Pennsylvania Democrat AG sparks outrage saying Trump already lost the must-win state before election

The Attorney General of Pennsylvania Josh Shapiro, who is a Democrat, has sparked outrage after suggesting on Twitter that President Trump may have lost the ability to win the crucial swing state, with 20 electoral votes, more than 24 hours before the polls even close.  

‘If all the votes are added up in PA, Trump is going to lose,’ Shapiro wrote on Twitter on Monday evening. ‘That’s why he’s working overtime to subtract as many votes as possible from this process.’

‘For the record, he’s 0-6 against us in court,’ the attorney general continued. ‘We’ve protected voting rights. Now, ignore the noise—vote!’

The Attorney General of Pennsylvania Josh Shapiro, who is a Democrat, has sparked outrage after saying Trump 'may have already lost'

The Attorney General of Pennsylvania Josh Shapiro, who is a Democrat, has sparked outrage after saying Trump ‘may have already lost’

Shapiro suggested on Twitter that President Trump may have lost the ability to win the crucial swing state

Shapiro suggested on Twitter that President Trump may have lost the ability to win the crucial swing state

The latest Pennsylvania polls suggests Democratic nominee Joe Biden has a narrow lead of just 2.9 percent over Trump. 

Trump ended up winning Pennsylvania by the slimmest of margins in 2016 – 0.7 percent.  

Social media users were outraged by Shapiro’s comments suggested there was rank hypocrisy emanating from the legal figure.  

‘Suffice to say if a Republican Attorney General of a swing state took the position that it was impossible for Joe Biden to win a legitimate election in their state, the Democratic freakout would be *massive*,’ Logan Dobson, a Republican pollster, wrote on Twitter. 

Several people on social media called out the Attorney General's comments

Several people on social media called out the Attorney General’s comments 

There was plenty of outrage on Twitter upon learning of Attorney General Shapiro's comments

There was plenty of outrage on Twitter upon learning of Attorney General Shapiro’s comments

‘It seems highly unethical for the top law enforcement officer in one of the most important states to call the election before Election Day. This guy is the AG!’ Scott Jennings, a conservative contributor on CNN tweeted.  

The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s comments come as President Donald Trump issued a dark election eve prediction about a Supreme Court ruling that could cost him votes in Pennsylvania – claiming it will lead to ‘violence in the streets.’

The president made the claim in a tweet Monday, just hours before the first in-person election day votes were to be cast, after suffering a legal setback in the Keystone State days ago. He followed up with his most direct statement yet about taking legal action, saying his lawyers will be ‘fighting.’

In a stunning public statement by a sitting president, Trump said the decision by the high court will ‘induce violence in the streets.’ The tweet came amid preparations at the White House and in Washington for potential blowback in the event of a contested election. 

'The Supreme Court decision on voting in Pennsylvania is a VERY dangerous one,' President Donald Trump tweeted on Monday

‘The Supreme Court decision on voting in Pennsylvania is a VERY dangerous one,’ President Donald Trump tweeted on Monday

‘The Supreme Court decision on voting in Pennsylvania is a VERY dangerous one. It will allow rampant and unchecked cheating and will undermine our entire systems of laws. It will also induce violence in the streets,’ Trump tweeted.

‘Something must be done!’ he added, without explanation.

His tweet came amid intense focus on Pennsylvania – a state that could put rival Joe Biden over the edge in securing the needed 270 electoral votes to capture the presidency, if he holds Hillary Clinton’s states and recaptures midwest battlegrounds where he is leading in the polls. 

At a rally in Wisconsin late Monday, Trump continued his attacks while urging his own supporters to vote in-person.

‘Early is good. Ballot is not good,’ he said. ‘We got a very horrible, horrible ruling from the Supreme Court of the United States, he told supporters in Kenosha. 

Twitter slapped a warning label on Trump's tweet after he wrote that a Supreme Court decision on Pennsylvania wiill 'induce violence'

Twitter slapped a warning label on Trump’s tweet after he wrote that a Supreme Court decision on Pennsylvania wiill ‘induce violence’

He termed it ‘a ruling that puts our country in danger, actually.’

‘On Pennsylvania they have so much time to do this thing. Oh – let them put their votes in and give them plenty of time,’ Trump said, using a sarcastic voice. ‘You know we have a date it’s called November third. We don’t have a date that says many days later. We don’t have a date that says you’re allowed to go and start putting your vote in later and we can tabulate it later take your time.’

