News24.com | LIVE | US elections: Double setback for Trump as judges dismiss vote counting suits in Michigan, Georgia

PICS | US elections: Protests flare up as vote counting drags on

A second day of sometimes dueling demonstrations over the integrity of the US presidential election started early on Thursday in Philadelphia and other cities as ballot counting dragged on in a handful of states that will decide the outcome.

Supporters of Joe Biden have rallied around the slogan to "count every vote," believing a complete tally would show the Democratic former vice president had beaten Republican President Donald Trump. Ardent Trump backers have countered with cries to "protect the vote" in support of his campaign's efforts to have some categories of ballots, including some votes submitted by mail, discarded.

JUST IN | Trump campaign loses lawsuit seeking to halt Michigan vote count

A judge has tossed a lawsuit brought by US President Donald Trump's campaign in hopes of halting vote-counting in Michigan.

Michigan Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Stephens made the ruling during a court hearing on Thursday. She said she planned to issue a written ruling on Friday.

- Reuters

Trump to file court case in Nevada

President Donald Trump's campaign said it would ramp up legal efforts to challenge vote counts in closely-contested states in the US election on Thursday, and said it would file a lawsuit alleging voter fraud in Nevada, which is still counting ballots.

In Las Vegas, Trump allies alleged, without evidence, that there had been voting irregularities in populous Clark County, which includes the city. Democratic challenger Joe Biden has a small lead in Nevada.

"We believe that there are dead voters that have been counted. We are also confident that there are thousands of people whose votes have been counted that have moved out of Clark County during the pandemic," former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt, a Republican, told reporters.

He and other Trump campaign surrogates present, including former administration official Richard Grenell, gave no evidence to support their allegations and refused to answer questions from reporters.

Election latest

A judge in Georgia dismissed a lawsuit by the Trump campaign, which tried to argue that election officials were attempting to count invalid ballots in the battleground state, according to reports.

When pressed for evidence of that claim, the Trump campaign could not produce any, the Guardian reported.

Georgia represents 16 electoral votes, which a Democratic candidate has been unable to win since the 1990s. Meanwhile, Trump's lead in Georgia continues to shrink, as mail-in-votes continue to be counted. Trump's lead now stands at 14 857 votes, while an estimated 60 000 ballots still have to be counted. 

Be patient, folks. Votes are being counted, and we feel good about where we are.

The Guardian reports that a Georgia judge has dismissed the Trump campaign’s lawsuit over absentee ballots in the state.

The president’s re-election campaign tried to argue election officials were attempting to count invalid ballots in Georgia.

When pressed for evidence of that claim, the Trump campaign could not produce any. The president’s campaign is trying to launch legal challenges in multiple battleground states, but they do not seem to have much merit at this point.

Election officials in multiple states have emphasized they will count every valid ballot before finalising their results.

Facebook group pushing false claim of stolen US elections rapidly gains 325 000 members

A public Facebook group pushing false claims about voter fraud and Democrats trying to "steal" the Us election rapidly swelled to more than 325 000 members on Thursday, a day after it was created.

The "Stop the Steal" group, which says it was started by the conservative non-profit Women for America First, called for "boots on the ground to protect the integrity of the vote.

"With tensions rising, about 200 of Republican President Donald Trump's supporters, some armed with rifles and handguns, gathered outside an election office in Phoenix, Arizona, on Wednesday following unsubstantiated rumors that votes were not being counted.

In Detroit, officials blocked about 30 people, mostly Republicans, from entering a vote-counting facility amid unfounded claims that the vote count in Michigan was fraudulent. It is normal in US elections for states to count votes for days, or sometimes even weeks, after voting ends.

Election experts say fraud is very rare in US voting. Unfounded and debunked claims about the integrity of Tuesday's election have spread on social media by Trump and high-profile Republican accounts and the hashtag #StopTheSteal has gained momentum.

Facebook groups are billed as community forums for shared interests but watchdog organizations and social media researchers have argued that they can be hotbeds for hyper-partisan misinformation.

The Stop the Steal group's description says: "Democrats are scheming to disenfranchise and nullify Republican votes. It's up to us, the American People, to fight and to put a stop to it."

The group directed new members to an email sign-up page "in the event that social media censors this group."

The group's administrations and moderators included veteran Tea Party activist Amy Kremer and her daughter Kylie, as well as Jennifer Lawrence and Dustin Stockton, two members of the group We Build the Wall, which were raided by federal agents in August as part of a fraud investigation.

Attempts to reach administrators and moderators on Facebook were not immediately successful. An email and a telephone message left with Women for America First was not immediately returned.

Several Facebook events billed as "Stop the Steal" protests and caravans also laid out plans for users to gather in states across the country.

