04 November 2020

US election 2020 – How the night unfolded

04 November 2020

Joe Biden and Donald Trump were in a close battle for the White House as polls closed on Tuesday evening.

Here’s how election night played out as results from states were still coming in:

(All times in GMT)

12.05amKentucky was called for Trump with eight electoral college votes.Vermont was called for Biden with three electoral college votes.

Latest results in the US presidential election (PA Graphics)

12.35amWest Virginia was called for Trump with five electoral college votes.

12.40amVirginia was called for Biden with 13 electoral college votes, taking him up to 16.

1.00amA flurry of states were called in quick succession.Trump took South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Oklahoma, giving him another 42 electoral college votes – a total of 55.

Meanwhile, Biden was called to win in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island, which handed him another 69 votes, taking him to a total of 85.

1.30amSix electoral college seats were called for Trump with victory in Arkansas.

1.50amDonald Trump won Indiana.

2.00amTrump – North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Louisiana, Nebraska.Biden – New York and New Mexico.

2.30amAnother three votes are given to Biden from DC.

2.35amColorado gives Biden another nine votes.

3.00amTrump retained the state of Kansas, with six more electoral college votes

3.30amMissouri hands Trump another 10 votes.

3.55amA victory for Biden in New Hampshire gives him another four votes.

4.00amAnother flurry of states put Biden further ahead with victory in California handing him 55 electoral college votes, Oregon giving seven, and 12 from Washington.

White House (AP)

4.05amTrump gains another six votes with victory in Utah.

5.05amHawaii gives Biden another 4 votes.

5.15amBiden wins the first swing state with Minnesota and gets another 10 electoral college votes, taking him to 223 in total.

5.20amThe second swing state then goes to Trump with 18 votes from Ohio, and another three from Montana.

Shortly after Trump gets another six from Iowa, giving him a total of 145.

5.38amIn the biggest coup yet for Trump, he was declared the victor in Florida, seen as one of the crucial states with its 29 electoral votes.

5.47amBiden says he is “on track” to win the race for the White House as he addresses supporters in Delaware.

5.49amTrump tweets: “We are up BIG, but they are trying to STEAL the Election We will never let them do it. Votes cannot be cast after the Polls are closed!” An initial tweet says “Poles” before it is corrected to “Polls”.

6.10amTrump wins the state of Texas.

6.44amBiden wins one electoral vote from Nebraska, with Trump taking the other four.

7.32amTrump claims there is a “fraud on the American nation” and that “we did win this election” and says he will go to the Supreme Court to get vote counting stopped.

7.56amBiden wins Arizona.

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