‘There’s danger that there’s a lot of shenanigans that go on from that time forth,’ he said.

‘There’s a lot of bad things that can happen with the streets. You’re going to have a population that’s going to be a very, very angry and you just can’t do that,’ Trump said.

‘That is such a dangerous decision. That is such a disappointment when I heard that decision,’ Trump said. He also called it a ‘political decision,’ and indicated some hesitation about attacking the court publicly, although he has done so on prior rulings against him.

‘Maybe I shouldn’t be speaking this way. I’m very disappointed on behalf of this country that a thing like this could happen,’ he said. 

He also indicated in his most direct terms he will be dispatching lawyers to the state, perhaps in hope of getting another chance at a ruling now that new Justice Amy Coney Barrett has joined the court.

‘Hopefully their wisdom will prevail and they’ll do something. And lawyers will be going in and they’ll be fighting,’ Trump said.  

There have been some government preparations for potential violence – although none connected to a 4-4 deadlocked court decision that went against the president in Pennsylvania. Other decisions, including one in battleground Wisconsin, have gone Trump’s way, while a Texas court ruled against conservative activists in Texas.

Federal officials were expected to reinstall a ‘non-scalable’ fence around the perimeter of the White House on Monday, and some commercial buildings nearby have boarded up windows.

Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf is telling voters in his state it may take ‘even a few days’ to count their votes in a new public service-style ad – as the looming legal battle over the count there takes on a new PR dimension. 

‘These are unprecedented times. Because of the coronavirus, there were millions of votes cast by mail so it may take longer than usual to count every vote,’ he says in a new ad for the nonpartisan group, The Voter Project. 

‘The folks in our election offices – your neighbors, family and friends are working hard ensuring every single vote is counted,’ he says. 

CNN reports it will air Election Day through the final count – after the Supreme Court ruled Pennsylvania can continue counting mail ballots for three days after Election Day. 

'It may take longer than usual to count every vote,' Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is telling residents in an ad paid for by a nonprofit

‘It may take longer than usual to count every vote,’ Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is telling residents in an ad paid for by a nonprofit

‘So it may take a little longer than we’re used to, even a few days, but that’s okay,’ Wolf reassures, ‘because it’s critical that your vote is counted — and it will be.’

President Donald Trump has repeatedly demand the nation learn the results of the election on the night of Election Day – even as states contend with a crush of mail-in ballots due to procedural changes and the coronavirus. 

And he blasted the Supreme Court for refusing to revisit a 4-4 decision that allows county officials to count votes postmarked by Election Day for three days afterward. 

‘I think it was a terrible decision for our country. And I think it was a very dangerous decision for our country,’ Trump on Sunday. 

President Donald Trump is demanding a result on election night

President Donald Trump is demanding a result on election night

Joe Biden has been campaigning repeatedly and leads in most polls there

Joe Biden has been campaigning repeatedly and leads in most polls there

A voter arrives to drop off he ballot during early voting in Allentown, Pennsylvania on October 29, 2020

A voter arrives to drop off he ballot during early voting in Allentown, Pennsylvania on October 29, 2020

These are a portion of the 200,000 mail-in and absentee ballots that have arrived at the Allegheny County Election Division that are kept in a secure area at the Elections warehouse in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020

These are a portion of the 200,000 mail-in and absentee ballots that have arrived at the Allegheny County Election Division that are kept in a secure area at the Elections warehouse in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020

‘Because you’re going to have one or two or three states, depending on how it ends up, where they’re tabulating ballots and the rest of the world is waiting to find out. And I think there’s great danger to it, and I think a lot of fraud and misuse can take place. I think it’s a terrible decision by the Supreme Court. A terrible decision.’ 

‘Now, I don’t know if that’s going to be changed, because we’re going to go in night of, as soon as that election is over, we’re going in with our lawyers,’ Trump vowed.

‘I don’t think it’s fair that we have to wait a long period of time after the election. Should’ve gotten their ballots in a long time before that. Could’ve gotten their ballots in a month ago. I think it’s a ridiculous decision.’ 

Pennsylvania state law prohibits the counting to begin until Election Day. 

Trump has repeatedly demanded that the nation get a result on the night Election Day. 

