votes would hurt his campaign since it is largely supported by Democrat voters and he took the drastic step of refusing to sign off on $ 25bn ( £19bn ) in emergency funding for the USPS or $ 3.5bn for election security , claiming his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mr Trump has also repeatedly condemned mail-in voting as an opportunity for fraud and election interference .
But numerous national and state-level studies have shown that although there have been isolated cases , electoral fraud is very rare .
Why do n't we have these delays in Britain ?
Well , to be fair , we have not held an election during a pandemic so counters have not been swamped by postal votes .
In the British system , postal votes are sent to all registered electors in the two weeks before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sorted anytime up to polling day .
The signature on each form is scanned in advance and packed up securely , ready to take to the polling station on the night .
Although the postal votes are opened and the accompanying personal identity information is checked , the ballot papers are handled face down until the start of count following the close of poll , so that it 's not possible to see how the votes have been cast .
And the crucial difference between the UK and the US , is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ returned , in the first class envelope provided ( or handed in person at an elections office ) , before 10pm on polling day and any received after that are not accepted .
Returning Officers on the night make sure that the papers arrive at the count in sealed boxes until they are opened and counted .

Polling experts and election boffins tell us they never expected a winner to be announced on the night.
But people across the world are now starting to wonder why - almost four days after polls closed - we still don't know who will be the president of the United States.
In a speech in the initial early hours of counting, Donald Trump declared himself the winner of the US election and has since made unsubstantiated claims of election rigging and voter fraud.
His challenger Joe Biden, who appears to be on the verge of victory, has appealed for calm and patience, saying "each ballot must be counted" - and with his numbers going up, he has claimed to have a "clear majority".
Now, it seems like patience remains the key.
Here's why there's been a delay:
Postal votes are largely to blame. As is the US system of allowing states to make all their own (and often differing) rules on anything, but in this case specifically, also on vote counting.
This means that each state sets a different timeline and deadline for when they should be tallied.
Rules in some states don't allow election workers to begin the labour-intensive work of processing postal (or "mail-in ballots" as they are known in the US) until election day itself.
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The deadline for postal votes in North Carolina is 10 November, Alaska is 12 November, and in Washington state, it stretches to 23 November.
Washington and Alaska are relatively unimportant for the final result in the presidential race, in that Washington is strongly Democrat and Alaska is fairly solidly Republican, but it nevertheless means a full vote count will not be available for days to come.
Image: All eyes are on the vote counters
Postal votes typically take longer to count then those made at a polling station, as they have to go through a longer process of steps to ensure they are not fraudulent.
Of course, this year, there have been record numbers of them - more than 99 million - due to the coronavirus pandemic. And because of that, dozens of states have modified their rules for mail-in voting - some of those changes being more substantial than others.
California, Nevada, New Jersey and Vermont, along with Washington DC for instance, sent mail-in ballots to all voters, joining the handful of states that already conduct all-mail elections.
There's also been a big expansion in who can vote "absentee". Many states, including New Hampshire and New York, have suspended the need for an excuse to obtain an absentee ballot, or said fear of contracting COVID-19 while voting is a valid excuse.
Other states have altered deadlines and/or loosened rules for submitting an absentee ballot. Some states - often as the result of litigation - have said mail-in ballots only need to be postmarked by election day, rather than received by then. And in Virginia, for instance, an absentee ballot won't need a witness signature.
In short, the voting rules vary widely, making announcing an overall winner a difficult - and slow - process.
Of the final states left to declare:
Image: There may be a delay in Arizona making a call
Arizona
State law in Arizona allows election officials to count mail votes up to two weeks before election day. Those tallies can be released starting around 10pm on election night.
However, absentee ballots sent right before the election (as long as they are postmarked before 3 November), may not be tallied until Friday, so the state could remain undecided into next week.
North Carolina
The North Carolina State Board of Elections estimated 80% of votes would be cast early or by mail and were largely counted after their polls closed at 7.30pm on the night. But its outside deadline for these kinds of votes is 12 November, meaning a full count total will not be available for some days yet.
So long as the mail-in votes were postmarked by election day, they will be counted - a policy recently upheld by the US Supreme Court. So, as in other states with generous mail ballot deadlines, those final ballots could mean the full result is unclear for days.
Nevada
This state has a deadline of 10 November for mail-in ballots.
