Vision Votes 2020: LIVE election updates and results
Trey Stewart, Vision Media
Follow along with VISION VOTES 2020 for LIVE updates and results as they come in:
6:30 p.m ET: Welcome to Vision Media’s coverage of the 2020 election, Vision Votes 2020! We will be providing updates, news and results as they come in.
6:39 p.m ET: Nearly 100 million Americans have already voted early, almost doubling 2016’s total of early-voters. That number alone represents 71 percent of the total ballots cast in 2016’s election, where 136.5 million votes were tallied.
6:57 p.m ET: Just under two minutes until the first polls close in Florida, Kentucky, Indiana, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia and Vermont.
7:00 p.m. ET: FORMER Vice president Joe Biden projected to win Vermont, President Trump wins Kentucky
Biden and Trump split the first two states of the night, with the former VP winning three electoral votes from Vermont, the home state of Biden’s toughest primary competitor Sen. Bernie Sanders. Trump wins eight electoral votes from Kentucky, a state that hasn’t been won by a Democratic presidential candidate since President Bill Clinton in 1996.
7:07 p.m. ET: Biden projected to win Virginia
Joe Biden takes the state of Virginia’s 13 delegates. Biden currently leads the electoral vote count 16-8.
7:30 p.m. ET: Trump takes West Virginia (BIDEN LEADS 16-13)
President Trump has won West Virginia’s five electoral votes, a state that hasn’t voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1996 as well.
7:34 p.m. ET: Florida in a deadlock
Florida — one of the evening’s six most crucial “battleground states” — shows Former Vice President Biden with a lead of just over 1 percent with nearly two-thirds of the state’s votes reporting. President Trump carried Florida in 2016, defeating Sec. of State Hillary Clinton with 48.6 percent of the overall vote. Florida is considered a “must-win” for Trump should he hope to obtain the needed 270 delegates.
7:39 p.m. ET: Polls close in two major swing states
The polls have closed in both Ohio and North Carolina, two more of the states considered toss-ups in this election. Trump won both states handily in 2016, taking the combined 34 electoral votes between the two. (Ohio awards 18, Georgia 16)
7:45 p.m. ET: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell WINS re-election
In a Kentucky Senate seat that many believed Democrats could flip, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has won re-election over Democratic challenger Amy McGrath. Republicans are looking to maintain the 51-47 majority the party holds in the Senate. 33 of the 100 seats are up for grabs during the 2020 election season.
8:00 p.m. ET: Trump sweeps majority of southeast, Biden claims northeastern states (BIDEN LEADS 85-55)
In a slew of states closing at 8 p.m. ET, President Trump unsurprisingly will clean house in the southeastern portion of the United States.
Trump has won the six electoral votes in Mississippi, nine from Alabama and 11 from Tennessee. Trump will also carry Oklahoma and Missouri, gaining 17 electoral votes offered between the two states.
Trump picks up 33 electoral votes from the 8 p.m. poll closings.
Biden, as expected, will carry the early northeastern states, including Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland and Biden’s home state of Delaware. Biden also claims two of Maine’s three available delegates, with the final delegate from Maine’s 2nd Congressional District still up for grabs.
Biden is also projected to win Washington, D.C. Illinois has been called for the former VP as well, a perennial Democratic stronghold that is also the home state of former President Barack Obama.
In total, Biden picks up 69 votes from the 8 p.m. poll closings.
8:21 p.m. ET: Trump wins Indiana (BIDEN LEADS 91-67)
With 42 percent of the vote reporting, President Trump is being projected to carry the Hoosier State and its 11 electoral votes.
Indiana is typically Republican-leaning, and Trump’s status in the state is boosted by his running mate, Vice President and former Indiana Governor Mike Pence.
8:30 p.m. ET: Trump wins Arkansas (BIDEN LEADS 91-73)
President Trump wins the state of Arkansas, claiming the six electoral votes held by the state.
8:55 p.m ET: Trump PERFORMING WELL in Florida, poorly in North Carolina
FOX News is reporting a 93 percent probability for Trump to win the state of Florida as the final round of votes is counted. North Carolina — another state crucial for Trump’s potential re-election — appears gloom for the incumbent president.