‘The Election should end on November 3rd., not weeks later!’ he tweeted Friday.

Trump said at the White House last week: ‘It would be very, very proper and very nice if a winner were declared on November 3rd, instead of counting ballots for two weeks, which is totally inappropriate, and I don’t believe that that’s by our laws,’ he said.

Despite the legal saber rattling, there was not a single challenge to one of the 1.2 million ballots cast by mail in Philadelphia or its surrounding suburbs, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Friday, the deadline for making a challenge. 

Pennsylvania is a critical state in both candidates’ plans, although a Monmouth University poll put Biden ahead by a margin of 51 to 44 in Monday. Biden’s average lead is 4 percentage points, and both candidates were stumping there on Monday.

It isn’t just the crush of mail-in ballots that will contribute to a delayed result.

Seven Republican counties with a combined 150,000 votes won’t begin counting until the day after Election Day, NBC News reported.  

Trump has regularly gone after Wolf, as he did at a rally in the state last week. 

‘The governor counts the ballots,’ Trump said, conflating him with county election officials who do count the votes in a process that lets both parties observe. ‘This is the guy that’s counting our ballots? It doesn’t work. It doesn’t work.’ 

In fact, county officials conduct the count. 

Axios reported over the weekend that Trump plans to declare victory if he’s ‘ahead’ in key states like Pennsylvania. Election experts are predicting a red ‘mirage’ in Pennsylvania and other states – where Trump appears to be up among the first votes to get counted (those cast on Election Day) while the Biden count comes in more slowly. 

This would be the backdrop for any demand to challenge mail ballots or demand a stop to the count.  

Get ready for the most nail-biting election in history: Your hour-by-hour guide to what to expect as America decides between Donald Trump and Joe Biden

Election night 2020 is unlike any American has seen before – with the presidency in the balance, and a record number of votes being counted in the teeth of the COVID pandemic.

Once polls close, the potential for chaos and crisis only begins. Here is DailyMail.com’s hour by hour guide to what to look out for as the U.S. passes its verdict on whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden should be in the White House, and who controls the Senate. 

All times are EST.

6PM 

First polls close in parts of Indiana and Kentucky.   

7PM

All polls close in Georgia, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia. The remainder of Indiana and Kentucky’s polls close. Florida polls except those in the Panhandle, which is in Central Time, close. 

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

EXIT POLLS: The first exit polls could come within minutes – but in a pandemic year, it is unclear how accurate they will be, with at least 93 million having voted early or by mail-in ballot. A huge turnout in Georgia could mean lines still outside polling places – a problem which has bedeviled it in recent elections. 

7.30PM

All polls close in North Carolina, Ohio, and West Virginia

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

NORTH CAROLINA – TRUMP WON IN 2016

First results will come within minutes – but they might be very small percentages of the total vote. North Carolina expects to have about 80 per cent of its votes counted on election night, starting with in-person early voting totals and mail-in ballots received by November 2. In the hours following polls closing, the state will report the in-person election day votes. The state does allow mail-in ballots to come in until November 12, so if it’s close, it may take several days to announce a final result.

Polls in North Carolina have flipped repeatedly between Trump and Biden. Trump won the state in 2016. An Emerson poll that ended surveying on October 30 shows the candidates tied. The Real Clear Politics polling average has Trump a tiny .5 per cent ahead. The Senate race is equally close fought, with Republican Thom Tillis hoping to hang on but Democrat Cal Cunningham up 2.2% in recent averages despite admitting to sexting a woman who was not his wife.

Could it be the end: South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham is in the fight of his political life with Jamie Harrison

Could it be the end: South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham is in the fight of his political life with Jamie Harrison

SOUTH CAROLINA – REPUBLICANS DEFENDING ONE SENATE SEAT

 Not in play for the presidential election – but a closely-fought Senate race could end Republican Lindsey Graham’s career and put Democrat Jaime Harrison in his place. Graham has been ahead in the three most recent polls by between three and six points but Harrison has out fundraised him by tens of millions of dollars and there has been too little polling to be sure that Graham is safely ahead. The state says it will start reporting from around 

EXIT POLLS: Polls covering swing states of North Carolina and Ohio can be expected now. Biden’s campaign believes it can flip Ohio, despite it having gone to Trump by 8.3% in 2016. Its Republican governor predicts an ultra-narrow Trump win.

