Joe Biden became the oldest President-elect in US history as America picked between Donald Trump and him in one of the closest and most divisive US elections in history. Follow the events as they happened here. For a blow by blow account of what happened earlier, click here.
Watch Biden and Harris give first speeches since election win:
Harris introduces Biden: The next president of the United States
Wearing facemasks and waving flags from car rooftops, hundreds of Democrats cheered every sentence of Joe Biden's first speech as president-elect at his victory party for the coronavirus era.
They sounded car horns and danced in the backs of jeeps as Biden told the drive-in rally at his election headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware that he would unify America as its 46th president.
Harris took the stage first before introducing Biden as "the next president of the United States" to whooping from the crowd.
Exactly 48 years to the day since he was elected a local senator, Biden jogged onto the stage to Bruce Springsteen's "Hungry Heart," giving a gentle fist-pump to his adoring audience.
"Tonight, the whole world is watching America and I believe that at our best America is a beacon for the globe," said Biden, who turns 78 later this month.
A canon fired confetti near the stage as Biden, joined by wife Jill, son Hunter, daughter Ashley and his several grandchildren - along with Harris's family including husband Doug Emhoff - waved at supporters.
An impressive five-minute fireworks show then lit up the sky as Tina Turner's "Simply the Best" and Coldplay's "Sky for of Stars" rang out.
Biden pointed and smiled as illuminated drones incorporated into the display spelt out "Biden", "46" and "USA". They also lit up a map of America in the sky.
Families on stage for fireworks
President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris brought their entire families on-stage with them to close out their victory party on Saturday night.
After delivering speeches outside of the Chase Center in downtown Wilmington, Delaware, the two were joined by their families to watch as red white and blue fireworks exploded in the sky. A collection of drones spelling out "USA" and outlining Biden's logo flashed in the sky, prompting the Democrat to gaze at the sky with his mouth wide in delight. Biden's wife Jill, seven grandkids, his son Hunter and daughter Ashley all gathered around him as the family enjoyed the display.
Harris, meanwhile, was joined by her sister Maya, her niece Meena and her husband, Doug Emhoff, as well as her two stepchildren. Harris wrapped her arms around a younger grand-niece as they watched the celebration, with more than 1,000 supporters dancing and waving American flags and Biden campaign signs. It was a celebratory ending to a day that was otherwise largely spent by the two Democrats waiting and watching as final returns rolled in.
Biden to form COVID-19 task force from Monday
Joe Biden will unveil a group of scientists and experts to help him craft a plan to tackle the coronavirus pandemic on Monday.
Biden announced his plans to launch the COVID-19 task force during remarks at his victory party Saturday night. He said those advisers would help him take the proposals he’s released during the campaign for dealing with the pandemic — which include investments in personal protective equipment and loans for small businesses as well as plans to implement more standardized public health guidelines — and turn those proposals into a “blueprint” that he’ll enact when inaugurated president next January.
Biden said the plan would be “built on bedrock science” and “constructed out of compassion, empathy and concern.” Biden made President Donald Trump’s mishandling of the pandemic a central focus of his campaign and pledged that his top priority as president would be managing the virus.
Biden said that “our work begins with getting COVID under control”, adding Americans “cannot repair the economy, restore our economy or relish life’s most precious moments” without doing so.
Biden appeals to Trump supporters
In his first speech after securing the White House, President-elect Joe Biden is making an appeal to supporters of President Donald Trump.
Biden said Saturday night in Wilmington, Delaware, that “this is the time to heal in America” and pledged to be a president to represent even those who didn’t support him.
Noting”I’ve lost a couple times myself,” Biden said, “now, let’s give each other a chance.”
Trump has not conceded the race to Biden, pursuing legal challenges over ballot counts in several states.
Biden said “it’s time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature, see each other again, listen to each other again,” saying of his political opponents, “they are not our enemies. They are Americans.”
Biden pledges 'not to divide but to unify'
Joe Biden is pledging to be a president “who seeks not to divide but to unify.”
Biden is delivering his first remarks as president-elect at a victory party in Wilmington, after he was officially declared the winner of the presidential election on Saturday. Biden jogged onto the stage wearing a black suit, black mask and light blue tie. He pointed and waved at the screaming crowd gathered to hear him speak.
Echoing his campaign stump speech, Biden promised to be a president who “doesn’t see red states or blue states, only sees the United States,” and said he would work “with all my heart” to win the confidence of all Americans.
Biden touted the fact that he’s won more votes than any presidential ticket in history, calling his win “a convincing victory, a victory for the people.” He also said he was “surprised” by seeing the celebrations and an “outpouring of joy” in the wake of his win nationwide.
Biden said that “once again, America’s bent the arc of the moral universe more toward justice.”
President-elect Biden hails 'convincing victory'
Joe Biden declared victory Saturday as the 46th president of the United States after voters narrowly rebuffed Republican incumbent Donald Trump’s tumultuous leadership in favor of the former Democratic vice president.
“The people of this nation have spoken. They’ve delivered us a clear victory, a convincing victory,” Biden said in Wilmington, Delaware after he was declared the winner by all major U.S. TV networks after four days of nail-biting suspense following Tuesday’s election.
Harris pays tribute to Black women
Vice president-elect Kamala Harris is paying tribute to Black women who "so often prove they are the backbone of our democracy."
Harris, the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, is the first woman to be elected to the vice presidency.
Harris noted her ascension to the role comes 100 years after the 19th Amendment was ratified and 55 years after the signing of the Voting Rights Act, which expanded who could participate in American democracy.
