Live Coverage of the 2020 Presidential Election

by Jessica Gordon, Ellie Larsen, Leanna Fitzgerald, Delaney McCorkle, Olivia Miller, and Rosalie Johnson

As the 2020 Presidential Election approaches with candidates Donald Trump (R) and Joseph Biden (D), the Cougar Chronicle strives to provide live coverage on the whereabouts of the candidates alongside the poll reports.

Stay tuned to this story for highlights, updates, and overall coverage.

 

11/6/20 2 p.m. to 8 p.m Update – Delaney McCorkle

 

11/6/20 Midnight to Afternoon Update – Rosalie Johnson

Biden:

  • Former Vice-President Biden holds onto his lead in the swing state Nevada by a 1.6% margin.
  • Overnight, Biden took the lead in Georgia and Pennsylvania, two states that typically vote red. This late lead most likely came from mail-in ballots that were counted after Nov. 3. These leads are by a very small percentage, but with almost all of the ballots reporting, it seems that Biden may hold on to his lead and eventually win the states.
  • However, Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger stated that there will most likely be a recount due to the “razor-thin” margin between the two candidates.
  • Many are thanking and crediting Stacey Abrams, a former Georgia governor candidate and popular politician, for Georgia’s unexpected flip.
  • Biden hasn’t been active on his social medias (Twitter and Instagram) since Nov. 5, nor has he directly spoken to his supporters; however, he has consistently reminded his campaign base to remain patient and calm, and that they will “emerge victorious.”
  • He is currently residing with his senior advisers and family members as he awaits the results.

 

Trump:

  • Trump lost his leads in normally right-leaning states Georgia and Pennsylvania.
  • His campaign is currently in the process of filing or starting lawsuits. In Pennsylvania, they alleged that the poll watchers could not observe the vote count in Philadelphia. A PA judge later granted them their request to observe PA vote counters.
  • The Trump campaign also filed a lawsuit in Georgia, demanding all votes received after the 7 p.m. Election Day deadline to be counted.
  • Unlike Biden, Trump has been extremely active on his Twitter account. Many of his Tweets have been flagged for being “misleading about an election or other civic progress.” These Tweets are completely baseless and unfounded, as there is no evidence of voter fraud in any voting booth or poll.
  • “[Philadelphia] has got a rotten history on election integrity.”; “Where are the missing military ballots in Georgia? What happened to them?” (It is unclear what this is in reference to, as there are no missing military ballots in Georgia.); “Joe Biden should not wrongfully claim the office of the President. I could make that claim also. Legal proceedings are just now beginning!”

General Updates:

The states that Biden is now leading in (Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Nevada) are all too close to call. Projections cannot yet be made due to the closeness of the race, and there may be recounts in Georgia and Pennsylvania.

 

11/5/20 Noon to 6 p.m. – Jessica Gordon

“It is the will of the voters — no one, not anyone else — who chooses the president of the United States of America,” Joe Biden said in downtown Wilmington, Delaware as he delivered remarks.

The presidential race continues forth with Democrat candidate, Joe Biden, currently leading with 264 electoral votes as Republican candidate, Donald Trump, trails with 214 electoral votes.

President Trump delivered remarks from the White House briefing room. Trump shared a claim that the ballot-counting process thus far has been “unfair and corrupt,” there was no supplemental evidence to this claim.

The race runs close and has yet to be called as battleground states continue to count the ballots. Stay tuned to the Cougar Chronicle as these updates continue.

 

11/5/20 Midnight to Noon Update – Ellie Larsen 

Trump:

  • Donald Trump, with 214 electoral votes would need to claim Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, and Nevada to secure a win
  • Trump has taken to Twitter to voice his thoughts on the election; at 7:09 a.m he tweeted “ANY VOTE THAT CAME IN AFTER ELECTION DAY WILL NOT BE COUNTED.” Trump’s comments have no effect on the counting of legally cast votes and Twitter has marked his tweets regarding the election with the warning “Some of all of the content shared in this Tweet is disputed and might be misleading about an election or other civil process.”
  • Trump attempted to file lawsuits against Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Georgia to stop the counting of votes. Georgia and Michigan judges have both dismissed lawsuits while the Pennsylvania Supreme Court is being asked to weigh in on lawsuits filed there.

Biden:

 When will we have election results?

  • Georgia may finish its vote count by the end of today.
  • The remaining states that need to be called are Georgia worth 16 electoral votes, Pennsylvania worth 20, North Carolina worth 15, Nevada worth 6, and Alaska worth 6 votes.
  • Pennsylvania expects to have the majority of ballots counted by Friday.

 

11/4/20 Noon to 6:00 p.m. – Delaney McCorkle

Presidential:

Washington:

 

11/4/20 Midnight to Noon Update – Rosalie Johnson

Biden:

  • Biden is currently in the lead with 248 electoral votes, and leading in states that would place him at the 270 threshold (Michigan, with 16 electoral votes and Nevada, with 6 electoral votes).
  • He just won Wisconsin by a .7% margin.
  • Biden is still residing at his Delaware home, from which he tweeted: “It’s not my place or Donald Trump’s place to declare the winner of this election. It’s the voters’ place;” “We feel good about where we are. We believe we are on track to win this election;” “Keep the faith, guys. We’re gonna win this;” and “count every vote.”
  • His senior advisor stated that the campaign is planning to declare victory once they believe Biden reaches the necessary 270 electoral votes.
  • Biden’s campaign is fundraising for legal efforts to ensure that the election is protected and “every vote is counted.”

