Trump supporters outside Phoenix City, Arizona, claim the election is rigged
Credit: Rick D'Elia
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- US presidential election 2020 live: Follow the latest updates
Donald Trump has launched legal challenges in five key US states, alleging that election officials are counting fraudulent votes. As a result, the winner of the election could be unclear for weeks, and the damage to public confidence in the democratic process could last much longer.
Here is what’s happening in each state. For the latest election updates, see our live blog.
Which states are facing voting challenges?
Michigan
The Trump campaign filed a lawsuit seeking to halt voting in Michigan on Wednesday, claiming that Republicans were not allowed to observe counts ‘meaningfully’ in several locations.
The state was key to Donald Trump’s victory in 2016, when he flipped it from the Democrats by less than 11,000 votes, but this year Joe Biden has won its 16 electoral votes with 99 per cent of the votes counted.
Georgia
The Georgia Republican Party and President Trump have asked a judge to secure and account for all late ballots.
A Republican poll watcher claimed that election officials in Chatham County, Georgia, added 53 mail-in ballots which arrived late to a pile of lawfully collected votes. Mail-in ballots are expected to lean toward the Democrats.
Mr Trump is leading by around 14,000 votes in the state, but Joe Biden has been closing the gap.
How Georgia voted
Wisconsin
Mr Trump’s reelection campaign is seeking a recount in Wisconsin after Mr Biden won by less than 0.7 per cent of the vote. Under state law, a recount may be requested if the margin of defeat is less than one per cent.
The Trump campaign also claimed there were ‘irregularities’ in vote counting but did not expand on what those might be.
Nevada
With Joe Biden leading by just 7000 votes, Republicans have hurled multiple lawsuits at the Nevada. The Trump Campaign announced it would sue the state to stop counting after they claimed ballots have been cast by nonresidents and on behalf of the deceased.
A request by the campaign to halt counting in Clark County, Nevada, which usually leans towards the Democrats, was rejected by the state Supreme Court on Tuesday.
Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union, speaks at a press conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, held by the Trump campaign
Credit: Joe Buglewicz / Bloomberg
Clerks in Nevada will continue to count mail-in ballots postmarked November 3 until November 10, but an update is expected this evening.
Pennsylvania
Multiple legal challenges have been filed by Donald Trump in Pennsylvania. Notably, they have become involved in a Supreme Court case which challenges a state law that allows mail-in ballots to be counted until November 6.
The president won a different lawsuit in the state this afternoon, which means observers can stand six feet from count officials.
Mr Trump is leading in Pennsylvania by 50.3 per cent to Joe Biden’s 48.5 per cent, but there are more than one million votes still to be counted.
What has caused the confusion?
- There are different voting and counting rules in different states. Recount margins vary and in some states, like Pennsylvania, voter ID is required for first-time mail-in and absentee votes. In 21 states, live Nevada, mail-in ballots can be received after election day, but in others they cannot
- Difficulties with administration. Absentee ballots need to be checked against the rolls, and this slows up counts in some neck-and-neck states
- More people have voted by post due to the coronavirus, creating counting delays
- In most states, postal votes have favoured Joe Biden more than votes cast on election day. This is possibly due to the two candidates different messages on coronavirus, but the Trump campaign has been alleging these votes are fraudulent for several weeks
When will the election result be final?
All disputes must be settled by December 8. On December 14, electors will formally cast their votes in the Electoral College.
Read more: What is the Electoral College?
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