She praised Joe Biden for having "the audacity to break one of the most substantial barriers that exist in our country" by selecting a woman as his running mate.
"Every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a county of possibilities," Harris said.
The remarks were some of the most direct she has delivered about her history-making role as Biden's running mate.
Kamala Harris: 'A new day for America'
Vice president-elect Kamala Harris says voters have “ushered in a new day for America.”
Harris is speaking Saturday in her first address to the nation since she and Joe Biden were declared the winners of the presidential election.
Harris says voters chose hope, unity, decency, science and truth in choosing she and Biden over President Donald Trump.
Harris, the first woman to be elected vice president, wore a white pantsuit in tribute to women’s suffrage. She also opened her remarks with a tribute to the late Georgia Congressman John Lewis, a Civil Rights icon, who said democracy is not a state but an act. Harris will also be the first Black woman to serve as vice president.
'President for all of our families'
Dr Jill Biden, the First Lady-elect, had posted a picture of her with her husband on Twitter with the caption: "He will be a President for all of our families."
Trump back on Twitter repeating victory claims
US President Donald Trump has returned to Twitter to once again claim he won the election.
Trump reiterated claims about observers not being allowed into rooms and said mail-in ballots were sent to people who never asked for them.
He said his 71 million votes were ‘The most EVER for a sitting President.’
Trump returned to the White House overnight UAE time to boos and jeers from gathered crowds.
How the Biden family celebrated
President-elect Joe Biden's granddaughter, law student Naomi Biden, has posted a picture of the family celebrating on Twitter.
Biden and Obama speak on phone
Joe Biden has spoken to Barack Obama, reaching out to the former president with one of his first calls as president-elect.
Biden’s campaign confirmed the phone call Saturday with Obama, whom Biden served under as vice president for eight years, but offered few details on what was said.
Meanwhile, Michelle Obama took to Twitter to say that she was “beyond thrilled” that Biden had been elected president and that his running mate, Kamala Harris, is “our first Black and Indian-American woman” as vice president.
In a series of tweets, the former first lady said the pair would “restore some dignity, competence, and heart at the White House.”
But Michelle Obama also warned supporters that voting in elections for candidates who win “isn’t a magic wand.”
“Let’s remember that tens of millions of people voted for the status quo, even when it meant supporting lies, hate, chaos and division,” she tweeted, in a swipe at President Donald Trump. “We’ve got a lot of work to do to reach out to these folks in the years ahead and connect with them on what unites us.”
Boos and jeers as Trump returns to White House
President Donald Trump has returned to the White House and a very different Washington, DC, after losing his reelection bid.
Trump’s motorcade returned from his golf club in Virginia via roads largely cleared of other cars and people Saturday afternoon.
But as he approached the White House, he was welcomed home with boos. Chants of “Loser, loser, loser” and profanities were also heard as his motorcade drove by.
Trump has so far refused to concede to President-elect Joe Biden and is promising legal challenges. He is the first president to lose re-election since George H.W. Bush in 1992.
UAE rulers congratulate President-elect Biden
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, have congratulated US President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on their victory in the US election.
Modi congratulates Biden, Harris on 'pathbreaking' win
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated Joe Biden on his White House victory, and called his Indian-American running mate Kamala Harris a source of “immense pride.”
“Congratulations @JoeBiden on your spectacular victory!” Modi tweeted.
In a separate tweet to Harris, the prime minister wrote: “Your success is pathbreaking, and a matter of immense pride not just for your chittis, but also for all Indian-Americans.”
“Chitti” is a Tamil term of endearment for the younger sisters of one’s mother, which Harris used in her acceptance of the Democratic nomination for vice president.
She is the first woman of colour elected to the US vice presidency.
UK congratulates Biden and Harris, vows climate action
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday congratulated Joe Biden "on his election" as US president and Biden's running mate Kamala Harris "on her historic achievement".
"The US is our most important ally and I look forward to working closely together on our shared priorities, from climate change to trade and security," Johnson tweeted, after US networks called the race for Biden over President Donald Trump.
The prime minister has had strained ties with Biden and with former president Barack Obama, but Downing Street has been keen to stress the common interests still enduring in the US-British "special relationship" after Trump's stormy presidency.
In a statement, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: "President Trump fought hard in what proved a close contest."
He anticipated working with the Biden administration on issues such as the Covid-19 pandemic, as Britain prepares to take over the G7 presidency next year and to host the UN's next global climate policy gathering, COP 26.
Biden has vowed to rejoin the UN's Paris Agreement on climate change after Trump abandoned it.
Raab added: "The friendship between the UK and US has always been a force for good in the world."
EU chiefs congratulate Biden, urge closer US ties
European Union leaders Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen hailed Joe Biden's election as president of the United States on Saturday and called for stronger trans-Atlantic ties.
"We take note of the latest development in the electoral process," said Michel, president of the European Council, which represents the leaders of EU member states.
"On this basis the EU congratulates President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on reaching enough Electoral Votes.
France's Macron congratulates Biden, ready to 'work together'
French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday congratulated US president-elect Joe Biden and his vice-presidential pick Kamala Harris on their election victory.
"We have a lot to do to overcome today's challenges. Let's work together!," Macron tweeted after major US media networks announced Biden's victory over incumbent Donald Trump.
Biden wins in Nevada: US media
Joe Biden has won the contested state of Nevada, US media projected Saturday - helping him solidifying his lead over Donald Trump in the all-important tally of Electoral College votes needed to win the White House.