8.00PM

All polls close in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi,  Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and  Washington, D.C. Most polls close in Texas and Michigan. Central time polls close in Kansas, North and South Dakota. Remaining polls, those in Central Time in the Panhandle, close in Florida.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Must win: Barack Obama held a rally in Miami on Monday night in a push for Latino and black voters in the state

Must win: Barack Obama held a rally in Miami on Monday night in a push for Latino and black voters in the state

FLORIDA – TRUMP WON IN 2016

 The first official results are expected within minutes of the Panhandle’s polls closing – and will give some indication how the perennial swing state has gone. Florida is used to processing large numbers of mail-in ballots. Early voting numbers will come out quickly as well. Those tallies will be followed by in-person voting. But officials believe they will still be counting into daylight on Wednesday.

Biden could have an early lead in that state and see it diminished as the night goes on. He has just a 1 point lead in the Real Clear Politics polling average in Trump’s adopted home state. By 8.30PM there should be a significant proportion of Florida’s results reported – so the state will at least indicate if one candidate or another can expect a blowout

OHIO – TRUMP WON IN 2016

First results could be announced as early as 8pm. Counties are required to announce the results of all absentee ballots received by Election Day and all early votes. They can then start counting ballots cast on election day and these will be updated through the night. The number of outstanding absentee ballots will be reported on election night, meaning number crunchers will be able to determine if there are enough outstanding ballots to sway the presidential race. Ballots marked postmarked November 2 can be counted until November 13 – so a clear result could take more than a week

Late-breaking polls in Ohio gave Trump a slim advantage in the state he won over Clinton in 2016, but that President Barack Obama and Vice President Biden carried in 2008 and 2012. The Real Clear Politics polling average shows Trump 1.4 points ahead.

OTHERS: The Associated Press, Reuters and TV networks are likely to start a rapid-fire declaration of likely winners in a series of states soon after 8pm – but it is only likely to already be considered safely Republican or Democratic already. 

8.30PM

Arkansas polls close 

9.00PM

All polls close in Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Remaining polls close in Kansas, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota and Texas

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

In trouble: Kelly Loeffler was appointed to the Senate to fill Republican Johnny Isakson's seat but the best she can hope for in current polling is getting through to a January run-off

In trouble: Kelly Loeffler was appointed to the Senate to fill Republican Johnny Isakson’s seat but the best she can hope for in current polling is getting through to a January run-off

GEORGIA – TRUMP WON IN 2016, REPUBLICANS DEFENDING TWO SENATE SEATS

Georgia is expected to take about two hours to start reporting results. The state was allowed to start processing mail-in ballots on October 19. Additionally, after court challenges, mail-in ballots had to be returned by the time polls close – not just in the mail. The only exception is for Georgia voters living abroad. 

Polls show an extremely tight race with Trump ahead by .2 per cent in the Real Clear Politics polling average . At the peak of Biden’s support, in mid-October, he was just 2 points ahead. 

But there are two other races which could shape the senate. Republican Kelly Loeffler is running for the seat she was appointed to in a three-way battle: she is up against Republican Dan Collins and the Rev. Raphael Warnock, the Democrat. Warnock needs 50% for an outright win, or the race goes to a top-two run-off. Polls put him between 34 and 46 per cent, not enough for a knockout, while who between Collins and Loeffler is in second place is unclear. 

Unusually, the other Senate seat is also in play, Republican David Perdue is running for anther term and may be in trouble with Democrat Jon Ossoff up 0.7% on average in a formerly safely Republican state. Both Republican incumbents have faced probes into possible insider trading – of which they were cleared – but realistically, both races are likely to become a January runoff which could determine who controls the Senate.

TEXAS – TRUMP WON IN 2016, REPUBLICANS DEFENDING ONE SENATE SEAT

It is possible that exit polling from Texas will give some indication of the race there as it closes completely. But what happens next is unknown. Texas allowed mail-in votes to be counted before election day, so the Lone Star state is expecting to know those results, as well as in-person voting on election night. Mail-in ballots have until November 4 at 5 p.m. to arrive, so if the state is extremely close, there could be some waiting at the end. The way the results are announced could show a Biden, then Trump swing – with a boost at the end for Biden from the remaining mail-in ballots.

