Join our daily newsletter At The Bell to receive exclusive market insights
- A clear winner in the U.S. election has yet to emerge, as absentee vote tallies from key battleground states continue to roll in
- Joe Biden currently leads with 248 electoral votes, leaving him just 22 short of the presidency, while President Donald Trump trails with 214 votes
- Biden’s lead extended late on Wednesday, after mail-in ballots in Wisconsin tipped the scale in the Democrat’s favour
- Nevertheless, despite Biden’s increasing lead, millions of votes are yet to be counted and a number of key swing states still remain undeclared
- In the Senate, the Republicans are currently leading by three seats, with five seats still in the air
- Meanwhile in the House, the Democrats are ahead with 203 seats, versus the Republicans at 188 seats, with 44 still undeclared
A clear winner in the U.S. election has yet to emerge, as absentee vote tallies from key battleground states continue to roll in.
Joe Biden currently leads with 248 electoral votes, leaving him just 22 short of the presidency. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is trailing with 214 votes.
Biden is also leading in the popular vote at 50.2 per cent, against 48.1 per cent for President Trump.
Biden’s edge extended late in the race on Wednesday, after mail-in ballots in Wisconsin tipped the scale in the Democrat’s favour. Immediately ahead of the result in Wisconsin, the Trump campaign called for a recount, which is permitted by state law.
Nevertheless, despite Biden’s increasing lead, millions of votes are yet to be counted and a number of key swing states still remain undeclared.
Turning to the Senate, the Republicans are currently leading by three seats, with five seats still in the air. Conversely, in the House the Democrats are ahead with 203 seats, versus the Republicans at 188 seats, with 44 still undeclared.
The undecided states
Of the six states yet to declare a winner, two remain hotly contested: the rust belt states of Pennsylvania and Michigan.
Based on the current count, the Democrats currently lead in Michigan and Nevada. If Biden is able to hold onto these states, he will secure 270 electoral votes and win the election.
On the other side of the aisle, President Trump is ahead in Alaska, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia. However, these four states will not be enough to guarantee a second term, and the Republican will need to seize at least one more available state to secure a win.
What is delaying the result?
The protracted election process has been largely caused by the unprecedented influx of mail-in ballots caused by COVID-19 social distancing measures. Consequently, absentee ballots are still being collated and counted all over the country, leaving battleground states to yet declare an official tally. As a result, the final result could take days or weeks to finally arrive.
Adding to the wait, legal action from the Trump campaign threatens to further extend the election result. As well as demanding a recount in Wisconsin, Donald Trump has suggested bringing in the Supreme Court to settle the legality of mail-in ballots in key states such as Pennsylvania.
Despite the remarks, legal commenters have disputed its validity of the President’s claims and no formal case has yet been brought forward. If, however, one the legal cases is sustained, it could delay an irrefutable result by weeks or months.
Regardless of the outcome, this election has brought American voters out in droves, putting the nation well on its way for its largest turnout in more than a century. This means more Americans than ever will be eagerly awaiting the result of one of the hardest-fought elections in memory.
