11:31 PM
Murkowski becomes second GOP senator to congratulate Biden
Senator Lisa Murkowski on Saturday become the second Republican senator to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden on his projected victory. Mitt Romney congratulated Mr. Biden earlier in the day.
“Even as ballots are counted in Alaska and legal challenges continue in the Lower 48, former Vice President Joe Biden is now the projected winner of this close and hard-fought presidential race,” Murkowski said in a statement. “Tonight, he declared victory and pledged to be a president who represents all Americans.”
While the race has been called in Mr. Biden’s favor, many Republican elected officials have remained silent or released neutral statements as President Trump has vowed to fight the results of the election in court.
10:39 PM
President-elect Joe Biden delivers remarks after projected victory
Joe Biden delivers remarks after projected vi…
15:08
President-elect Joe Biden spoke in Wilmington, Delaware, on Saturday night after being projected the winner of the presidential election. Watch his remarks here.
10:32 PM
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris delivers remarks after projected victory
Kamala Harris delivers remarks after projecte…
10:55
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris delivered remarks in Wilmington, Delaware, on Saturday night after Joe Biden was projected to win the presidential election. Watch her remarks here.
9:56 PM
Joe Biden expected to announce transition plan
Biden to announce transition plan
06:39
President-elect Joe Biden is expected to announce a COVID-19 task force on Monday, as the U.S. continues to break records for new cases in the country. CBS News campaign reporter Nicole Sganga and CBS News correspondent Nikole Killion joined CBSN to discuss the president-elect’s transition plan, and whether President Trump plans to concede.
9:07 PM
Fulton County rescanning ballots to make sure all were included in final tally
Fulton County Director of Registration and Elections Richard Barron said Saturday that ballots that were scanned on Friday are being rescanned Saturday to make sure all of them are fully counted.
Barron learned that some ballots were not captured in the results reported last night, while determining that a small number were not scanned, CBS affiliate WGCL reports.
Earlier in the day, Georgia’s secretary of state announced the ballots were being rescanned after a reporting error was discovered.
4:18 PM / November 7, 2020
Biden and Harris delivering remarks
President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are speaking publicly for the first time after gaining the requisite electoral votes needed to win the presidential election.
They are scheduled to speak at 8 p.m. ET in Wilmington, Delaware.
Watch it live on CBSN:
CBSN
Live
7:51 PM
Fulton County rescanning ballots from Friday after discovering reporting issue
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced Saturday that ballots from Fulton County that were scanned on Friday are being rescanned after a reporting issue was discovered.
“Officials are at State Farm Arena to rescan their work from Friday,” Raffensperger said on Facebook. “The Secretary of State has a monitor onsite, has sent additional investigators, and dispatched the Deputy Secretary of State as well to oversee the process to make sure to thoroughly secure the vote and protect all legal votes. Observers from both political parties are there as well.”
The secretary of state’s office was unable to provide CBS News with details on what the error was, how many ballots were affected or how long the rescanning would take.
7:06 PM
Former national security advisor John Bolton criticizes Trump’s attacks on election
John Bolton, who served as President Trump’s national security advisor from 2018-2019, said in a statement to CBS News on Saturday “Republicans are facing a character test.”
“Any candidate is entitled to pursue appropriate election-law remedies if they feel there has been misconduct or error,” Bolton added. “But no one, especially a sitting president, should disparage our electoral system without hard facts.”
Earlier in the day, Bolton said in an op-ed published in The Telegraph that “if the Leader of the Free World continues to claim, with essentially no supportive evidence, that the election was stolen through fraud, we will have far more serious problems than merely reconciling disappointed partisans to the reality of defeat.”
Bolton, who was part of former President George W. Bush’s legal team for the Florida recount during the 2000 election, called Mr. Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud “disgraceful” and wrote that Republican leaders “can either reject Trump’s false claims and insist that he provide actual evidence in court, or join in his fantasia and forever tar their own reputations, and that of the party.”
6:30 PM / November 7, 2020
Trump campaign announces lawsuit over rejected ballots in Arizona
President Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee filed a lawsuit in Arizona on Saturday claiming votes were incorrectly rejected in Maricopa County. The lawsuit alleges poll workers gave voters improper instructions for what to do when the voting machines detected an overvote — when too many choices are selected on a ballot.