Alaska
Alaska is one of only two states that begin counting absentee ballots after election day. New York is the other state, and it begins counting absentees three days after the election. Alaska's deadline for finishing is 13 November.
Pennsylvania
Soon after President Donald Trump took the key swing state of Florida, the focus shifted to the northeastern US and the battleground state of Pennsylvania. Back in 2016, Mr Trump's win here is what ultimately led to his victory over Hillary Clinton.
Of the three, it is Pennsylvania - and its 20 electoral college votes - that has always been expected to be close, with thin margins and the very real prospect of recounts and legal challenges.
Its deadline for postal ballots is Friday 6 November.
Pennsylvania election officials can accept mail ballots that arrive up to three days after the election, as long as they were postmarked by 3 November.
Many counties began processing ballots as soon as they were allowed - at 7am on polling day - but a handful said they would not begin dealing with absentee ballots until the next morning at the earliest.
If the 2020 election comes down to Pennsylvania, and the margin remains tight, it is possible the election hangs in the balance for several days.
Donald Trump's campaign on Wednesday declared victory in the state, and also filed a suit in the Supreme Court asking for the remaining ballots not to be counted.
The campaign said that it was suing to temporarily stop the vote count in Pennsylvania, citing a lack of "transparency" in the count process.
What is Trump's issue with postal voting?
Image: The president's latest claims over the postal vote system have not be substantiated
The sitting president has made no secret of the fact that he is against people voting by post and indeed, most Republicans listened to his argument and voted in person.
He described the mail-in system as being subject to "tremendous fraud" - but has yet to offer any evidence that this has happened.
His stance was in some way boosted by a warning from the US Postal Service (USPS) back in the summer that millions of mail-in votes may not arrive in time to be counted due to the record numbers of applications.
Critics even went so far as to blame the new USPS head - a loyal supporter of President Donald Trump - for a slowdown in deliveries.
Mr Trump feared postal votes would hurt his campaign since it is largely supported by Democrat voters and he took the drastic step of refusing to sign off on $25bn (£19bn) in emergency funding for the USPS or $3.5bn for election security, claiming his move was due to the cost alone.
Mr Trump has also repeatedly condemned mail-in voting as an opportunity for fraud and election interference.
But numerous national and state-level studies have shown that although there have been isolated cases, electoral fraud is very rare.
Image: Votes received after 10pm on polling day in the UK are not accepted
When will we get a result?
There are several paths to the White House for Joe Biden, but Donald Trump must take Pennsylvania and three other states.
A winner will only be confirmed once one of the candidates gets 270 Electoral College votes in the bag. This could come any time from now, so stand by.
Why don't we have these delays in Britain?
Well, to be fair, we have not held an election during a pandemic so counters have not been swamped by postal votes.
In the British system, postal votes are sent to all registered electors in the two weeks before polling day and can be opened and sorted anytime up to polling day. The signature on each form is scanned in advance and packed up securely, ready to take to the polling station on the night.
Although the postal votes are opened and the accompanying personal identity information is checked, the ballot papers are handled face down until the start of count following the close of poll, so that it's not possible to see how the votes have been cast.
And the crucial difference between the UK and the US, is that all ballot papers must be completed and returned, in the first class envelope provided (or handed in person at an elections office), before 10pm on polling day and any received after that are not accepted.
Returning officers on the night make sure that the papers arrive at the count in sealed boxes until they are opened and counted.


skynewsus--2020-11-05--Three battleground states could determine whether Trump or Biden wins

Three key battleground states could determine the outcome of a US election that has come down to the wire .
Arizona , Georgia and Pennsylvania are all still counting their ballots as the world waits to see if Joe Biden or Donald Trump will clinch the all-important 270 Electoral College votes .
Democrat Mr Biden needs 17 more Electoral College votes to get to that number , while Republican Mr Trump needs 56 .
They are within three percentage points , at the most , of each other in those three states .
With so few states left , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as whichever candidate reaches 270 Electoral College votes first wins the presidency .
If Mr Biden wins the Keystone State he will be victorious as its 20 electoral college votes will take him over the line .
Mr Trump was initially leading in Pennsylvania thanks to in-person votes being counted there first - leading to what is a called a `` red mirage '' .
Democrats voted heavily by mail , but Pennsylvania is not allowed to start processing those ballots until election day so they were counted second - and are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes have been counted , the difference between the two candidates has become slimmer .