FOX News also projects an 89 percent probability of a Biden victory in North Carolina as the final votes continue to be tallied.
9:00 p.m. ET: Trump wins three states from 9 p.m. poll closings, Biden claims one (BIDEN LEADS 100-94)
President Donald Trump has won three states from the 9 p.m. round of poll closings: Wyoming (three electoral votes), South Dakota (three) and North Dakota (three). Trump also takes three of the four electoral votes available from Nebraska, with Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District still being decided.
Joe Biden wins Colorado and its nine electoral votes.
9:09 p.m. ET: Biden wins Trump’s home state of New York (BIDEN LEADS 129-94)
For the second straight election cycle, Trump fails to carry his Democratic-leaning home state. Sec. of State Hillary Clinton — also a New York resident — carried New York and its 29 electoral votes in 2016.
Biden is in fairly good shape at the moment, holding a lead of 35 electoral votes with many of the near-guarantee blue states out west still in play.
9:19 p.m. ET: Democrats retain control of the House, expanding their majority
FOX News is projecting that the House of Representatives will stay blue for the next two years, with more Democratic seats being added. Republicans needed to flip 21 seats in order to gain control of the House but are instead expected to lose ground further.
9:37 p.m. ET: Trump pulling slightly ahead in Texas
Texas has always been promised land for Republicans, but Donald Trump has been neck-and-neck with Biden for the state so far.
As votes continue to be counted, there is less than half of a percent separating the two candidates. Should Trump somehow suffer a loss in Texas, it would virtually spell an end to his re-election hopes.
9:41 p.m. ET: Trump wins Kansas, reaches 100 electoral votes (BIDEN LEADS 129-100)
President Donald Trump has won the state of Kansas, a state he carried handily in 2016. Kansas awards six electoral votes to Trump, placing him at 100 for the evening.
9:52 p.m. ET: Swing states loom large as night marches on
North Carolina and Ohio — two must-win states for Trump — are coming down to the wire as the 10 p.m. poll closings approach. Trump is leading Ohio by 2.5 percent with 75 percent reporting, while Biden leads North Carolina by 0.3 percent with 87 percent of the ballots returned.
9:57 p.m. ET: Lindsey Graham re-elected to senate, TRump wins South Carolina (BIDEN leads 129-109)
President Donald Trump has claimed victory in South Carolina, claiming the Palmetto State’s nine electoral votes.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has also defeated Democratic challenger for his Senate seat, Jamie Harrison (D-SC). Despite Jamie Harrison’s record fundraising, he was unable to flip a seat in the historically-red state of S.C.
10:01 p.m. ET: Trump takes his first lead in Pennsylvania
In a state that has consistently leaned blue, President Trump has just taken a lead on former Vice President Biden in Pennsylvania. With just 25 percent reporting, losing the state of Pennsylvania would deal a huge blow to Biden’s aspirations.
10:12 p.m. ET: Tommy Tuberville wins election to the Senate
Republicans gain a seat in the senate as former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) is projected to defeat incumbent Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL). Jones previously won one of Alabama’s Senate seats as a Democrat in 2017, beating Roy Moore (R-AL) in a special election.
10:38 p.m. ET: Utah goes for Trump, Biden scores New Hampshire (BIDEN LEADS 133-115)
While Trump’s expected victories continue pouring in, states such as Utah are helping the current POTUS inch closer to Joe Biden’s electoral vote count.
Former Vice President Joe Biden claims victory in New Hampshire, a state that hung in the balance until the waning hours in 2016, where Sec. of State Hillary Clinton won by just over 2,700 votes. Biden will carry four electoral votes from the state.
FOX News now reports that the betting market is allotting Trump a 65 percent chance to win, a stark contrast from the President’s far lower odds earlier in the evening.
11:00 p.m. ET: Biden wins California, Oregon and Washington while Trump takes Idaho (Biden leads 207-119)
Biden has taken the largest electoral payout of the night with California’s 55 votes, along with seven from Oregon and 12 Washington. Trump claims victory in Idaho, adding four electoral votes to his total.