“Poll workers struggled to operate the new voting machines in Maricopa County, and improperly pressed and told voters to press a green button to override significant errors,” said Matt Morgan, Trump 2020 campaign general counsel. “The result is that the voting machines disregarded votes cast by voters in person on Election Day in Maricopa County.”
Amid concerns over voters being given permanent markers to mark their ballots, Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel stated in a letter earlier in the week that “no ballots were rejected at voting centers, for overvotes or any other reason.”
“Voters who marked more votes than allowed (an ‘overvote’), made stray marks on their ballots, or otherwise damaged their ballots so that they could not be read by the vote tabulation machines were given the opportunity to ‘spoil’ their ballots and cast new ones,” Adel wrote.
5:54 PM / November 7, 2020
Mood among West Wing staffers dark
Speaking with CBS News, White House officials described the ongoing mood among West Wing staffers as dark and somber. Even though the reality started sinking in a couple days ago that President Trump was going to lose, it “hit hard” Saturday when the networks called the race for Joe Biden. Many are worried about finding work starting in January.
Senior aides started preparing for Mr. Trump to make remarks and were surprised when he decided not to deliver an address. They believe it is because there is concern that the president could interfere with the campaign’s legal strategy.
Chief of Staff Mark Meadows has not communicated with the team since Biden won, but that could be because he is recovering from COVID-19.
5:18 PM / November 7, 2020
How Biden won the 2020 election: Exit poll analysis
How Biden reached electoral victory
12:14
Joe Biden was projected as the winner of the 2020 presidential election largely because he was able to convince enough voters that he could better handle the coronavirus pandemic and that he had the right temperament for the job, according to CBS News’ analysis of the exit poll data.
The data show that voters who supported Biden were looking for a candidate with good judgment and for someone who could unite the country. Bringing the country together might be difficult, since voters who backed President Trump did not say they saw the coronavirus as serious a problem — as Biden voters do — and roughly half of these voters say they’re scared of a Biden presidency.
The president-elect had the support of some groups that traditionally vote Democratic and made some inroads with some not-so-traditional Democratic groups, like men and seniors.
Read the full analysis here.
4:46 PM / November 7, 2020
Biden learned he won while watching TV
According to a senior campaign official, President-elect Joe Biden learned he had won the election while watching TV with his family at his home in Delaware. Shortly after the call was made, he received a phone call from his running mate, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, congratulating him.
4:06 PM / November 7, 2020
Biden transition team to hit the ground running
President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team will begin rapidly expanding in the coming days, according to two sources familiar with the expected transition process. Many of the staffers will come from the campaign side and they expect to have 300 to 350 on staff by the time of the inauguration, like past transitions.
The first step will be setting up the agency review team process. This is the cram session for the incoming administration about how the federal government operates.
CBS News is also told senior-level White House and administration staff are expected to be announced soon into the process. However, as of now, Cabinet announcements will not be rushed as this is logistically challenging and needs to be considered at length.
4:02 PM / November 7, 2020
Biden is expected to announce a COVID-19 task force on Monday
CBS News is told by two sources familiar with the transition planning that Biden is expected to announce a COVID-19 task force on Monday. He already has a public health advisory committee, announced in March, and several of these people may continue to assist in this role:
Dr. Zeke Emanuel, Vice Provost of Global Initiatives and University Professor, Perelman School of Medicine and The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Rebecca Katz, Associate Professor, the Department of Microbiology & Immunology and Co-Director of the Center for Global Health Science and Security at Georgetown University
Dr. David Kessler, Former Commissioner, U.S. Food & Drug Administration and Professor of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco
Lisa Monaco, Former Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor to President Obama
Dr. Vivek Murthy, 19th Surgeon General of the United States
Dr. Irwin Redlener, Clinical Professor, Columbia University Mailman Public School of Health
4:01 PM / November 7, 2020
Biden supporters celebrate in Pennsylvania, Biden’s birthplace
People in Pennsylvania have been celebrating since President-elect Joe Biden clinched the state’s crucial 20 Electoral College votes Saturday morning, delivering the votes necessary to top 270.
“People driving by are honking their horns, people are shouting outside their windows, cheering for Joe Biden because they know that Pennsylvania put him over the edge with those votes coming out of Philadelphia here today,” said CBSN political reporter Caitlin Huey-Burns, who has been stationed outside the Pennsylvania convention center, where Philadelphia County’s votes are counted, all week.
Philadelphia County released tallies of thousands more ballots Saturday morning, allowing news outlets to officially project the state — and the presidency — for Biden.