-REUTERS

Trump campaign observers can stand closer while watching ballot processing in Philadelphia, court rules 

CNN reports that a Pennsylvania court has ruled that Trump campaign observers could stand closer to watch ballot processing in Philadelphia—a relatively inconsequential ruling that Trump campaign associates quickly touted as being a massive win.

Votes that could decide the state are still being counted there. No court has found wrongdoing in the ballot-counting process in Philadelphia.

“It allows their observers to stand a little closer, but it is not an order that will have any impact on the outcome of the election,” law professor and CNN elections analyst Franita Tolson said Thursday, noting that the decision was “not massive at all.”

JUST IN | Ballot counting in Philadelphia temporarily halted -MSNBC

The counting of mail-in ballots in Philadelphia has been temporarily halted as Democrats ask the state's top court to reverse a lower court ruling on ballot count observers, MSNBC reported.

-REUTERS

'Victory is imminent for Joe Biden'

“Victory is imminent,” says Joe Biden's campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon.

"Our data shows that Joe Biden will be the next president of the United States,” she said as votes continue to be counted across the country.

Biden's campaign expects him to win Nevada, Pennyslvania and Arizona.

All of the recent Biden claimed States will be legally challenged by us for Voter Fraud and State Election Fraud. Plenty of proof - just check out the Media. WE WILL WIN! America First!

Trump says campaign will legally challenge "Biden claimed states"

President Donald Trump threatened more legal challenges on Thursday over results from Tuesday's presidential election in a handful of states, claiming without any evidence that voter fraud has been committed in places where Democrat Joe Biden appears to have won.

"All of the recent Biden claimed States will be legally challenged by us for Voter Fraud and State Election Fraud," Trump wrote in a tweet, without listing specific states or examples of alleged fraud.

-REUTERS

Big legal win in Pennsylvania!

Now Trump wants to take legal action against Pennsylvania ballots

Donald Trump’s campaign says it expects an additional legal suit to be filed to ensure the camp gets visibility on previous ballots in Pennsylvania. Trump has taken similar action in Michigan and Georgia.

Meanwhile,  Twitter has flagged as disputed and possibly misleading a post by President Donald Trump that said votes received after Election Day in the United States would not be counted.

Trump tweeted on Thursday: "Any vote that came in after election day will not be counted".

- Reuters

Race for the White House | At 17:00, Biden camp launches 'fight fund' to ensure all ballots are counted

What you need to know about the state of the US presidential elections between President Donald Trump and former vice-president Joe Biden.

Shortly after 16:00, Trump tweeted: "STOP THE COUNT!"

The president has repeatedly claimed - without evidence - that election fraud is taking place with mail-in ballots. 

The Biden campaign, meanwhile, has launched a "Biden Fight Fund" to "ensure every vote is counted". 

Race for the White House | At 16:00, Trump’s lead in battleground states narrowing

What you need to know about the state of the US presidential elections between President Donald Trump and former vice-president Joe Biden.

Trump's lead is narrowing in Georgia, CNN reports, as more mail-in votes are counted. The publication reports there are about 50 000 ballots left to count. Georgia is one of a few states where a winner hasn't been projected yet.

The state has 16 electoral votes up for grabs.

ABC News reported that Trump's lead declined because of ballots counted in Fulton County, the state's most populous county, which is considered to be Biden leaning.

Race for the White House | At 15:00, Trump camp launches legal battles in battleground states

What you need to know about the state of the US presidential elections between President Donald Trump and former vice-president Joe Biden.

The Republican Party and the Trump campaign are preparing a number of court cases, particularly in Pennsylvania, to have a number of mail-in ballots declared invalid. The state is experiencing an extremely tight race after Trump managed to win it in 2016. 

Trump has repeatedly, without any evidence, claimed that large-scale voter fraud is taking place due to the mail-in ballots.

Biden says he will rejoin the Paris climate agreement on first day of presidency if he wins the election

Biden is edging towards securing the 270 electoral votes he needs to win the presidency, with results from key states including Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Arizona still needing to be declared. 

JUST IN: President Trump's lead in Georgia has narrowed to 18,540 votes, according to NBC News figures.

Race for the White House | At 14:00, Biden’s lead in Arizona on the decline

What you need to know about the state of the US presidential elections between President Donald Trump and former vice-president Joe Biden.

The Republican Party and the Trump campaign are preparing a number of court cases, particularly in Pennsylvania, to have a number of mail-in ballots declared invalid. The state is experiencing an extremely tight race after Trump managed to win it in 2016. 

Trump has repeatedly, without any evidence, claimed that large-scale voter fraud is taking place due to the mail-in ballots.