11:05 p.m. ET: Trump wins Florida, most crucial victory of the night (Biden leads 207-148)
President Trump has won the state of Florida.
Trump repeats history, taking the all-important swing state of Florida. Florida is typically a litmus test for presidential candidates, as the winning candidate has inherited the presidency for the last six elections.
Trump now turns to North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Ohio as his most critical targets for the evening. The President’s lead continues to increase in Ohio and Pennsylvania while North Carolina is a virtual dead heat.
11:21 p.m. ET: Biden gets a boost, steals Arizona from Trump (BIDEN LEADS 218-148)
A typically-red state, Arizona is claimed by Joe Biden in the 2020 election. Arizona was a leaning-Republican state heading into the contest, but with 73 percent of the vote reporting, FOX News has called the state for the former Vice President.
The 11 electoral votes serve as a massive victory for the Democrats in a state that tends to vote conservative.
11:32 p.m. ET: Biden wins New Mexico (Biden leads 223-148)
Former Vice President Joe Biden is projected to win New Mexico, carrying the state’s five electoral votes.
11:45 p.m. ET: Trump collects another swing state with Ohio (Biden leads 223-166)
President Donald Trump continues to rack up the most important wins of the evening, taking his second battleground victory. Ohio delivers 18 electoral votes to Trump, further increasing his chances of re-election.
Trump’s path to victory now becomes wider, with states expected to swing red (Texas, Iowa and Montana) still on the table.
11:53 p.m ET: Trump takes Texas (Biden leads 223-204)
Another huge victory for the President, even if it took longer to call than most expected. Texas’ 38 electoral votes push President Trump over 200 and close the gap with former VP Biden.
The political tides in Texas are turning, but not enough to flip the Republican stronghold this election. President Trump wins the state for the Republicans for the tenth consecutive occasion.
12:14 a.m. ET: Trump adds Iowa, Biden gets Hawaii (Biden leads 227-210)
Donald Trump will take the state of Iowa’s six electoral votes, while Biden receives four from Hawaii. Only nine states remain in play, and Trump’s potential paths to victory continue to multiply.
12:27 a.m ET: Minnesota goes in Biden’s win column (Biden leads 237-210)
Former Vice President Joe Biden has won the state of Minnesota and the 10 electoral votes from the state. President Trump’s campaign was hopeful about potentially flipping the leaning-blue state, but Biden holds firm.
Minnesota has been heavily featured in the news following the killing of George Floyd and the Minneapolis racial inequality protests. Biden’s campaign worked hard to win over the discontent voters in the state, and his efforts paid off.
Biden is expected to address his supporters momentarily.
12:47 a.m. ET: Trump wins in Montana, Biden takes Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District (Biden Leads 237-213)
President Donald Trump, as expected, is projected to carry the state of Montana and its three electoral votes. Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District (one electoral vote) goes to Joe Biden.
11:03 a.m. ET: Biden pulls back ahead in Michigan and Wisconsin, Trump calls foul
In President Trump’s statement early this morning, he was quoted as saying he believes his campaign has “already won the election.” But as mail-in voting numbers continue to come in in states such as Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, Biden’s deficits are shrinking.
Trump is crying foul, believing these late results to be fraudulent, and an attempt to shut him out of the Oval Office.
1:45 p.m. ET: Trump wins Maine’s 2nd Congressional District (BIDEN LEADS 238-214)
Donald Trump has won Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, adding one electoral vote to his tally. As the election winds down to the final few states, a single electoral vote could prove to make all the difference.
2:35 p.m. ET: Biden wins Wisconsin, pulls further ahead (Biden leads 248-214)
Joe Biden has won the crucial state of Wisconsin and the 10 electoral votes awarded for carrying the state. Following the late counting of mail-in and absentee ballots, Biden pulled into a last-second victory over President Trump.
Biden now has a clear path to the presidency, needing a win in Nevada and Michigan — states the former VP is favored in — to clinch the election.