The Real Clear Politics polling average gives Trump a 1.2 point advantage in the historically red state. Two polls – an Emerson and a Quinnipiac survey – from October showed the candidates tied. For most of the race, however, Trump has been more solidly ahead, with a poll here and there showing the state going blue. Officials expect rapid counting and results. In 2016, the winner was declared just after midnight – Trump took the state by nine points. But a close race will slow the Associated Press, Reuters and TV networks’ ability to call the race.

In the Senate, John Cornyn is looking for a fourth term as a Republican. He is polling ahead of Trump, averaging 6.8% over M.J. Hegar, the Democratic challenger. If Cornyn lost, it would be a sign that Texas is officially a purple state.

OTHERS: Safe states including New York are likely to be called rapidly from 9pm to 10pm. Biden’s numbers will go up more than Trump’s at this point thanks to New York’s 29 electors, and Illinois’ 20. By shortly after 9PM both campaigns are likely to have more than 100 electoral college votes in their column.

10:00PM

Polls close in Iowa, Montana, Nevada and Utah. Mountain time polls close in Idaho and Oregon.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Campaign: Gabrielle Giffords speaks for her husband Mark Kelly who is beating the Republican appointed senator, Martha McSally, in Arizona polls

Campaign: Gabrielle Giffords speaks for her husband Mark Kelly who is beating the Republican appointed senator, Martha McSally, in Arizona polls

ARIZONA – TRUMP WON IN 2016, REPUBLICANS DEFENDING ONE SENATE SEAT

 The state is anticipating the first precinct reporting numbers by about 10PM. Early and absentee ballots that were cast by the weekend will have been pre-counted and those results will be announced rapidly. Ballots cast on election day are also expected to come in Tuesday night – the state historically counts quickly. But last-minute absentee ballots could take several days to be tabulated with Thursday or Friday thought to be realistic.Biden has been several points ahead of Trump in Arizona polls for months, but a Trafalgar Group survey and a Rasmussen poll showed Trump 3 and 4 points ahead in late October, potentially indicating a narrowing of the race. The Real Clear Politics polling average has Biden 1 point ahead.

Also in play here is the Senate seat to which Martha McSally was appointed: that held by John McCain. Democrat Mark Kelly, a former astronaut married to Gabrielle Giffords, the former Congresswoman left badly injured in a mass shooting, however is consistently ahead in the polls, by an average of 6.2%. Flipping McCain’s seat would be a massive blow to Republicans and suggest that Arizona is not just purple but trending blue.

ALABAMA: DEMOCRATS DEFENDING ONE SENATE SEAT

Alabama says to expect all results on election night. 

The ruby-red state’s Senate seat went to Doug Jones, a Democrat, in a special election in 2017. Republicans saw their vote collapse when already controversial candidate Roy Moore was hit by allegations of inappropriate conduct with teenage girls, which he denies. Jones won by 1.5% and now faces Tommy Tuberville, a former Auburn University coach. Limited polling has given the Republican an 11-point lead in October.

MONTANA – REPUBLICANS DEFENDING ONE SENATE SEAT

 Not competitive for Trump and Biden but Democratic governor Steve Bullock is running for Senate against Republican incumbent Steve Daines. Polling has been relatively scarce in this tiny state with the three most recent polls all suggesting a close race, with Bullock either behind Daines by three points, tied, or ahead by one. 

10:30PM

WHAT TO WATCH FOR 

WISCONSIN – TRUMP WON IN 2016

First results will start to be reported by now, with Washington County, which is mostly rural but has some Milwaukee suburbs, likely to be first to fully declare. The last results are expected from heavily-Democratic Milwaukee county by 7am. The Supreme Court prevented ballots arriving after November 2 being counted, meaning a complete count by Wednesday is realistic. 

Trump took Wisconsin by just 0.8% in one of the 2016 upsets which cost Clinton the White House. Trump has held repeated rallies there – including in Kenosha on Monday night (right). In recent weeks the state has been one of the worst affected by coronavirus, but Trump has kept coming in the belief that he can repeat the 2016 surprise.  His poll average there has been poor since summer, and it now puts Biden 6.6% up. 

11:00PM 

Polls close in California and Washington state and Pacific Time polls close in Oregon and Idaho. 