The New York Times and Fox News called the race in the Silver State - which has six electoral votes - in favor of the veteran Democrat.
Earlier in the day, US television networks declared Biden the winner of Tuesday's election by projecting his victory in the decisive battleground of Pennsylvania. Adding those two states, Biden has at least 279 electoral votes.
Biden elected US president: networks
Joe Biden has won the US presidency over Donald Trump, TV networks projected Saturday - a victory sealed after the Democrat claimed several key battleground states won by the Republican incumbent in 2016.
CNN, NBC News and CBS News called the race in his favor, after projecting he had won the decisive state of Pennsylvania.
Biden, 77, is the oldest candidate ever elected to the White House. Trump, 74, has made as yet unsubstantiated claims of massive voter fraud, and his campaign has launched legal challenges in several states.
Biden spent eight years as vice president to Barack Obama. His victory comes in his third run for the nation's highest office.
Trump at golf club outside Washington as vote count drags on
US President Donald Trump left the White House Saturday for the first time since Election Day, heading to his golf club in suburban Virginia as the vote count dragged on with Joe Biden leading the Republican incumbent in decisive states.
After appearing twice at the White House in recent days to address the nation, Trump left the presidential residence for the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia.
Biden stands on the verge of winning the White House - a victory in battleground state Pennsylvania, where he is leading, would give him enough votes in the Electoral College, which determines the presidency.
Biden edges closer to win
Democrat Joe Biden edged ever closer Saturday to a victory over President Donald Trump as the long, exacting work of counting votes extended into a fourth day after the election.
Biden has the math largely on his side with a 253-to-214 lead in the state-by-state Electoral College vote that determines the winner, according to Edison Research.
On Friday he took the lead in Pennsylvania, whose 20 electoral votes would put him over the 270 threshold needed for victory.
Pennsylvania's lieutenant governor, John Fetterman, said the votes still to be counted in his state were likely to be in the 77-year-old former vice president' favor.
"The counts are ongoing, but there isn't any good news for the president's campaign anywhere in the pockets of votes that remain," he told CNN on Saturday.
Watch: Biden stops short of declaring himself a winner
Joe Biden said Friday as he closed in on winning the US presidency he would he waste no time in addressing the COVID pandemic upon taking office.
"I want everyone, everyone to know on day one we're going to put our plan to control this virus into action," Biden said in a late night address from his hometown Wilmington, in Delaware. Biden expressed confidence that he would defeat President Donald Trump as vote counting dragged on from Tuesday's election but stopped short of declaring himself the winner. He pledged to unite a bitterly divided nation.
"It's time for us to come together as a nation to heal," Biden said.
Trump continues Twitter rants on legal action
US President Donald Trump has continued to use Twitter to suggest legal proceedings will give him a pathway to winning the US election.
In two tweets overnight UAE time, the Republican said he had as big a claim as Joe Biden on victory in the poll, despite the Democrat apparently closing in on victory.
“Joe Biden should not wrongfully claim the office of the President,” Trump tweeted. “I could make that claim also. Legal proceedings are just now beginning!”
In a further tweet, he wrote: “I had such a big lead in all of these states late into election night, only to see the leads miraculously disappear as the days went by.
“Perhaps these leads will return as our legal proceedings move forward!”
Supreme Court judge makes Pennsylvania order
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has ordered county elections officials in Pennsylvania to keep separate mail-in ballots that arrived after Election Day. The state’s top elections official already had ordered those ballots be kept apart.
The order came Friday night in response to a plea from the state Republican Party as Democrat Joe Biden inched ahead of President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania in the presidential race.
Alito, acting on his own, said he was motivated in part by the Republicans’ assertion that they can’t be sure elections officials are complying with guidance issued by Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar, a Democrat.
The justice handles emergency appeals from Pennsylvania. He ordered a response from the state by Saturday afternoon and said he has referred the matter to the full court for further action.
The order is related to an ongoing Republican appeal to the Supreme Court to try to keep ballots received in the mail after Election Day from being counted. The state’s top court granted a three-day extension, and the Supreme Court refused to block it.
Biden's lead grows in Pennsylvania
Democrat Joe Biden's lead over President Donald Trump is growing in battleground Pennsylvania.
By Friday evening, the Democrat held a lead of over 19,500 votes out of more than 6.5 million ballots cast. That's an edge of about 0.29 per cent. State law dictates that a recount must be held if the margin between the two candidates is less than 0.5 per cent.
The Pennsylvania secretary of state's website said Friday that there were 102,541 more mail ballots that needed to be counted, including many from Allegheny County, a Democratic area that is home to Pittsburgh, and the Democratic stronghold of Philadelphia County.
Additionally, there are potentially tens of thousands of provisional ballots that remain to be tabulated, though an exact number remained unclear. Those ballots will be counted after officials verify their eligibility to be included.
Pennsylvania is among a handful of battleground states that Trump and Biden are narrowly contesting as they seek the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency.
State of play in the key battleground states
Pennsylvania
In Pennsylvania, where 96 per cent of the vote has been counted, Trump has 49.2 per cent and Biden 49.5 per cent.
Georgia
In Georgia, with 99 per cent of the vote counted, Trump is on 49.3 per cent and Biden 49.4 per cent.
Nevada
Nevada officials have counted 93 per centof the vote, with Trump on 48.0 per centand Biden 49.8 per cent.