There are now fewer than 200,000 votes between them , with 11 % of ballots still to be counted .
Mr Trump 's son , Eric Trump , and the president 's personal lawyer , Rudy Giuliani , have accused the Democrats of cheating because of the red mirage .
The Grand Canyon state has 11 electoral college votes so Mr Biden would also need Georgia to bring him over the 270 mark .
In contrast with Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' , where Mr Biden was initially leading thanks to in-person voting .
Unlike most other states , Republicans have more of a history of postal voting in Arizona , and also tended to return their ballots later than Democrats .
After a count of mail votes from the state 's most populous county , Maricopa County , home to Phoenix , Mr Biden 's lead shrank to less than three percentage points , with hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots to be counted .
Showing just how important Arizona could be for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters , some with guns , gathered outside an election office in Phoenix following unsubstantiated rumours votes were not being counted .
With nearly all votes counted , and 16 electoral college votes , Georgia is proving to be a real nail biter state - and in the past three decades has only voted in a Democrat once - Bill Clinton in 1992 .
If Mr Biden won Georgia , he would only need one more vote to get over the line , and even if he did not win Arizona or Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nevada where the candidates are also head-to-head .
There was a `` red mirage '' in Georgia as Mr Trump was leading at first as rural ballots were counted first .
This narrowed right down to just one percentage point difference after suburban areas favouring Mr Biden , particularly around Atlanta , were counted .
Mr Trump 's campaign has filed a lawsuit in Georgia to require Chatham County , which includes the city of Savannah , separate out late-arriving ballots and to not count them .

Three key battleground states could determine the outcome of a US election that has come down to the wire.
Arizona, Georgia and Pennsylvania are all still counting their ballots as the world waits to see if Joe Biden or Donald Trump will clinch the all-important 270 Electoral College votes.
US election 2020 live: Follow the latest updates
Democrat Mr Biden needs 17 more Electoral College votes to get to that number, while Republican Mr Trump needs 56.
They are within three percentage points, at the most, of each other in those three states.
With so few states left, it now depends on which ones declare first, as whichever candidate reaches 270 Electoral College votes first wins the presidency.
Pennsylvania: Biden 49% Trump 50% - 93% votes counted
If Mr Biden wins the Keystone State he will be victorious as its 20 electoral college votes will take him over the line.
Mr Trump was initially leading in Pennsylvania thanks to in-person votes being counted there first - leading to what is a called a "red mirage".
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Democrats voted heavily by mail, but Pennsylvania is not allowed to start processing those ballots until election day so they were counted second - and are still being counted.
As more postal votes have been counted, the difference between the two candidates has become slimmer.
There are now fewer than 200,000 votes between them, with 11% of ballots still to be counted.
Mr Trump's son, Eric Trump, and the president's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, have accused the Democrats of cheating because of the red mirage.
Arizona: Biden 51% Trump 50% - 86% votes counted
The Grand Canyon state has 11 electoral college votes so Mr Biden would also need Georgia to bring him over the 270 mark.
In contrast with Pennsylvania, Arizona had a "blue mirage", where Mr Biden was initially leading thanks to in-person voting.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 3:22 How could each candidate still win?
Unlike most other states, Republicans have more of a history of postal voting in Arizona, and also tended to return their ballots later than Democrats.
After a count of mail votes from the state's most populous county, Maricopa County, home to Phoenix, Mr Biden's lead shrank to less than three percentage points, with hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots to be counted.
Showing just how important Arizona could be for Mr Trump, about 200 of his supporters, some with guns, gathered outside an election office in Phoenix following unsubstantiated rumours votes were not being counted.
Georgia: Biden 49% Trump 50% - 98% votes counted
With nearly all votes counted, and 16 electoral college votes, Georgia is proving to be a real nail biter state - and in the past three decades has only voted in a Democrat once - Bill Clinton in 1992.
If Mr Biden won Georgia, he would only need one more vote to get over the line, and even if he did not win Arizona or Pennsylvania he could get above 270 by winning Nevada where the candidates are also head-to-head.
There was a "red mirage" in Georgia as Mr Trump was leading at first as rural ballots were counted first.
This narrowed right down to just one percentage point difference after suburban areas favouring Mr Biden, particularly around Atlanta, were counted.
Mr Trump's campaign has filed a lawsuit in Georgia to require Chatham County, which includes the city of Savannah, separate out late-arriving ballots and to not count them.