Videos show Trump protesters chanting 'count those votes' and 'stop the count' in Michigan, Arizona

Supporters of President Donald Trump chanted both "count those votes" and "stop the count" outside two ballot-counting sites in Michigan and Arizona.

As of Thursday morning, ballots were still being counted in key states. Trump falsely claimed victory in the presidential election on Wednesday. claiming there is "major fraud on our nation," without providing evidence for his assertion.

Race for the White House | At 13:00, Biden leads but election still too close to call

What you need to know about the state of the US presidential elections between President Donald Trump and former vice-president Joe Biden.

ABC News contributor and presidential historian Mark Updegrove told the network the election of trans representatives was a good indicator for the future of the US, but he argued that Trump's claims of electoral fraud was a sad moment for the office of the president.

Biden has earned more votes in the presidential race than Barack Obama did during his first election.

Updegrove said this development was a key indicator of the strength of American democracy.

Judge pushes US Postal Service to ensure all remaining election ballots delivered

A judge on Wednesday said he wants to ensure all remaining ballots for the closely contested US election are delivered, demanding that Postmaster General Louis DeJoy answer questions about why the postal service failed to complete a court-ordered sweep for undelivered ballots.

"The pressing issues are where are the ballots and how do we get them delivered so they can be counted," US District Judge Emmet Sullivan said in concluding a hearing that included testimony from US Postal Service (USPS) official Kevin Bray who answered questions about ballot deliveries.

Five key US states that will decide the fate of Joe Biden and Donald Trump

As it stands, there are five states still left uncalled, including crucial prizes such as Pennsylvania and key small state Nevada, as well as Georgia, North Carolina and Alaska.

In order to win, 270 electoral votes are required. Those votes are divided up proportionately among the states.

Race for the White House | At 12:00, tight race in key states, and Trump cries foul

What you need to know about the state of the US presidential elections between President Donald Trump and former vice-president Joe Biden.

The knife-edge US presidential race tilted towards Biden early on Thursday, with wins in Michigan and Wisconsin bringing him close to a majority. But Trump claimed he was being cheated and went to court to try and stop vote counting, AFP reported.

The tallying of votes continued through a second night in the remaining battleground states where a huge turnout and a mountain of mail-in ballots made the job all the harder.

Twitter has now labelled 5 of Trump's tweets as 'disputed' and possibly 'misleading'

Twitter has now labelled five of President Donald Trump's tweets, all posted on Wednesday, as "disputed" and possibly "misleading" amid the platform's effort to prevent election misinformation.

Race for the White House | At 11:00, Trump’s lead in 3 swing states on the decline

What you need to know about the state of the US presidential elections between President Donald Trump and former vice-president Joe Biden.

The race between Biden and Trump has narrowed in a number of swing states as mail-in ballots, which have mainly been in Biden's favour, are counted.

In Pennsylvania, with 20 electoral college votes, Trump's lead declined. There are now just 164 000 votes between the two candidates, compared to a previous gap of 700 000.

Race for the White House | At 10:00, protests start in several parts of the US

What you need to know about the state of the US presidential elections between President Donald Trump and former vice-president Joe Biden.

At the time of publication, CNN called 253 electoral college votes conclusively for Biden, and 213 for Trump. A candidate needs 270 electoral college votes to win.

Shortly after 19:00 South African time, CNN called Maine, with three electoral college votes, for Biden. 

Trump has managed to claim victory in the battleground states of Texas, Florida and Ohio, while Biden has won California, Colorado, and New York, which has historically supported Democratic candidates. 

Pennsylvania Update

Trump 50.7% 3,215,969

Biden 48.1% 3,051,555

via CNN

NEW - Arizona Update

Biden's lead narrows in latest vote count.

Biden: 50.5% 1,469,341

Trump: 48.1% 1,400,951

via CNN

Georgia Update:

Trump: 49.6% 2,429,783

Biden 49.1% 2,406,774

via CNN

ANALYSIS | History tells us that a contested election won't destroy American democracy

As the world awaits the results of the recent US Presidential election, Alexander Cohen writes that the United States has a long history of contested elections which for the exception of one case have not damaged the country's political system.

Trump allies want to keep counting votes in 2 'losing' states, stop count in 3 'winning' states

US president Donald Trump filed lawsuits on Wednesday in Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Michigan to halt the battleground states from counting remaining votes. 

Meanwhile, the president and his Republican allies are insisting that Arizona and Nevada — where Trump is behind Biden and looking for crucial electoral vote pickups — continue counting the votes. 

Adriaan Basson | A return to decency if Joe Biden wins the US presidency

US President Donald Trump has shown a complete disregard for facts and decency in the past 24 hours. Joe Biden has been presidential, writes Adriaan Basson.