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Where They Stand: A Definitive Guide to the U.S. Presidential Election on Day Two

We’ve reached the afternoon on day two of the 2020 US Presidential Election, and the result remains undecided.

Former Vice President Joe Biden is holding a 238 to 214 vote lead over President Donald Trump in the Electoral College, with five or six states still not officially called. These states represent paths to victory for either candidate, but much of the vote remains to be counted in several of them.

By early this morning, forty-three states and the District of Columbia have been effectively called, with seven states remaining to be decided: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.  Here’s a guide to where each state stands:

Arizona: Fox News caused a bit of controversy amongst supporters of President Trump when they called this southwestern Republican stronghold for Biden with only 72 percent of the vote counted, but Biden indeed looks likely to win the home of the late Senator and Trump rival John McCain.

Georgia: President Trump leads in this state, with over ninety-five percent of votes counted. This implies a win for the President, but outstanding ballots are largely from the Atlanta area and could potentially break for Biden late. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger has assured voters that the Peach State’s total will be clarified by the end of day two of the election.

Michigan: Biden took about a one percent lead in Michigan early in the morning of day two. Much of Biden’s late surge came from Wayne County (Detroit) voters, where a number of votes remain uncounted. It’s too early to call Michigan, but the most recent indicators spell out a razor-thin victory for Biden.

Nevada: Biden leads here, but only by a slight margin. Nevada is another state that is essential to either candidates’ hopes for victory, but we aren’t likely to know results there until later this evening or tomorrow. Much of the vote remains uncounted, and Nevada looks like one of Trump’s last hopes for victory.

North Carolina: North Carolina is another Sun Belt state that looks like a win for Trump, with ninety-four percent of the vote tallied, but Trump’s lead is slim, at about one and a half percentage points. This is a must-win for the President, but its less impactful for Biden than some of the other states remaining on the board.

Pennsylvania: This is perhaps the most difficult state to forecast. President Trump took a commanding lead early in the Keystone State, but a late surge from Biden has made this state a firm toss-up. Uncounted mail-in ballots that tend to favor Biden, especially those from the Philadelphia area, will send this state down to the wire.

Wisconsin: Wisconsin, like Arizona, is beginning to look clearer. The results are good for Biden, with several major media outlets and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R) indicating that the Badger State is likely a Biden state by the slimmest of margins.

What does all of this mean? A Biden victory is likely, but not definite. It’s important to remember that the projected winner of any of these states can change.

Trump’s most realistic path to victory is to hold Georgia and North Carolina, reverse Biden’s lead in Nevada and win the hotly contested twenty electoral votes in Pennsylvania. Biden is looking to solidify his leads in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada and Wisconsin – officially winning these four states would net him the Presidency.

With several elections likely to remain uncalled until later in the week, keep following The Spectator for more of our essential election analysis and updates as states continue to post their result.

Written by Robert Davison, Staff Writer, Graphic courtesy of Bethany Davis, Graphic Designer.

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