Huey-Burns called it a “poetic finish” for Biden to ultimately win the presidency in the state where he was born, launched his presidential campaign, and headquartered his campaign.
“Pennsylvania, a critical state throughout this whole process, and today it’s the state that put Biden over the edge,” she said.
Biden projected to win the presidential elect…
05:23
3:32 PM / November 7, 2020
Obama spoke to Biden and Harris on Saturday
Former President Barack Obama spoke to Biden and Harris by phone on Saturday, an Obama spokesperson told CBS News.
“President Obama spoke separately this afternoon with President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris. He congratulated each of them on their historic victory and told them how proud he was of the campaign they ran in unprecedented times,” the spokesperson said.
3:29 PM / November 7, 2020
Trump arrives back at White House after day at golf course
President Trump arrived back at the White House on Saturday afternoon after spending the day at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia. Photos showed him golfing, and a video of Mr. Trump posted to Twitter showed him posing for photos with a bride who was getting married at the golf club on Saturday.
After finishing the round, he stopped to take photos with a bride getting married at the club today. pic.twitter.com/0YQGHnVBIE
— Brian Bartlett (@BrianBartlett) November 7, 2020
Meanwhile, a large crowd gathered outside the White House to celebrate Mr. Trump’s loss.
Mr. Trump did not speak when he arrived back at the White House, but gave a brief wave to reporters before entering.
President Trump returns to the White House from playing golf on November 7, 2020, after Joe Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election.
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images
3:07 PM / November 7, 2020
What are we supposed to call Kamala Harris’ husband?
As many in the nation celebrated Biden and Harris’ projected win on Saturday, another question quickly arose: what the world will call her husband, who is expected to be the first male spouse of a vice president in U.S. history.
Many posted their guesses on Twitter, which ranged from “second dude” to “vice spouse” to “second mister.”
But once Harris is inaugurated in January, her husband, Doug Emhoff, will be unofficially referred to as the second gentleman, according to The Associated Press.
Read more here
2:47 PM / November 7, 2020
Boris Johnson and other world leaders congratulate Biden and Harris
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson congratulated President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris for their projected victory on Saturday, saying he looks forward “to working closely together on our shared priorities, from climate change to trade and security.”
Johnson’s message joined a wave of similar sentiments from foreign leaders.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote on Twitter that he is “really looking forward to working together” and building on the two countries’ unique relationship. French President Emmanuel Macron urged “let’s work together!”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel echoed their optimism. “I look forward to working with President Biden,” she said. “Our transatlantic friendship is indispensable if we are to deal with the major challenges of our time.”
Read more here
-Audrey McNamara/ Melissa Quinn
Updated 2:43 PM / November 7, 2020
Rudy Giuliani says Trump will not concede election
Rudy Giuliani said at a press conference shortly after Joe Biden was projected to become the 46th president of the United States that President Trump will not concede the election. “Obviously he’s not going to concede when at least 600,000 ballots are in question,” Giuliani said in Philadelphia on Saturday.
He claimed that Biden gaining a lead in the state vote count after Election Day is proof of corruption. President Trump initially led in Pennsylvania, but lost that lead after unprecedented numbers of mail-in ballots — which under state law are not allowed to be counted prior to Election Day — pushed Biden ahead.
“You just don’t lose leads like that without corruption,” Giuliani said, though it is actually not unusual for early leads to shift as more votes are tallied.
Read more here
2:19 PM / November 7, 2020
CBS News projects Biden wins Nevada
CBS News projects Biden will win the state of Nevada, bringing his electoral vote count to 279. CBS News has not yet called Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina or Alaska.
1:47 PM / November 7, 2020
Romney becomes first Senate Republican to congratulate Biden
Mitt Romney became the first Republican senator to congratulate Biden and Harris on their victory, saying in a tweet that they are both “people of good will and admirable character.”
“Ann and I extend our congratulations to President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. We know both of them as people of good will and admirable character. We pray that God may bless them in the days and years ahead,” Romney said, referring to his wife, Ann.
Romney unsuccessfully ran as the GOP nominee against Biden’s former boss, President Barack Obama, in 2012.
Meanwhile, other Republicans have been slow to accept Biden’s victory.
“The media do not get to determine who the president is. The people do. When all lawful votes have been counted, recounts finished, and allegations of fraud addressed, we will know who the winner is,” Republican Senator Josh Hawley tweeted.