WHAT TO WATCH FOR 

MINNESOTA – CLINTON WON IN 2016, DEMOCRATS DEFENDING ONE SENATE SEAT

Expect some idea of the direction of Minnesota by now. Minnesota gave itself two weeks to start counting mail-in ballots, so results should come in November 3. Ballots in the state had to be returned by election day, which could also speed up the process. 

Polls have never shown Trump in front of Biden, though the president has made a play for the blue state anyway, suggesting its demographics are similar to Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, which won him the White House in 2016. The Real Clear Politics polling average has Biden ahead by 4.3 points. 

Democratic senator Tina Smith is seeking re-election with a challenge from Republican Jason Lewis. She has polled an average of five points clear of the challenger, who had to stop campaigning for much of last week because of emergency hernia surgery. 

NEBRASKA – TRUMP WON SINGLE ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTE IN 2016

Nebraska started counting its mail-in ballots prior to election day and absentee ballots had to be returned by November 3, so the expectation is the results will be out quickly. Nebraska splits its electoral college votes so that each Congressional district has one. Only one is competitive – Nebraska-02 , representing Omaha and its suburbs. It went for Trump by just two points last time and what little polling there has been puts Biden safely ahead by three points – although Democrats believe it could be more. Trump campaigned in Omaha in the hope of keeping the vote because in a narrow fight, it could be crucial. Nebraska is usually relatively quick and all results are due by midnight so look for it to be known by now. 

COLORADO: REPUBLICANS DEFENDING ONE SENATE SEAT

Colorado was already mostly mail-in ballots so is expecting to be able to handle the pandemic’s effects more easily than some states. Partial results are uploaded come roughly every 90 minutes, so the first should be safely processed by now.

Cory Gardner, the sitting Republican senator, is facing popular former Democratic governor John Hickenlooper. There have been only two polls in October, each putting Hickenlooper up eight or nine points. In a state which was Clinton by 4.9 points in 2016, Gardner has closely associated himself with Trump, which Democrats believe will seal his fate.

OTHERS: Calls will come for the safely Democratic west coast. By now Joe Biden is likely to have more than 200 electoral college votes secured, with California’s mammoth 55 key to his big advantage – Trump may be on as few as 104 by this point. Now it is entirely down to the competitive states to see what happens next. Trump’s path to re-election might have ended by now, or might be a nail-biter. 

MIDNIGHT

Polls close in Alaska (except for those in its Hawaii time zone) and Hawaii

WHAT TO WATCH FOR 

Reinforcements: Fear of losing Iowa and a Senate seat have sent Donald Trump and Mike Pence to Iowa to campaign with Joni Ernst

Reinforcements: Fear of losing Iowa and a Senate seat have sent Donald Trump and Mike Pence to Iowa to campaign with Joni Ernst

IOWA – TRUMP WON IN 2016, REPUBLICANS DEFENDING ONE SENATE SEAT 

 Counts relatively quickly and first results should be trickling through by now. Trump has overtaken Biden in recent polling in Iowa, after the Democrat had the lead through most of the fall. The Real Clear Politics polling average has Trump ahead by 1.4 points. 

The last four polls had Trump winning in the state. The Des Moines Register survey gave Trump the biggest advantage, beating Biden by 7 – 48 per cent to 41 per cent. However, ballots postmarked by November 2 that arrive by November 9 can be counted too. This could give Biden a boost if the race is tight.

In the Senate Republican Joni Ernst is facing a formidable challenge from Theresa Greenfield. Four out of five polls have put Ernst ahead in October, but only one outside the margin of error, while another said the same for Greenfield.

1AM

Final polls close in Alaska – the voting is over everywhere 

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

NEVADA – CLINTON WON IN 2016

Nevada mailed out ballots to every registered voter this year and those ballots just have to be postmarked by November 3 – meaning counting could go on for days. However, mail-in ballots can be counted before election day, so there could be some results reported on November 3. If it’s close, ballots being counted later will likely trend toward Biden. 

Biden has been consistently ahead of Trump in Nevada polling, with Trump never ahead in a survey for the past year. The Real Clear Politics polling average has the Democrat winning the state by 3.6 points. 

All over: Hillary Clinton was declared the loser by 2.29AM on November 9, 2016.

All over: Hillary Clinton was declared the loser by 2.29AM on November 9, 2016.