Arizona
In Arizona, Trump is on 48.6 per cent and Biden 49.9 per cent, with 94 per cent of the vote counted. Several networks and agencies have called Arizona for Biden.
North Carolina
North Carolina has counted 98 per cent of the vote, with Trump on 50.0 per cent and Biden 48.6 per cent.
Biden extends lead in Georgia
Democrat Joe Biden is adding to his lead over President Donald Trump in Georgia.
As of early Friday evening, Biden had overtaken Trump by 4,235 votes in the battleground state, which Trump must win to have a shot at re-election.
The Democrat first surpassed Trump in the state vote count on Friday morning as votes continue to be counted.
The contest is still too close to call.
Trump’s lead dwindled after election day when state officials began processing mail-in ballots, a form of voting that has skewed heavily in Biden’s favour after Trump spent months claiming — without proof — that voting by mail would lead to widespread voter fraud.
If there is less than a 0.5 percentage point difference between Biden’s and Trump’s vote totals, state law dictates that a recount must be held. Biden currently holds a lead of about 0.08 percentage points.
A Democratic presidential candidate hasn’t won Georgia since Bill Clinton in 1992.
Trump vows to keep fighting, press ahead with legal challenges
US President Donald Trump on Friday vowed to continue his legal fight, as his Democratic rival Joe Biden edged closer to securing enough votes to win the presidency and was expected to give a prime-time televised address Friday night.
"We will pursue this process through every aspect of the law to guarantee that the American people have confidence in our government. I will never give up fighting for you and our nation," Trump said in a statement released by the White House.
Biden on brink of victory, to address nation
Joe Biden was on the brink of winning the White House on Friday after taking the lead in the potentially decisive state of Pennsylvania but President Donald Trump showed no signs of being ready to concede and his campaign insisted the bitterly contested race is "not over."
Pennsylvania, and its 20 electoral votes, would be enough to vault the 77-year-old Biden past the magic number of 270 votes in the Electoral College, which determines the presidency.
With some 40,000 votes remaining to be counted in Pennsylvania, many from heavily Democratic areas, Biden opened up a 12,400-vote lead over the Republican incumbent, according to real-time state election results.
Biden currently has at least 253 electoral votes and is leading in three other states - Arizona, Georgia and Nevada - where ballots from Tuesday's election continue to be counted.
The Biden campaign said the former vice president would deliver an address to the nation Friday evening, from his home city of Wilmington, Delaware.
"It is clear that the Biden-Harris ticket will win the White House," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a reference to the Democratic nominee and his running mate Senator Kamala Harris, the first Black woman on a major party ticket.
Pelosi, the top Democrat in Congress, welcomed what she called the "strong mandate" given to "President-elect Biden" and called him a unifier who will "bring people together."
Georgia says will recount razor-thin vote
The US state of Georgia said Friday it will recount votes from the election in which Joe Biden has eked out a razor-thin lead over President Donald Trump.
"With a margin that small, there will be a recount in Georgia," Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger told reporters in Atlanta.
Trump campaign says 'this election is not over'
US President Donald Trump's campaign said that "this election is not over" as his challenger Joe Biden edged closer to victory in the cliffhanger White House race.
"This election is not over," a statement from campaign general counsel Matt Morgan said while making further allegations of irregularities.
"The false projection of Joe Biden as the winner is based on results in four states that are far from final," it said.
No evidence to support Trump vote-fraud claims: GOP senator
A key Republican senator said he saw no evidence to support President Donald Trump's baseless claim that Democrats are trying to "steal" the election and called the president's words "very disturbing."
Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, whose state is a key battleground in the presidential election, said "There's simply no evidence anyone has shown me of any widespread corruption or fraud" to supported Trump's claim Thursday of fraud in balloting. "The president's speech last night was very disturbing to me because he made very, very serious allegations without any evidence to support it," Toomey told "CBS This Morning." He added: "I voted for President Trump."
Biden eases ahead in Georgia
Joe Biden narrowly overtook President Donald Trump in the vote count in Georgia early Friday and was steadily gaining ground in Pennsylvania, with the presidency hinging on the outcome of tight contests in key battleground states. Neither candidate has reached the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House, though Biden has the advantage after eclipsing Trump in Wisconsin and Michigan, two crucial Midwestern battleground states. That left both campaigns increasingly focused on developments in Pennsylvania and Georgia, where Biden had an advantage of more than 900 votes on Friday morning. It could take several more days for the vote count to conclude in some states, allowing a clear winner to emerge.
Biden takes lead in Pennsylvania
Biden edged ahead of Trump in Pennsylvania, bolstering his prospects to win the presidency with the move in a key battleground state. If he wins the state and its 20 electoral votes, Biden would become the next U.S. president, provided that other race calls stand.
Biden moved in front of Trump in Pennsylvania by fewer than 6,000 votes with the release of the latest batch of results from the state. The former vice president had trailed in the state since Election Night, but Trump's initial lead of as much as 700,000 votes progressively shrank as election officials tallied mail-in ballots that heavily favored the Democratic candidate.
The result is still too close to call the state, with additional legal challenges likely and more ballots yet to be counted.
In battleground state of Georgia, Biden overtakes Trump by 917 votes
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden pulled ahead in the battleground state of Georgia by 917 votes, CNN reported on Friday, as the tallying of votes continues in the state.
Biden is locked in a tight election race with President Donald Trump in which no candidate currently has enough Electoral College votes to be declared the winner.
