Biden improves lead as Trump campaign sues to halt counting

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The race for the White House between Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden was poised for a photo-finish, even as the latter inched closer to the White House by winning the key battleground state of Wisconsin.

IMAGE: People hold signs as they take part in a rally demanding a fair count of the votes of the 2020 US presidential election, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 4, 2020. Photograph: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters

With millions of votes still being counted and several swing states yet to declare results, both Trump and Biden say they are on course for victory in the 2020 presidential election, one of the most divisive and bitter in American history.

After the latest projections in Wisconsin, Biden has 248 electoral college votes as against Trump’s 213, making it much difficult for the President to win the polls.

The winner of the 2020 presidential election should have at least 270 Electoral College votes out of the 538-member electoral college.

IMAGE: The White House is seen behind posters reading ‘Loser’ the day after the 2020 US presidential election in Washington, DC on November 4, 2020. Photograph: Erin Scott/Reuters

With 95 per cent of the votes counted, Biden is leading the vote count by a margin of little over 20,000 votes, which political experts said would be difficult for Trump to overcome.

The Trump Campaign, meanwhile, filed a lawsuit to halt counting until meaningful access is granted to them in Michigan.

The Trump campaign also sought recounting of votes in Wisconsin.

IMAGE: A person in a giant President Donald Trump costume poses for picture with people at the Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, DC. Photograph: Eze Amos/Getty Images

“As votes in Michigan continue to be counted, the presidential race in the state remains extremely tight as we always knew it would be. President Trump’s campaign has not been provided with meaningful access to numerous counting locations to observe the opening of ballots and the counting process, as guaranteed by Michigan law,” alleged Bill Stepien, manager of the Trump Campaign.

“We have filed suit today in the Michigan Court of Claims to halt counting until meaningful access has been granted. We also demand to review those ballots which were opened and counted while we did not have meaningful access.

“President Trump is committed to ensuring that all legal votes are counted in Michigan and everywhere else,” he said.

IMAGE: A supporter of US President Donald Trump wears a ‘Make America Great Again’ cap during the 2020 US presidential election, in Miami, Florida. Photograph: Marco Bello/Reuters

Tuesday’s election saw tight races in many key battleground states.

No major US media has projected a clear winner in the election.

Earlier, President Trump called the election ‘a fraud on the American public’ and said, “Frankly, we did win this election.”

He also said he planned to take the battle to the Supreme Court to stop the counting of votes.

‘All of a sudden everything just stopped. This is a fraud on the American public. This is an embarrassment to our country.

‘We were getting ready to win this election. Frankly, we did win this election,’ Trump said, without citing any evidence of a fraud in the electoral process.

IMAGE: Trump supporters gather outside John F Kennedy Library, a Miami-Dade County polling station, during the 2020 US presidential election in Miami, Florida. Photograph: Maria Alejandra Cardona/Reuters

“We will win this, and as far as I’m concerned, we already have won it,” Trump, 74, said in remarks to supporters in the White House East Room at 2 am.

“Our goal now is to ensure integrity, for the good of this nation. This is a very big moment. This is a major fraud on our nation. We want law to be used in a proper manner. So we’ll be going to the US Supreme Court.

“We want all voting to stop. We don’t want them to find any ballots at four o’clock in the morning and add them to the list,” Trump said, amidst applause from his supporters. 

IMAGE: Protesters unfurl a banner reading ‘Remove Trump’ outside the White House in Washington. Photograph: Erin Scott/Reuters

Reacting sharply, Biden’s campaign manager called Trump’s statement as ‘outrageous, unprecedented, and incorrect’.

‘If the President makes good on his threat to go to court to try to prevent the proper tabulation of votes, we have legal teams standing by ready to deploy to resist that effort. And they will prevail,’ Jen O’Malley Dillon said.

‘The President’s statement tonight about trying to shut down the counting of duly cast ballots was outrageous, unprecedented, and incorrect.

‘It was outrageous because it is a naked effort to take away the democratic rights of American citizens,’ Dillon said in a statement.

IMAGE: A supporter holds a sign during an event by US Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Election Day in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

Polls before the Election Day suggested possible outcomes ranging from a comfortable win for Biden, to a narrow victory for Trump where he loses the national popular vote but once again carries enough battleground states to win in the electoral college.

But Trump’s decision to move the Supreme Court has brought uncertainty. The mainstream American media has criticised the President.

‘No elected leader has the right to unilaterally order votes to stop being counted, and Mr Trump’s middle-of-the-night proclamation amounted to a reckless attempt to hijack the electoral process as results in key battleground states were still not final, something without precedent in American politics,’ The New York Times commented, criticising the President’s move.

IMAGE: A Trump supporter waves a flag outside John F Kennedy Library, a Miami-Dade County polling station, during the 2020 US presidential election in Miami, Florida. Photograph: Maria Alejandra Cardona/Reuters

Trump’s remarks added another bizarre twist to one of the most extraordinary election cycles in the nation’s history, it said.

With millions of votes still being counted, the outcome of the race between Trump and Biden remained in flux, with the possibility that the winner would not be known for days, The Washington Post reported.

A short time before Trump spoke, Biden, 77, addressed supporters in his home state of Delaware.

Biden projected optimism but asked voters for patience. He pointed to Pennsylvania and Michigan, among other battlegrounds, as slow-counting states that he expected to win.

IMAGE: A person sits in front of a screen showing early results at the ‘Black Lives Matter Plaza’ near the White House during Election Day in Washington. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters

“As I’ve said all along, it’s not my place or Donald Trump’s place to declare who’s won this election,” Biden said.

“That’s the decision of the American people. But I’m optimistic about this outcome.”

“It ain’t over till every vote is counted,” Biden added.

Trump pointed out that he had impressive victories in Florida, Ohio and Texas.

He said that he has already won in states like Georgia and North Carolina where his rivals cannot catch up in the rest of the counting of votes.

IMAGE: A demonstrator holds a placard as people gather at Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters

Arizona, which has been projected to be won by Biden, continues to be in play, he said, adding that he is winning big in Pennsylvania.

Alleging that his challenger (Biden) knew that they couldn’t win, Trump said: “So they said, let’s go to court. I have been saying this from the day I heard they were going to send out tens of millions of ballots.

“I said exactly because either they were going to win, or if they didn’t win. They’ll take us to court.”

According to reports, there are more than 1.4 million vote-by-mail ballots left to count in Pennsylvania, and it could take days to tabulate them all.

Meanwhile, Georgia is a wildcard. What seemed heading towards a comfortable Trump win earlier on Tuesday has ended up in a dead heat.

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