1:40 PM / November 7, 2020
Trump becomes first incumbent to lose reelection since 1992
Mr. Trump has become the first president to lose his reelection bid since 1992, when President George H.W. Bush lost to Bill Clinton. He joins the list of nine one-term presidents in American history who ran for reelection and lost.
1:29 PM / November 7, 2020
Schumer and Pelosi called Biden to offer congratulations
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Biden to congratulate him on his victory on Saturday, a senior Democratic aide told CBS News. The aide characterized it as a “happy call” in which Jill Biden, Biden’s wife, also participated.
According to this aide, Schumer was celebrating on the streets of Brooklyn during the call and held up his phone so Biden could hear the crowds cheering for him.
1:25 PM / November 7, 2020
RNC chairwoman says election outcome not yet final
Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel continued to stand by Mr. Trump after Biden was projected the winner of the presidential race by major news outlets, including CBS News, saying investigations of voting irregularities and recounts in several states need to be completed.
“The media doesn’t decide who wins elections, voters do,” McDaniel said in a string of tweets. “In multiple states the margins are razor thin with counting ongoing, several of which are headed for recounts. In order for Americans to have confidence in our elections, we need time to let the canvassing and certification process take place, along with any investigations of irregularities or fraud play out.”
McDaniel criticized Democrats for the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible ties between members of the Trump campaign Russia, and said the American people deserve for the process to resolve election-related disputes to occur.
1:13 PM / November 7, 2020
Obama says he “could not be prouder” of Biden and Harris
Former President Barack Obama issued a statement congratulating his former vice president and the nation’s new vice president-elect. Obama said he “could not be prouder” of Biden and Harris, as well as future first lady Jill Biden and future second gentleman Doug Emhoff.
“In this election, under circumstances never experienced, Americans turned out in numbers never seen. And once every vote is counted, President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris will have won a historic and decisive victory,” Obama wrote.
“We’re fortunate that Joe’s got what it takes to be President and already carries himself that way. Because when he walks into the White House in January, he’ll face a series of extraordinary challenges no incoming President ever has — a raging pandemic, an unequal economy and justice system, a democracy at risk, and a climate in peril,” he continued.
Obama went on to thank organizers and volunteers who worked for months to get out the vote.
“Our democracy needs all of us more than ever. And Michelle and I look forward to supporting our next President and First Lady however we can,” Obama wrote.
12:50 PM / November 7, 2020
Biden victory comes 48 years to the day after first Senate election
In this January 5, 1973 file photo, 4-year-old Beau Biden, foreground, plays near his father, Joe Biden, as he’s sworn in as U.S. senator from Delaware in a Wilmington hospital.
/ AP
The projection that Biden has won the presidency comes 48 years to the day after he first won election to the Senate on November 7, 1972. Biden was just 29 years old when he won his seat in Delaware, and would serve for 36 years.
Just over a month after his 1972 victory, Biden’s wife and infant daughter were tragically killed in a car crash that also hospitalized his two sons, Beau and Hunter.
Biden considered resigning after the accident, but the Senate’s Democratic leader convinced him to take his seat. He was sworn in next to his son’s hospital bed in Wilmington, Delaware.
12:35 PM / November 7, 2020
Kamala Harris to make history as first Black woman vice president
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ next position reads as a litany of firsts: she will be the first woman vice president, the first Black vice president, the first Asian American vice president and the first Democratic vice president from the West Coast.
Harris’ ascension to the second-highest elected office of the land comes 100 years after the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote, and 55 years after the Voting Rights Act codified voting protections for Black Americans. It is also just over 52 years since Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to Congress on November 5, 1968. Only two Black women — including Harris — have ever been elected to the U.S. Senate, and no Black woman has ever served as a state governor.
“It’s a really emotional victory for many of us,” said Aimee Allison, the founder of She The People, an organization that seeks to engage and support women of color in politics. “Her appeal goes far beyond ousting Trump. Her presence in the White House is fulfilling a promise to move towards a better future, one with racial and gender justice.”
In many ways, Harris’ election as vice president represents the achievement of the American dream, as she is the daughter of a mother who emigrated from India and a Jamaican immigrant father. She attended Howard University, a prominent historically Black university, and is a proud member of the all-Black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha.
Read more here.
12:25 PM / November 7, 2020
Cheering, celebrations erupt in streets of New York
Cheers erupted across New York City moments after Joe Biden was projected to win the presidential election.