Biden gains ground on Trump in Georgia and Pennsylvania
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden gained more ground on President Donald Trump in the battleground states of Georgia and Pennsylvania on Friday, edging closer to the White House hours after Trump falsely claimed the election was being "stolen" from him.
Biden had a 253 to 214 lead in the state-by-state Electoral College vote that determines the winner, according to most major television networks, and was inching toward securing the 270 votes needed to win the state-by-state Electoral College in four undecided swing states.
Biden, 77, would become the next president by winning Pennsylvania, or by winning two out of the trio of Georgia, Nevada and Arizona. Trump's likeliest path appeared narrower - he needed to hang onto both Pennsylvania and Georgia and also to overtake Biden in either Nevada or Arizona.
In Pennsylvania, which has 20 electoral votes, Biden cut Trump's lead to just over 18,000 by the early hours of Friday, while his deficit in Georgia, which has 16 electoral votes, shrunk to about 450.
Those numbers were expected to continue to move in Biden's favor, with many of the outstanding ballots from areas that typically vote Democratic, including the cities of Philadelphia and Atlanta.
Georgia runoffs could decide Senate control
Georgia, long a Republican stronghold - but one with rapidly changing demographics - could be the site of two runoffs on Jan. 5 to settle which party would control the Senate.
Should Democrats win them, Biden would be dealing with a majority in the Senate, increasing his chances for passing legislation and securing major appointment confirmations. Otherwise, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, could wield the power to block Biden.
Other races in North Carolina and Alaska also hold the potential to reshape the balance of power, but Georgia offers the more likely prospect.
In Georgia, two runoff elections would mean a campaign on an almost national scale, with tens of millions of dollars spent by both sides.
Biden has been mum on the Senate balance as he awaits the results in his own election, but he offered a preview days before Tuesday’s election.
"I can’t tell you how important it is that we flip the United States Senate. There’s no state more consequential than Georgia in that fight," Biden declared at an Atlanta rally on Oct. 27, when he campaigned alongside Democratic Senate hopefuls Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.
Votes were still being counted to determine whether Ossoff will meet Georgia Sen. David Perdue in a second round. Georgia law requires an outright majority to win a statewide office.
Separately, a Georgia special election to fill the unexpired term of former Sen. Johnny Isakson will require a runoff between Warnock and Sen. Kelly Loeffler, the Republican appointed to the post last year after Isakson retired.
Nationally, the Senate stands at 48-48. But Republicans lead uncalled races in Alaska and North Carolina. By Thursday, the focus turned to Georgia.
Two held in Philadelphia
US police have detained two men outside a Philadelphia polling station in Pennsylvania, a battleground state yet to declare a winner in the presidential election, local media reported Friday.
Ballot counting continues in four crucial states days after Tuesday's vote, with Democrat Joe Biden still confident of capturing the presidency from incumbent Donald Trump.
Currently, Trump is narrowly ahead in Pennsylvania.
Local paper Philadephia Inquirer said the men were detained following a tip-off, first reported by 6ABC Action News Thursday night, that an armed group were heading to the center.
No injuries have been reported.
Trump's bid for emergency halt to Philadelphia count denied
A federal judge denied an emergency request from President Donald Trump's campaign to stop ballot counting by the Philadelphia County Board of Elections until Republican observers are present.
The campaign sought an injunction on Thursday afternoon, claiming the board is "intentionally violating" state law by not allowing poll watchers from the Trump campaign and the Republican party to monitor the counting of mail-in and absentee ballots.
US District Judge Paul S. Diamond issued a one-sentence order after a hearing, saying he was denying the order "in light of the parties' agreement."
Diamond suggested that each party be allowed 60 observers inside the convention center where election officials are counting ballots, according to the Associated Press. Diamond scolded the bickering lawyers at the hearing, according to the AP.
"Really, can't we be responsible adults here and reach an agreement?" Diamond said, according to the AP. "The whole thing could (soon) be moot."
Trump seeks emergency injunction
President Donald Trump's campaign sued to stop ballot counting by the Philadelphia County Board of Elections until Republican observers are present.
The campaign seeks an emergency injunction, claiming Thursday the board is "intentionally violating" state law by not allowing poll watchers from the Trump campaign and the Republican party to monitor the counting of mail-in and absentee ballots.
It's unclear whether Trump's lawsuit will succeed but it could delay the vote count in a key battleground state, where Democratic nominee Joe Biden hopes to overtake the president. Biden needs a win in either Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada or North Carolina to secure the White House, assuming other race calls hold up.
In the morning, a Pennsylvania state judge ruled that observers could stand as close as 6 feet (2 meters) away while election officials counted mail-in and absentee ballots. The city petitioned the state Supreme Court to allow it to appeal.
As of 5.48pm local time, the Department of State's supplemental dashboard showed more than 326,000 mail-in and absentee ballots still to be counted, including almost 85,000 from heavily Democratic Philadelphia. Trump led Biden by about 79,000 votes as of 6pm.
The case is Donald J. Trump for President Inc. v. Philadelphia County Board of Elections, 20-5533, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia).
Election officials worried by threats and protesters
Election officials in several states said Thursday they are worried about the safety of their staffs amid a stream of threats and gatherings of angry protesters outside their doors.
"I can tell you that my wife and my mother are very concerned for me,'' said Joe Gloria, the registrar in Clark County, Nevada, which includes Las Vegas. He said his staff was bolstering security and tracking vehicles coming and going from the election offices.
But he added that he and others would not be stopped from "doing what our duty is and counting ballots.''
