Former Vice President Joe Biden is piling up votes in Western battlegrounds Nevada and Arizona and in the “blue wall” state of Pennsylvania, moving ever closer to finalizing the path to 270 electoral votes that he needs to win the presidency.
Biden currently leads President Trump by 253 to 213 electoral votes, CNN projects.
If you’re just reading in, here’s where things stand:
- Biden closes in: The former vice president is stretching his leads in Pennsylvania, Nevada and Georgia. Each state remains too close to call. The count will be complicated in Pennsylvania by tens of thousands of provisional ballots and many others that require extra care for reasons that include damage, legibility, signature issues or other defects.
- The paths to 270: The President cannot reach 270 electoral votes without winning both Pennsylvania and Georgia, and at least one of the other outstanding states. Biden can get over the top by winning Pennsylvania on its own or by taking both Nevada and Arizona. If Biden holds leads in Arizona and Nevada, he will get to 270 electoral votes and become the next President, regardless of what happens in Pennsylvania and Georgia.
- Trump refuses to back down: As the drama unfolded across the country, the President’s allies launched legal challenges and floated conspiracy theories while Trump tweeted “Stop the Count!” On Thursday night, Trump effectively sent a signal that he has no intention of leaving power without a fight if he ends up losing the election.
- Biden makes appeal for unity in remarks: Biden would not declare victory when he spoke to the nation late Friday night, but said he was confident. He added, “We are going to win this race with a clear majority of the nation behind us.”
And here’s a look at where the numbers stand this morning:
CNN’s John Berman breaks down latest numbers:
source: cnn.com