CBS News and other media outlets made the projection around 11:30 a.m. Saturday, saying he was projected to win Pennsylvania, giving him enough electoral college votes to win the presidency.
Moments later, cheers could be heard across various parts of the city.
Cheers from windows in New York City as Joe Biden has been projected President-Elect of the United States. The current electoral vote count is Biden 273 and Trump 213. @cbsnewyork #CBSN pic.twitter.com/LMC8i635PJ
— Natalie Duddridge (@NatDuddridgeTV) November 7, 2020
#bidenharis2020 Celebrations starting in #NYC streets as people learn @JoeBiden is now president elect after days of counting and defeating @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/4x9IJPanRP
— Cory James (@CoryJamesTV) November 7, 2020
Was walking to get coffee when all of a sudden I heard cheering, horns honking and banging on pots and pans. Ran back up to take this… NYC pic.twitter.com/u4qzrRkASc
— Alice Gainer (@GainerTV) November 7, 2020
12:21 PM / November 7, 2020
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris: “Let’s get started”
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris took to Twitter to celebrate her and President-elect Joe Biden’s defeat of President Trump, sharing a nearly two-minute-long video of Americans from coast-to-coast set to Ray Charles’ “America the Beautiful.” Harris makes history as the first woman and first woman of color elected vice president.
“This election is about so much more than @JoeBiden or me. It’s about the soul of America and our willingness to fight for it. We have a lot of work ahead of us. Let’s get started,” she tweeted.
This election is about so much more than @JoeBiden or me. It’s about the soul of America and our willingness to fight for it. We have a lot of work ahead of us. Let’s get started.pic.twitter.com/Bb9JZpggLN
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) November 7, 2020
Harris also shared a video of her on the phone congratulating Biden, saying, “We did it, we did it, Joe.”
12:12 PM / November 7, 2020
Pelosi: “Today marks the dawning of a new day of hope”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi cheered President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’s “historic” win of the White House, saying, together with the Democrat-controlled House, “we have the opportunity to deliver extraordinary progress for the people.”
“In President-elect Joe Biden, Americans elected a leader ready on day one to finally begin to crush the coronavirus so we can safely reopen our economy and schools. In President-elect Biden, the American people delivered a mandate for lower health costs, a mandate for creating bigger paychecks by rebuilding America’s infrastructure, and a mandate for cleaner government that works for the public interest, not the special interests,” she said in a statement. “And in President-elect Biden, they have elected a unified who values faith, family and community, and who will work tirelessly to heal our nation.”
Pelosi said “today marks the dawning of a new day of hope for America.”
12:05 PM / November 7, 2020
Trump at Virginia golf course as presidential race called for Biden
Mr. Trump, who has no public events on his schedule for Saturday, is currently at his golf club in Sterling, Virginia, as Joe Biden was projected to win the presidential race.
Mr. Trump’s visit to Trump National Golf Club is his 97th of his presidency, according to CBS News’ Mark Knoller. He was last on the course on September 29.
12:04 PM / November 7, 2020
Schumer praises Biden and Harris, calls for focus on Georgia runoff elections
In a statement, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer praised Biden and Harris for their victory, but urged Americans to turn their focus to the Georgia runoff elections which could determine control of the Senate. As of Saturday, the party balance is 48 to 48, and two runoff races in January could determine whether Schumer will be the next majority leader.
“A Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate would be the biggest difference maker to help President-elect Biden deliver for working families across the country and in Georgia where, for too long, they have been denied the help they need by President Trump, Mitch McConnell and a Republican-led Senate,” Schumer said. “Joe Biden will win Georgia and so many other states because his agenda brings America together and helps working families. The best way to ensure that positive agenda can be carried out and deliver help to working families in Georgia and across the country is to elect Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff to the Senate.”
The Senate election in North Carolina also has yet to be called, although Republican Thom Tillis is in the lead.
Schumer joined a crowd in Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza to celebrate the win a short time later:
Sen Chuck Schumer just showed up at Grand Army Plaza pic.twitter.com/5eLHl3DgUh
— Azure Gilman (@AzureGilman) November 7, 2020
12:00 PM / November 7, 2020
In statement, Biden says he is “honored and humbled” by results
In a statement issued by the Biden campaign, the president-elect said he was “honored and humbled” by the results:
I am honored and humbled by the trust the American people have placed in me and in Vice President-elect Harris.