Groups of Donald Trump supporters have gathered at vote tabulation sites in Phoenix, Detroit and Philadelphia, decrying counts that showed Democrat Joe Biden leading or gaining ground.
While the protests have not been violent or very large, local officials were distressed by the crowds and concerned about the relentless accusations.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel tweeted a plea to "stop making harassing & threatening calls'' to her staff.
"Asking them to shove sharpies in uncomfortable places is never appropriate & is a sad commentary on the state of our nation,'' wrote Nessel, a Democrat, referring to a false conspiracy theory that Trump supporters were told to fill out ballots with Sharpie markers instead of regular pens so that their votes wouldn't be counted by the machines.
Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, speaking on CNN, said her main concern was staff safety but that sheriff's deputies were providing protection. She said the protesters were "causing delay and disruption and preventing those employees from doing their job''
On Thursday, about 100 Trump supporters gathered again in front of the Maricopa County election center in Phoenix, some carrying military-style rifles and handguns. Arizona law allows people to openly carry guns.
They paused to listen as Trump spoke from the White House, where he repeated many of his groundless assertions of a rigged vote.
Battleground state of Georgia moves into a tie
The battleground state of Georgia has moved into a tie. With 99 per cent of the votes counted, Donald Trump and Joe Biden both have 49.4 per cent.
Meanwhile, in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, with 94% of the estimated vote tallied so far, Trump has 49.6 per cent and Biden has 49.1 per cent of vote.
Biden says no-one can take US democracy away
Democrat Joe Biden says, "No one is going to take our democracy away from us." His comment came after President Donald Trump's unfounded claims that Democrats were trying to "steal" the presidential election from him.
In a Thursday evening tweet, Biden says, "America has come too far, fought too many battles, and endured too much to let that happen."
The nation is waiting to learn whether Biden or Trump will collect the 270 electoral votes needed to capture the presidency. Biden's victories in Michigan and Wisconsin have put him in a commanding position, but Trump has showed no sign of giving up.
Speaking earlier Thursday from the White House, Trump did not back up his claim about Democrats with any details or evidence. State and federal officials have not reported any instances of widespread voter fraud.
The ballot-counting process across the country has been running smoothly, and the count is ongoing in several battleground states.
Gaps close again in Georgia, Pennsylvania
The latest figures are showing the gaps between Donald Trump and Joe Biden closing in the key states of Georgia and Pennsylvania.
In Georgia, with 98 per cent of the votes counted, Trump has 49.4 per cent, while Biden has 49.3 per cent, according to Edison Research.
In Pennsylvania, with 94 per cent of the vote counted, Trump has 49.9 per cent, while Biden has 48.9 per cent.
Trump says Democrats trying to 'steal' election
President Donald Trump has renewed his unfounded claims that Democrats are trying to “steal” the election from him. He did not back up his claim with any details or evidence. State and federal officials have not reported any instances of widespread voter fraud.
In statement from White House, Trump, without evidence, told media: “If you count the legal votes I easily win.”
Trump unleashed harsh criticism of pre-election polling that showed him trailing Democrat Joe Biden and claiming without evidence that the ballot-counting process is unfair and corrupt. He also renewed his criticism of widespread use of mail-in balloting in the pandemic.
The ballot-counting process across the country has been running smoothly, and the count is ongoing in several battleground states.
Courts rule against Trump in Georgia, Michigan
President Donald Trump's campaign lost court rulings in the closely-contested states of Georgia and Michigan on Thursday, even as it vowed to bring a new lawsuit challenging what it called voting irregularities in Nevada.
In the Georgia case, the campaign alleged 53 late-arriving ballots were mixed with on-time ballots. In Michigan, it had sought to stop votes from being counted and obtain greater access to the tabulation process.
State judges tossed out both the suits on Thursday.
Judge James Bass, a superior court judge in Georgia, said there was "no evidence" that the ballots in question were invalid.
In the Michigan case, Judge Cynthia Stephens said: "I have no basis to find that there is a substantial likelihood of success on the merits."
Georgia race narrows further
In battleground state of Georgia, with 98 per cent of votes counted, Trump has 49.5 per cent and Biden 49.3 per cent, according to Edison Research.
Biden urges supporters to 'stay calm'
Democrat Joe Biden says he feels "very good" about the outcome of the presidential election and is telling his supporters to "stay calm" as votes continue to be counted.
Biden delivered brief remarks Thursday at a theatre in downtown Wilmington, Delaware. He says, "It is the will of the voters - no one, not anyone else - who chooses the president of the United States of America."
President Donald Trump's campaign has pursued legal efforts to halt the vote counting in some states and is seeking a recount in Wisconsin.
Biden says that "the process is working" and "we'll know very soon" the outcome of the election. Biden and his top campaign officials have expressed confidence about the vote but have been careful to emphasize the need for every ballot to be counted.
Biden's running mate, California Sen. Kamala Harris, stood next to him as he spoke.
Biden briefed on coronavirus, economy
Joe Biden is getting virtual briefings on the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout from panels of experts, sticking to a routine he’s had since March, even as the outcome of the presidential race remains in doubt.
The former vice president traveled Thursday afternoon to a theatre in downtown Wilmington, Delaware, where his campaign has set up a makeshift studio. He and his running mate, California Senator Kamala Harris, often sit facing large screens while experts participate by video conference.
Biden has held similar public health and economic briefings about once a week since March while criticizing President Donald Trump’s administration for the federal government’s response to a pandemic that has killed more than 230,000 Americans.
Journalists travelling with Biden were not allowed inside the briefing but saw him as he entered the theatre. He did not take questions.
