In remarks on Friday night, Biden predicted he would win
but did not declare victory. Television networks held off from projecting a
winner because votes are still being counted and margins are close in the four
states that will determine the result.
"The numbers tell us ... it's a clear and convincing
story: We're going to win this race," Biden said from his home state of
Delaware, adding that he and his running mate Kamala Harris were already
meeting with experts as they prepared to start their administration on Jan. 20.
Trump, 74, has been defiant as his chances fade for
securing a second four-year term. He has made repeated and unfounded claims of
electoral fraud, including from the White House briefing room on Thursday
night, while his campaign pursues lawsuits that legal experts say are unlikely
to alter the election outcome.
Americans have been waiting longer than any presidential
election year since 2000 to learn the winner, with vote counting slowed by a
record number of mail-in ballots. The Covid-19 pandemic prompted many to avoid
voting in person on Tuesday's Election Day.
Former Vice President Biden, 77, has the math largely on
his side with a 253-to-214 lead in the state-by-state Electoral College vote
that determines the winner, according to Edison Research. On Friday he took the
lead in Pennsylvania, whose 20 electoral votes would put him over the 270
threshold needed to win.
In the early hours of Saturday, Biden's slim lead widened
in Georgia, a typically Republican-leaning state, to put him ahead by 7,248
votes with the count 99% complete. A recount is likely in the state because of
the close margin.
In Pennsylvania, Biden led by 27,130 votes with 96% of the
count complete, and in Nevada he led by 22,657 votes with 93% of the count
finished.
In Arizona, Biden's lead narrowed to 29,861 votes with 97%
of the tally completed. Trump's campaign has been optimistic that Arizona will
end up in the president's column.
With thousands of votes still to count, it was not clear
when the contest would conclude, though further updates were expected on
Saturday. The country waited anxiously for resolution.
Biden backers danced in Philadelphia's streets, while armed
Trump supporters in Phoenix and Detroit said the election was being stolen,
despite no evidence of widespread irregularities. Under the banner of
"Stop the Steal," Trump supporters planned dozens of rallies for
Saturday.
Biden's speech was originally planned as a victory
celebration, but he changed his approach in the absence of a call on the result
from television networks and other election forecasters.
Trump has nothing on his public schedule for Saturday. He
said in a statement issued by his campaign on Friday that "all legal
ballots must be counted and all illegal ballots should not be counted,"
while accusing Democrats of resisting that call.
Election officials say there has been no evidence of fraud.
Although the popular vote does not determine the outcome, Biden leads Trump by 4.18
million votes nationwide out of a record 147 million cast. He said on Friday
Americans had given him a mandate to tackle the pandemic, the struggling
economy, climate change and systemic racism.
"They made it clear they want the country to come
together, not continue to pull apart," said Biden, making his third bid
for the White House in a political career spanning five decades.
Biden, who said he hoped to address Americans again on
Saturday, said Trump's demands to stop the count would not work. "Your vote will be counted. I don't care
how hard people try to stop it. I will not let it happen," Biden said.
Trump gave no indication he was ready to give up. "Joe
Biden should not wrongfully claim the office of the President. I could make
that claim also. Legal proceedings are just now beginning!" he wrote on
Twitter. Reuters
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