In the face of unprecedented obstacles, a record number of Americans voted. Proving once again, that democracy beats deep in the heart of America.
With the campaign over, it’s time to put the anger and the harsh rhetoric behind us and come together as a nation.
It’s time for America to unite. And to heal.
We are the United States of America. And there’s nothing we can’t do, if we do it together.
11:58 AM / November 7, 2020
Trump refuses to accept Biden victory in new statement
In a statement released by the Trump campaign attributed to Mr. Trump, the president said that “this election is far from over.”
“Joe Biden has not been certified as the winner of any states, let alone any of the highly contested states headed for mandatory recounts, or states where our campaign has valid and legitimate legal challenges that could determine the ultimate victor,” said Mr. Trump, who is at his golf course in Virginia.
State election results are not certified until all votes are counted, but Biden’s lead in recorded votes in Pennsylvania mean he has an insurmountable lead in remaining ballots. Several of the legal challenges which Mr. Trump’s campaign put forward have also been dismissed.
Mr. Trump falsely claimed on Twitter on Saturday that he had won the election.
11:46 AM / November 7, 2020
Biden and Harris to address the nation Saturday evening
According to two campaign sources, Biden and Harris are planning an address to the nation later this evening from Delaware, their first public appearance as president-elect and vice president-elect.
11:35 AM / November 7, 2020
CBS News projects Biden wins Pennsylvania
CBS News projects that Biden will win Pennsylvania, bringing him to 273 electoral votes, a majority of the Electoral College votes needed to capture the White House.
11:15 AM / November 7, 2020
Biden leads by around 20,000 votes in Arizona with new results released
New results from Maricopa County show Biden’s lead in Arizona narrowing to 20,573 votes. Although President Trump won the latest batch of votes from the county, he has not yet received enough votes to overtake Biden’s lead.
After this latest drop, there are only 23,761 early ballots left to process and tabulate in Maricopa County, as well as 20,000 provisional ballots and 5,000 early ballots left to verify.
The county says the next batch of results will be released in “smaller posts over the next few days.”
10:00 AM / November 7, 2020
Eyes of the nation on handful of states
By CBS News’ count, Biden has received 253 electoral votes — just 17 short of the 270 he needs to win. The eyes of the nation are now on Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada and North Carolina to determine who wins the election, CBS News’ Ed O’Keefe reports.
“For now, we really are focused primarily on Pennsylvania, which is expected to drop a bunch more votes later today. And we may get some sense of finality in Arizona depending on how many more come, and where exactly they come from,” O’Keefe said on “CBS This Morning: Saturday.”
Biden is leading in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada. O’Keefe said the Biden campaign was proud of the fact “that at the end of the day, they had options.”
“They had several different ways to get to 270. For the president at this point, it all rests on Pennsylvania. That’s really only one option, and it doesn’t appear to be trending in his direction,” O’Keefe said.
Eyes on Pennsylvania as election nears end
03:06
9:45 AM / November 7, 2020
Joe Biden’s supporters throw party in New York City
Supporters of Joe Biden threw a party in Manhattan on Friday. CBS New York reports crowds clapped and cheered in Washington Square Park.
Most people said they were feeling “cautiously optimistic” about the election results. After three long days of waiting for all the ballots to be counted, they said Friday’s numbers brought some relief.
“A lot of anxiety, a whole lot of anxiety,” one supporter said.
“I think the numbers speak for themselves, and I think we’re all just excited that democracy is going to prevail,” Todd Thompson said.
“I think what’s first and foremost important is for Biden really just to bring this country together,” Sarah Roden said.
Some supporters brought signs that read “Georgia is on New York’s mind” as Biden’s lead grows in the typically red state.
9:43 AM / November 7, 2020
Twitter flags several Trump tweets as “disputed” and possibly “misleading”
Twitter flagged four tweets by President Trump shortly after they were posted on Saturday morning as “disputed” and possibly “misleading,” making it impossible to like or retweet the posts directly.
“Some or all of the content shared in this Tweet is disputed and might be misleading about an election or other civic process,” read a message posted on the four tweets.
Mr. Trump made several false claims about the election in his tweets, wrongly saying that “tens of thousands of votes were illegally received” after the deadline in Pennsylvania. This is false, as ballots received after polls closed on Election Day were able to be counted for three days afterwards as long as they were postmarked by November 3.