02:29AM

In 2016, this was when the Associated Press declared Trump had won and Hillary Clinton had lost.

THE UNKNOWNS

MAINE – TRUMP WON ONE ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTE IN 2016, REPUBLICANS DEFENDING ONE SENATE SEAT

Like Nebraska, Maine splits its electoral college votes, with one for each Congressional district. Maine officials are allowing mail-in ballots to be counted prior to polls closing. 

But Maine uses a ‘ranked preference’ system which means that if one candidate breaks 50 per cent, the result is likely before midnight. But if one does not, ballots go to Augusta for second preferences to be tabulated, which could take it far into Wednesday. 

Trump pulled away one Electoral Vote from Hillary Clinton in 2016 thanks to Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, in the north of the state. However, all three polls conducted in October showed Biden ahead by around 3 points there. 

Republican senator Susan Collins also appears to be deeply vulnerable to Democratic challenger Sara Gideon.

Collins, who Trump has not campaigned for, is down by between four and seven points in October’s polls and was overwhelmingly outfundraised. She had held her seat with a 37-point advantage in 2014 but Democrats believe she is the most vulnerable Republican senator of all. 

All about Michigan: Joe Biden campaigned with Barack Obama in Detroit on Saturday. Democrats are determined not to see a repeat of the 2016 upset

All about Michigan: Joe Biden campaigned with Barack Obama in Detroit on Saturday. Democrats are determined not to see a repeat of the 2016 upset

MICHIGAN -TRUMP WIN IN 2016, DEMOCRATS DEFENDING ONE SENATE SEAT

Michigan’s results will be slow to come in as mail-in ballot counting didn’t start until November 2. Michigan’s secretary of state estimated that it could take until Friday for all the ballots to be counted. The state could trend toward Biden later in the week, as Democrats are more prone to mail their ballots in. 

Polling has had Biden ahead in Michigan, one of the three ‘blue wall’ states Trump won in 2016, for months – however, a late-breaking Trafalgar poll showed Trump up by 2 points. Overall, the Real Clear Politics polling average has Biden ahead by 5.1 points. 

Democratic senator Gary Peters is also defending his seat against Republican John James. James, who is black, has been seen as a Republican rising star. But Peters’ polling average is ahead by 5.5 points, almost identical to Biden’s lead.  

Hats all: No state has occupied each campaign more than Pennsylvania - but when the results of their efforts will be known is unknown

Hats all: No state has occupied each campaign more than Pennsylvania – but when the results of their efforts will be known is unknown 

PENNSYLVANIA – TRUMP WON IN 2016

Mail-in ballots can’t begin being processed in the Keystone State until 7 a.m. on November 3 – meaning a final result could take days. Some Pennsylvania counties also plan to count in-person Election Day votes first – this could give Trump a perceived edge in the state, only for later ballots to move the count toward Biden. 

Mail-in ballots postmarked on election day can arrive as late as November 6, further lengthening the process. The counting deadline is November 23 – a whole 20 days after the election – but officials have pointed to Friday as when most Pennsylvanians’ votes will be counted. 

Pennsylvania polling had given Biden the advantage for months, but several late October surveys show Trump ahead in the state that clinched him his Electoral College win in 2016. The narrowed race has Biden up by 2.9 points in the Real Clear Politics polling average. 

AND WHERE TO FIND THE CANDIDATES  

TRUMP: The president will throw a party at the White House with several hundred supporters – who will all be tested for coronavirus, as the event will be held inside. The Trump campaign promoted an election night shindig at the president’s Washington, D.C., hotel, but Trump pointed a finger at D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser – who in ‘phase two’ is limiting gatherings to 50 people – as the party pooper. As the White House is federal property, Trump can do whatever he likes.

BIDEN: The Democratic nominee will be in Wilmington, Delaware with his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris on election night. The campaign has yet to release additional details on their plans. Before that, Biden will make one more trip to the Pennsylvania town where he was born, Scranton, and he’ll make a stop in Philadelphia, where his campaign offices were based. Harris will make a final election day stop too, in Detroit. As will Dr. Jill Biden, the former VP’s wife. She’ll be in Tampa and St. Petersburgh, Florida and then head to Wake County, North Carolina. Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff will be in Columbus, Ohio.

source: dailymail.co.uk