#USAElections2020: White House hopeful Joe Biden moves closer to 270-mark
What's the story
Democrat Joe Biden is inching closer to the 270-mark, which is the number of electoral votes needed to be sworn in as the President of the United States of America, as tense counting continued in two states, Pennsylvania and Georgia. Incumbent Donald Trump can't afford to lose these two states if he wants to remain the President for another four years. Here's more.
Numbers
Biden has 253 electoral votes, Trump 213
At the time of publishing, according to CNN projections, Biden had 253 electoral votes in his kitty, against Trump's 213. Trump's lead in battleground states continued to erode as more mail-in votes, the preferred option of Democrats, were counted. In Pennsylvania (20 electoral votes), where 94% of estimated votes were tallied, Trump got 49.8% and Biden 49.0%, reports Deccan Herald. The margin is thin.
What happened
Trump's campaign tried bulldozing vote counting in Philadelphia
Notably, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Trump campaign tried stopping the counting of votes, alleging lack of access for their observers by the city officials. As tensions sparked, US District Judge Paul S. Diamond, who was appointed by GOP President George W. Bush, requested for civil behavior, allowing both sides to deploy 60 observers at the Philadelphia convention center where the action is happening.
Expectation
Pennsylvania's winner could be declared today
As an anxious nation, and the world await the results, Pennsylvania's Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar said the results could be out sooner. "Counties are furiously at work and it is looking like we are ahead of schedule. I have been saying we'll have the overwhelming majority counted by tomorrow, but it's looking like we'll have the overwhelming majority counted by today," she said.
Georgia
Trump's lead in Georgia is also shrinking
Like Pennsylvania, the incumbent Republican can not let Georgia slip away either, which has 16 electoral votes. As counting continued, Trump's lead shrunk. At the time of publishing, the difference between him and Biden was less than 2,000 votes. According to CNN, roughly 16,000 votes are yet to be counted. The Peach state counts election day votes first, followed by mail-in ballots.
Comments
As second term seemed afar, Trump accused Democrats of cheating
Just as the rigorous counting made it clearer that a 77-year-old Biden could ensure a 74-year-old Trump doesn't get another term in the White House, the latter cast doubts over the integrity of elections and the counting process. At a press conference, Trump seemed surprised by the fact that all mail-in ballots were "one-sided." He claimed Democrats were trying to rig the election.
Statement
Democracy is sometimes messy, said Biden, urging calm
Separately, Biden, who enjoys a commanding position after winning Michigan and Wisconsin, urged calm. "Democracy is sometimes messy. It sometimes requires a little patience as well," he said in Wilmington. He added, "In America, the vote is sacred. It is how the people of this nation express their will." The Democrats have been pushing for counting each vote, entirely opposite to what Trump demanded.
Legal route
Meanwhile, Trump's legal battles in Georgia and Michigan failed
Trump's rants made it clear he won't concede easily, hence, suits were filed. However, in what serves as a setback, the President lost a lawsuit in Michigan. Michigan Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Stephens junked an appeal by the Trump campaign to stop vote counting. Similarly, a Georgia court refused to order Chatham County to "separate" late-arriving ballots, a demand made by Trump's team.