Mr. Trump also wrongly claimed in another tweet that was flagged by Twitter that legal observers were barred from watching the vote count, which is untrue. Mr. Trump’s own campaign lawyers acknowledged before a judge this week that election observers had been permitted inside the count rooms.
Mr. Trump also falsely claimed he “won the election, by a lot” in another tweet on Saturday morning which was quickly flagged by Twitter.
Mr. Trump’s tweets come after Biden’s lead in Pennsylvania expanded to nearly 30,000 votes.
9:14 AM / November 7, 2020
Latino voters share why they supported the presidential candidate they did
Latino voters have been courted by both Republicans and Democrats this election cycle, and while many may lean conservative, as Mireya Villarreal reports, their choices for president are part of a changing electoral landscape, and are more complicated than just a single voting bloc.
Watch Mireya Villarreal’s report:
Latino voters speak out as election winds dow…
03:07
9:05 AM / November 7, 2020
Trump reportedly angry at allies as path to victory narrows
CBS News has learned President Trump is angry and disappointed that some of his Republican allies are not defending him more. But he’s telling his top aides he plans to fight and not concede, CBS News’ Ben Tracy reports.
President Trump was out of sight Friday, inside the White House where the mood was somber. One aide told CBS News the end is near.
Last night the president fired a warning shot on Twitter saying “Joe Biden should not wrongfully claim the office of the President. I could make that claim also. Legal proceedings are just now beginning!”
His supporters, meanwhile, have gathered outside ballot counting centers as the president’s team scrambles to find a coherent legal strategy.
Watch Ben Tracy’s full report:
Trump reportedly angry at allies
02:25
8:53 AM / November 7, 2020
Ballot counting set to resume in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Vote counting in Allegheny County will get back underway Saturday morning. Workers made a lot of progress on Friday, but still have thousands of ballots remaining.
CBS Pittsburgh reports counting will resume at the Elections Division’s warehouse on the North Side around 9 a.m. Saturday. The ballots being counted are the approximately 29,000 from voters who received wrong ones last month. The ballots require special attention.
According to County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and Elections Divisions Manager David Voye, it’s time consuming.
Workers are making sure no one votes twice and the correct ballot is counted.
“If Jane Doe returned two, we put them both together. That way we can decide which ballot should be counted. And we’re going to segregate them and not count the wrong ballot,” Voye said.
The deadline has passed for any more mail-in votes to be received. Any ballots that were postmarked by Election Day were able to be received until 5 p.m. Friday.
The county says 947 of those ballots meet the deadline, and those ballots have been segregated in compliance with an order from the Pennsylvania secretary of state and a court order.
Updated 8:11 AM / November 7, 2020
Biden ahead in Georgia by 7,248 votes
Joe Biden was leading President Trump in Georgia as of early Saturday morning by 7,248 votes. He has 49.4% of the vote compared to Mr. Trump’s 49.3%, with 99% of the vote in.
CBS News still considers the state a toss-up.
Updated 8:09 AM / November 7, 2020
Biden’s lead increases to 28,000 in Pennsylvania
Biden’s lead in Pennsylvania increased late Friday night to more than 28,000. It’s estimated there are 86,000 ballots left to be counted.
According to CBS News elections and surveys director Anthony Salvanto, President Trump would need 63% of the remaining vote to overtake Biden.
Updated 8:08 AM / November 7, 2020
Biden declares “we’re going to win this race”
Biden delivers remarks as final votes are cou…
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Biden took the stage at Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware, for a late-night address Friday to the nation. He declared “look at the national numbers: We’re going to win this race with a clear majority of the nation behind us.”
“We don’t have a final declaration, a victory yet, but the numbers tell us a clear and convincing story: we’re going to win this race,” Biden said with Senator Kamala Harris on stage to his right.
Biden ran through some of the numbers that look promising for him in states like Georgia and Pennsylvania.
“We’ve rebuilt the blue wall,” Biden said, speaking of “heartland” states like Wisconsin and Michigan. He also touted victories in Arizona, which has been won by a Democrat in 24 years, and Georgia, which has been won by a Democrat in 28 years.
Biden also urged patience, as the nation closed the third day of counting votes without a declared winner.
The former vice president said voters “made it clear” they want the country to come together.
Biden said he’s been holding meetings on the pandemic and economic crisis. On “day one,” a Biden administration would move forward to do everything possible to halt COVID-19, he said.
“I want people to know we’re not waiting to get the work done,” Biden said.
The former vice president urged “calm,” and said every vote will be counted.