When will we know election results for Pennsylvania? Here’s where things stand
The outcome of the presidential election remains up in the air Friday morning, and all eyes are on the few states yet to be called — including Pennsylvania.
Democratic nominee Joe Biden pulled ahead of President Donald Trump in the state Friday morning, putting him closer to winning the presidency.
Biden has 3,295,319 votes and Trump has 3,289,725 in the state.
The Associated Press, however, hasn’t called the election in Pennsylvania or four other states still counting votes: Alaska, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina.
Democratic candidate Joe Biden stands at 264 electoral votes as of Friday morning after picking up key wins Wednesday in Michigan and Wisconsin. The AP called Arizona for Biden on Wednesday, but some news networks say the race there is too close to call.
President Donald Trump has 214 electoral votes as of Friday morning. The winner needs at least 270.
When will we know results in Pennsylvania?
Probably soon.
Most remaining votes should be counted Friday, officials have said, according to The New York Times. The remaining votes are expected to favor Biden.
Roughly 98% of Pennsylvania’s expected vote is in as of about 9:15 a.m. Friday, per AP.
Could it decide the election?
The state’s 20 electoral votes would put Biden at 284 and Trump at 234, depending which way it goes.
But other states that would tip the election could also be called soon.
The AP says 84% of Nevada’s expected vote is in as of early Friday. Officials in Clark County, home to Las Vegas, said the next batch of results will be released around noon Friday, according to The New York Times. Its 6 electoral votes would put Biden at 270 or Trump at 220.
About 99% of Georgia’s expected vote is in as of Friday morning, per AP. Its 16 electoral votes would put Biden at 280 or Trump at 230.
Why aren’t results in?
Pennsylvania has until Nov. 6 to receive absentee ballots.
Prior to Election Day, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to rule out an extension on accepting ballots, frustrating Trump and his campaign, The New York Times reports.
Additionally, absentee ballots couldn’t start being processed until 7 a.m. Election Day, according to FiveThirtyEight.
“Simply put, that’s not enough time for many counties to count them all before the day is over,” it wrote.
Trump’s campaign announced Wednesday it’s filing a lawsuit to stop ballot counting in Pennsylvania and another claiming Republican poll observers were “thwarted” on Nov. 3, McClatchy News reports. It’s also said it will again challenge the Supreme Court’s decision on absentee ballots.
Philadelphia elections officials temporarily halted their vote count Thursday after a court ordered that Trump campaign canvassing monitors be allowed to observe the count more closely, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
This story was originally published November 5, 2020 at 4:13 PM.