 Trump:

  • Trump is falling behind Biden with 214 electoral votes, but leading in the crucial battleground state of Pennsylvania, despite Pennsylvania’s votes being counted all the way till Friday, Nov. 6th.
  • He won Texas and Florida, which were considered swing states this election.
  • Trump is residing at the White House, where he is tweeting: “we are winning Pennsylvania big, but the PA Secretary of State just announced that there are ‘millions of ballots left to be counted’;” “Last night I was leading, often solidly, in many key states, in almost all instances Democrat run & controlled. Then, one by one, they started to magically disappear as surprise ballot dumps were counted. VERY STRANGE, and the ‘pollsters’ got it completely & historically wrong!” (This tweet is currently flagged for being “misleading about an election or other civic progress.”)
  • The Trump campaign just announced they are filing a lawsuit in Michigan, asking the state to discontinue ballot counting until Michigan receives “meaningful access” to ensure the voting process is honest and secure.

 

11/3/20 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Update – Rosalie Johnson

Biden:

  • Biden is currently in the lead with 213 electoral votes. Biden is behind in the major battleground states of Pennsylvania and Florida, but leads in Arizona.
  • Biden supporters are more likely to vote by mail, so their votes could give Biden a late lead as they are counted later.
  • At 5pm PST, Biden’s Twitter account informed supporters to “stay in line” at the polls to ensure their voices are heard.

Trump:

  • Trump is trailing with 118 electoral votes. If he wins the battleground state Pennsylvania, it would be a major victory for his campaign.
  • Trump supporters are more likely to vote in-person, so their votes are more likely to  be counted sooner and earlier.
  • Trump tweeted “WE ARE LOOKING REALLY GOOD ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. THANK YOU!”, signalling confidence in his administration’s reelection.

Updated Reports:

  • If Biden wins Florida, which seems unlikely, there is a major possibility that he is on the road to the White House. If Trump wins Florida, there are multiple different pathways for both candidates.
  • Stores in major cities, like Seattle, LA, and NYC, are boarding up and protecting themselves from violence that could ensue from the left and the right during or post-election.

 

11/3/20 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Update – Delaney McCorkle

 

11/3/20 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Update – Olivia Miller

  • Biden and Trump continue to remain in their respective homes, watching the polls roll in with their family and campaign staff.
  • Biden is currently in the lead with electoral votes, having 119 votes, while Trump remains a close second with 92 votes.
  • Biden is also currently leading with the winning number of swing states, boasting a tight lead of 50% from Texas.
  • However, Trump has also won several swing states, possessing the lead for Florida by 51.2 % and Michigan by 57.6%.
  • Even though Biden is currently in the lead, the race is still tight, and optimism is high on both sides, with Trump tweeting, “WE ARE LOOKING REALLY GOOD ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. THANK YOU!” on November 3rd, 3:00pm. 
  • Fear of violent protests causes the erection of a formidable barrier around the perimeter of the White House, made from wire mesh so tightly woven it’s virtually impossible to climb. 

 

11/3/20 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Update – Delaney McCorkle

 

11/3/20 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Update – Jessica Gordon

Biden:

  • Biden currently resides at his home in Wilmington, Delaware surrounded by family.
  • It is reported that Biden has prepared a speech for either outcome of the race and is prepared for whatever transition may come his way.

Trump:

  • President Trump is currently surrounded by senior staffers and family at the White House.
  • White House Director of Strategic Communications and Assistant, Alyssa Farrah, suggests that Trump may make a public appearance from the White House tonight – regardless of results.

Polls:

  • As the polls begin to come in from those states who close at 7 p.m. ET, the data reveals that Trump is the projected winner of Indiana with a 64.9% vote. Other states continue to process the results.

 

11/3/20 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Update – Leanna Fitzgerald

With the American Presidential Election occurring today, both candidates have been continuously campaigning for the past 24 hours in hopes of encouraging citizens to elect them. Because Trump and Biden both have large followings on social media, they have been using those platforms as their main source of motivating people to go out and vote.

At 1:00 PST, Joe Biden’s official Instagram account posted a photo reminding voters to stay in line at the polls so their voice could be heard. The caption stated that, “Remember: if you’re in line, stay in line. You can vote as long as you’re in line by the time polls close.” 

Along with Biden, Donald Trump has recently posted a tweet on Twitter to encourage voters. In this post, he emphasized, “Under my administration, our ECONOMY is growing at the fastest rate ever at 33.1%”.

With the end of the election approaching fast, Americans everywhere are anticipating these life changing results.

 

11/3/20 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Update – Ellie Larsen

  • Joe Biden, the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, is currently in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, speaking to the large crowds of his supporters that have gathered in the streets.
  • After Philadelphia, he will be traveling back to his home in Delaware where he will remain for election night.
  • This morning, Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, visited the Republican Party’s office in Virginia, where he spoke about how he is confident he will win this election. He is expected to remain at the White House for the remainder of the day.
  • So far, the election is running smoothly; Pennsylvania has already received 81% of mail-in ballots, and Michigan reports such a high efficiency that they’ll have results much sooner than expected.