Presidential election results 2020

By Meg Wagner, Melissa Macaya, Veronica Rocha, Melissa Mahtani and Amanda Wills, CNN

Updated 2:44 p.m. ET, November 23, 2020
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11:52 p.m. ET, November 3, 2020

CNN Projection: Biden wins Virginia

Joe Biden will win Virginia, CNN projects.

There are 13 electoral votes at stake in Virginia. It takes 270 electoral votes to win the 2020 presidential election.

Who won in 2016: Former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton carried the state, and President Trump won the general election.

12:19 a.m. ET, November 4, 2020

Does tonight feel most like 2016, 2018 or 2020?

From CNN's Josiah Ryan

As votes continued to trickle in from across the country late this evening, the presidential race was felt familiar to past elections.

CNN's Jake Tapper said he was unsure if the results so far were most reminiscent of the presidential contest in 2016 when then-candidate Donald Trump outpaced the polls, or 2016 when Democrats congressional victories took days to solidify. 

"I don't know if this feels like 2016 when Donald Trump pulled this huge upset and surprised everybody, or feels like 2018, where Democrats had a really good night, it just took longer than a night," said Tapper. 

CNN's Dana Bash, however, presented a third option, saying the results, so far, feel very much like they belong in the year 2020.��

"It feels like 2020 because...  going into tonight, in most of these battleground states, the candidates were within the margin of error," she said. "That by definition means it is a close race in all of these states and that is what we're seeing play out right now." 

Tapper concurred, adding, "it's a divided country. It's a close election."

1:03 a.m. ET, November 4, 2020

Where things stand in Michigan and Pennsylvania

From CNN's Leinz Vales

Poll observer Sue Carter stands near a polling place while watching for potential voter intimidation on Tuesday in Lansing, Michigan.
Poll observer Sue Carter stands near a polling place while watching for potential voter intimidation on Tuesday in Lansing, Michigan. John Moore/Getty Images

In Michigan and Pennsylvania officials are calling for patience as they deal with a record turnout of voters. 

The states make up the “blue wall” that President Trump captured in 2016.

Michigan: “Across the entire state, they’re expecting record turnout," CNN's Miguel Marquez said, reporting from Detroit, Michigan. "It is not clear how that will affect the vote count for either candidate. We also know they are still counting."

"Those absentee ballots are being counted as well," Marquez added. "We should be seeing some of those votes coming very soon as well."

Marquez went on to report that officials believe in the "next 24 hours or so we’ll have unofficial result of who will win Michigan.”

Pennsylvania: “There is a lot of outstanding votes in the Keystone State and this will not be a process that moves particularly fast," Sara Murray said, reporting from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  

"We know that there's a lot of these big counties, Philadelphia County, Bucks County, Chester County ... they’ll be counting all night long," Murray added.

At news conference held by the Pennsylvania secretary of state, Kathy Boockvar, Murray said she told reporters that "we need to stay patient and you also need to be prepared for these vote totals to come through overnight in fits and starts."

CNN's Miguel Marquez and Sara Murray walk through the latest:

11:55 p.m. ET, November 3, 2020

Virginia's Fairfax County anticipates more absentee results soon

From CNN's Kristen Holmes

Virginia's Fairfax County estimates they will have their roughly 400,000 absentee ballot results in the next couple of hours, likely before 1 a.m. ET, according to Brian Worthy, a county spokesperson.

CNN's Pamela Brown has more:

11:51 p.m. ET, November 3, 2020

Here's what the scene is like at Biden HQ in Wilmington, Delaware 

From CNN's From Arlette Saenz and Jeff Simon

For the past hour, cars have slowly streamed into the parking lot at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware where Joe Biden’s Election Night event is set to take place.

The set up is similar to past Biden drive-in style events in the Covid-era with attendees arriving in their cars, which are spaced out by red, white and blue traffic cones that have “Biden Harris” bumper stickers on them.

Attendees we’ve spoken to included some state delegates and an older woman who says she’s known Biden for nearly five decades.

One of the attendees said she received an e-mail last night telling her she would be invited to the event and then received a confirmation e-mail tonight around the 9 p.m. ET hour. 

The Biden campaign has not provided an update on when the night’s events might begin. The former vice president remains at home watching returns with his family.

Vehicles sit parked at a drive-in election night event for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden at the Chase Center on November 3, in Wilmington, Delaware.
Vehicles sit parked at a drive-in election night event for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden at the Chase Center on November 3, in Wilmington, Delaware. Win McNamee/Getty Images
Chairs sit ready for reporters inside circles marked for social distancing as a Covid-19 precaution in the press area at a drive-in election night event for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden at the Chase Center.
Chairs sit ready for reporters inside circles marked for social distancing as a Covid-19 precaution in the press area at a drive-in election night event for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden at the Chase Center. Win McNamee/Getty Images
A supporter attends a drive-in election night event for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden at the Chase Center.
A supporter attends a drive-in election night event for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden at the Chase Center. Win McNamee/Getty Images

Watch video from the event:

11:17 p.m. ET, November 3, 2020

CNN Projection: Trump wins Mississippi

President Trump will win Mississippi, CNN projects.

There are six electoral votes at stake in Mississippi. It takes 270 electoral votes to win the 2020 presidential election.

Who won in 2016: President Trump carried the state and won the general election.

11:07 p.m. ET, November 3, 2020

Can Biden become only the second Democrat to flip Arizona since 1948?

From CNN's Dan Merica

Voters wait in line outside a polling station, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, in Tempe, Arizona.
Voters wait in line outside a polling station, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, in Tempe, Arizona. Matt York/AP

Arizona has long been a Republican stronghold, but a growing Latino population and an influx of voters from more liberal areas has Democrats believing they could flip the state with Joe Biden atop the ticket.

Trump carried the state by over 3 percentage points in 2016, but Democrats won one of the state’s Senate seats in 2018 and carried both Maricopa and Pima County, where about 75% of the election’s votes are expected to be cast.

Trump remains markedly popular in the state’s rural areas, so the key to the race will be how big he wins counties like Pinal, Yavapai and Mohave, while Biden looks to boost turnout in Maricopa and Pima.

Arizona represents an insurance policy for Biden. It’s not a must win for the Democrat and a loss would not spell doom for Trump, but a blue Arizona could signify broader changes for Republicans. Polls show the race is narrow: A recent CNN survey found a race within the poll's margin of sampling error, with Biden at 50% support to Trump's 46%.

The state is also home to one of the most hotly contested Senate contests between Republican incumbent Martha McSally and Democrat Mark Kelly, who has consistently had a fundraising advantage and a recent CNN poll found the Democrat with a 7 percentage point lead.

11:25 p.m. ET, November 3, 2020

It's just after 11 p.m. ET. This is where the race to 270 stands.

CNN has just projected Joe Biden will win California – the biggest prize of the electoral college, with 55 electoral votes.

Based on CNN's current projections, Biden has 192 electoral college votes, and Trump has 108 electoral college votes.

Reminder: Each candidate needs 270 electoral college votes to win the presidency.

CNN's Wolf Blitzer has more:

11:01 p.m. ET, November 3, 2020

CNN Projection: Trump wins Wyoming

President Trump will win Wyoming, CNN projects.

There are three electoral votes at stake in Wyoming. It takes 270 electoral votes to win the 2020 presidential election.

Who won in 2016: President Trump carried the state and won the general election.