State of play in Pennsylvania
In battleground state of Pennsylvania, with 92 per cent of the vote counted, Trump has 50.2 per cent and Biden 48.5 per cent.
In the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with 82.5 per cent of the vote counted, Trump has 19.1 per cent and Biden 80.0 per cent.
All figures from Edison Research.
Democrats in Arizona want to join Sharpie lawsuit
The Arizona Democratic Party has asked a court to let it participate in a lawsuit that alleges vote tabulation equipment in metro Phoenix was unable to record a voter's ballot because she completed it with a county-issued Sharpie pen.
A judge is holding a hearing Thursday in Phoenix in the lawsuit by voter Laurie Aguilera, who also alleged that ink from the marker bled through the back side of her ballot and that poll workers refused her request for a new ballot.
Aguilera is seeking a court order for all Maricopa County voters whose ballots were rejected as a result of using a Sharpie to be given a chance to fix their ballots. She also is asking for such voters to be able to be present while election officials count their ballots.
The Democrats say the lawsuit is based on the unconfirmed account of one voter and her request to monitor ballot processing could throw the processing of ballots in Arizona's largest county in disarray.
In a court filing, the party says Democratic voters could be disenfranchised if Aguilera and others were able to challenge a voter's intent in making ballot choices without knowing the applicable standards.
Arizona election officials have said voting with a Sharpie would have no impact on the votes being recorded by a tabulation machine.
Nevada count could take until Sunday
As the nation awaits results from Nevada, Clark County Registrar Joe Gloria says it could take until Saturday or Sunday before the state’s largest county finishes tallying mail-in ballots that have been returned.
Gloria said Thursday at a press conference: “Our goal here in Clark County is not to count fast. We want to make sure that we’re being accurate.”
Gloria says Clark County has at least 63,262 ballots left to count, including 34,743 returned in drop boxes on Election Day and 4,208 returned via the US Postal Service. But as mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day continue to trickle in, Gloria said he had no way of knowing the total number of outstanding ballots.
He says, “That’s a number that I can’t give you. I can’t predict to you what’s going to come through the US mail.”
Gloria says the fact that Nevada’s six electoral votes could push Democrat Joe Biden beyond the 270 electoral vote threshold needed to win the presidency reaffirmed the need to not rush the count.
He said the last day to count ballots is November 12.
Trump campaign loses lawsuit seeking to halt Michigan vote count
A judge has tossed a lawsuit brought by U.S. President Donald Trump's campaign in hopes of halting vote-counting in Michigan.
Michigan Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Stephens made the ruling during a court hearing on Thursday. She said she planned to issue a written ruling on Friday.
Ballot counting in Philadelphia temporarily halted
The counting of mail-in ballots in Philadelphia has been temporarily halted as Democrats ask the state's top court to reverse a lower court ruling on ballot count observers, Reuters reported, quoting MSNBC.
'Arizona full results may take time'
Democrat Joe Biden's campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon said on Thursday it may take time to see full voting results in Arizona and that the margin in the state may tighten.
Trump again calls for halt to counting
President Donald Trump has again said he wants to put a halt to vote counting.
The statement to voice support for ceasing the count of legally cast votes came in a Thursday morning tweet, saying only: "STOP THE COUNT!"
Elections are run by individual state, county and local governments. Trump's public comments have no impact on the tallying of votes across the country.
So far, the vote count across the country has been conducted efficiently and without evidence of any misconduct, despite Trump's public complaints.
Trump's comments come as his campaign has filed legal action in several states to try to stop vote counting, claiming a lack of transparency.
Still, Trump's campaign has held out hope that continued counting in Arizona could overcome a Biden lead in the state.
Biden needs 1 more battleground state to win the White House
Joe Biden was pushing closer to the 270 Electoral College votes needed to carry the White House, securing victories in the 'blue wall' battlegrounds of Wisconsin and Michigan and narrowing President Donald Trump's path.
With just a handful of states still up for grabs, Trump tried to press his case in court in some key swing states. It was unclear if any of his campaign's legal maneuvering over balloting would succeed in shifting the race in his favor.
Two days after Election Day, neither candidate had amassed the votes needed to win the White House. But Biden's victories in the Great Lakes states left him at 264, meaning he was one battleground state away _ any would do _ from becoming president-elect.
Trump, with 214 electoral votes, faced a much higher hurdle. To reach 270, he needed to claim all four remaining battlegrounds: Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia and Nevada.
Race down to close contests in 5 states
The US presidential race was coming down to close contests in five states. Biden held narrow leads in Nevada and Arizona while Trump was watching his slim advantage fade in must-win states Pennsylvania and Georgia as mail-in and absentee votes were being counted. Trump clung to a narrow lead in North Carolina as well, another must-win for him.
Trump had to win the states where he was still ahead plus either Arizona or Nevada to triumph and avoid becoming the first incumbent U.S. president to lose a re-election bid since fellow Republican George H.W. Bush in 1992.
Edison Research gave Biden a 243 to 213 lead over Trump in Electoral College votes, which are largely based on a state's population. Other networks said Biden had won Wisconsin, which would give him another 10 votes. To win, a candidate needs 270 votes.
Trump supporters protest outside Arizona vote centre
A crowd of Donald Trump supporters, some armed with rifles and handguns, gathered outside an election centre in Arizona on Wednesday night after unsubstantiated rumours that votes for the Republican president were deliberately not being counted.
Chanting "Stop the steal!", and "Count my vote", the mostly unmasked protesters stood in front of the Maricopa County Elections Department in Phoenix, as Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden held a razor thin lead in the critical battleground state. Some news outlets have called Arizona for Biden, but Trump's campaign says it is still in play.
A victory for Biden in Arizona would give the Democrat 11 electoral votes, a major boost in his bid to win the White House, while severely narrowing Trump's path to re-election, in a state the Republican won in 2016.
Election splits Congress, GOP bolstered as Democrats falter
The election scrambled seats in the House and Senate but ultimately left Congress much like it began, deeply split as voters resisted big changes despite the heated race at the top of the ticket for the White House.
It's an outcome that dampens Democratic demands for a bold new agenda, emboldens Republicans and almost ensures partisan gridlock regardless of who wins the presidency. Or perhaps, as some say, it provides a rare opening for modest across-the-aisle cooperation.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi was on track to keep control of the Democratic House, but saw her majority shrinking and her leadership called into question. Control of the Senate tilted Republicans' way as they fended off an onslaught of energized challengers, though a few races remained undecided Wednesday.
Anxiety and mood swings in aftermath
Weary from one of the most bruising US presidential races in modern times, Republican and Democratic voters alike were in a state of high anxiety on Wednesday (local time) with the election outcome still unsettled a day after polls closed.
President Donald Trump's false declaration of victory in the early hours, as ballot counting continued in several pivotal states, roiled supporters of Democratic challenger Joe Biden.
Biden supporters expressed heightened fears the Republican incumbent might not accept the election result if he were to lose. Many in Trump's voter base, meanwhile, echoed his allegations of widespread electoral tampering.
The post-Election Day tension proved hard for many to bear.
Some turned to caffeine or sought solace in chores and other distractions.
"It's like the twilight zone," said Tanya Wojciak, 39, who reckoned she had downed 17 cups of coffee and found herself pacing the floors of her home in Cortland, Ohio, as she watched results trickle in from battleground states deluged by record-breaking numbers of early mail-in ballots.
Legal experts have said the election outcome could become bogged down in state-by-state litigation over a host of issues, including whether late-arriving ballots can be counted.
Activists demanding that vote counts proceed unimpeded rallied in several cities, including Oakland, California, Atlanta, Detroit and New York City.
Hundreds of protesters waving American flags and signs that read, "Count every vote, every vote counts," demonstrated peacefully at Washington Square Park after marching through midtown Manhattan.
"It's very important that we make sure that our democracy is maintained," said Meira Harris, 26, a social work student. "This election has provoked so much anxiety."
Pennsylvania
In battleground state of Pennsylvania, with 89 per cent of the estimated vote tallied so far, Trump has 50.7 per cent and Biden has 48.1 per cent of vote -Edison Research.
Biden on the brink of White House win
Joe Biden won the battleground prizes of Michigan and Wisconsin on Wednesday, reclaiming a key part of the "blue wall'' that slipped away from Democrats four years ago and dramatically narrowing President Donald Trump's pathway to reelection.
A full day after Election Day, neither candidate had cleared the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House. But Biden's victories in the Great Lakes states left him at 264, meaning he was one battleground state away from crossing the threshold and becoming president-elect.
Biden, who has received more than 71 million votes, the most in history, was joined by his running mate Kamala Harris at an afternoon news conference and said he now expected to win the presidency, though he stopped short of outright declaring victory.
"I will govern as an American president,'' Biden said. ''There will be no red states and blue states when we win. Just the United States of America."
Riot in Portland as protesters smash windows
A riot was declared in Portland, Oregon, and protesters took to the streets in Seattle on Wednesday as people demanded that every vote in Tuesday's election be counted. Hundreds were protesting in both cities against President Donald Trump's court challenges to stop the vote count in battleground states.
The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office at about 7pm declared a riot after protesters were seen smashing windows at businesses. In the interest of public safety, Gov. Kate Brown activated the use of the state National Guard to help local law enforcement manage the unrest, according to the sheriff's office.
Brown said previously she would keep state troopers, sheriff's deputies and police officers under a unified command into Friday in Portland to handle protests amid uncertainty over the winner of the U.S. presidential election.
The Oregon National Guard had been on standby.
Trump sues in 3 states, laying ground for contesting outcome
President Donald Trump's campaign filed lawsuits Wednesday in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia, laying the groundwork for contesting battleground states as he slipped behind Democrat Joe Biden in the hunt for the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House.
The new filings, joining existing Republican legal challenges in Pennsylvania and Nevada, demand better access for campaign observers to locations where ballots are being processed and counted, and raise absentee ballot concerns, the campaign said. However, at one Michigan location in question The Associated Press observed poll watchers from both sides monitoring on Wednesday.
The AP called Michigan for Democrat Joe Biden on Wednesday. Nevada, Pennsylvania and Georgia are undecided.
The Trump campaign also is seeking to intervene in a Pennsylvania case at the Supreme Court that deals with whether ballots received up to three days after the election can be counted, deputy campaign manager Justin Clark said.
The actions reveal an emerging legal strategy that the president had signaled for weeks, namely that he would attack the integrity of the voting process in states where the result could mean his defeat.
His campaign also announced that it would ask for a recount in Wisconsin, a state the AP called for Biden on Wednesday afternoon. Campaign manager Bill Stepien cited "irregularities in several Wisconsin counties,'' without providing specifics.
Biden said Wednesday the count should continue in all states, adding, "No one's going to take our democracy away from us - not now, not ever."
