Suzanne Lynch’s US Election Diary: Biden within touching distance of White House

Joe Biden is within touching distance of the White House as counting continued in several key states overnight. As thousands of votes continued to be tabulated in Georgia, Arizona and Pennsylvania, Biden closed the gap with Donald Trump, continuing the trend which has seen absentee ballots trend towards the Democratic candidate.

More than 24 hours after Fox News called the state of Arizona, the state had still not declared a winner. The Trump campaign was continuing to put all its hope in the southern state, which last voted for a Democratic candidate in 1996 insisting that it could still secure its 11 electoral votes. But Biden was benefitting from the last batch of absentee ballots coming in from Maricopa County, the fourth-most populous county in the nation, encompassing Phoenix.

In Nevada, where Biden has an 8,000-vote margin, the state is expected to announce new results on Thursday morning, with pockets of votes from Clark County – the greater Las Vegas area – due to be announced. There is a small chance that Trump could still flip the state.

Biden’s path to victory appeared secure yesterday after the states of Michigan and Wisconsin were declared for the former vice-president, though Trump lodged legal challenges in both states. In Pennsylvania thousands of mail-in ballots are left to be counted, with a big chunk expected from Philadelphia, a Biden-friendly city.

Biden urges patience with counting as he holds lead over Trump in key states

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Upper Midwest battlegrounds key to getting Biden over line

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Though it appears that Biden may not need to win Pennsylvania to be declared the winner, the Trump campaign descended on Philadelphia yesterday where the president's lawyer Rudy Giuliani, flanked by members of the president's family, warned of nefarious happenings in the city.

Despite a flurry of tweets alleging fraudulent behaviour at the polls and claiming victory in several states, Trump was not seen in public on Wednesday and his schedule has no public events listed for Thursday. The US president has indicated that he is refusing to go quietly even if Biden wins the electoral college. Meanwhile, there were examples of isolated incidents of protest across the country. Police in New York arrested about two dozen people during demonstrations in the city, while a group of Trump supporters gathered outside the building where votes were being counted last night in Phoenix, Arizona, claiming that the election was being stolen from Trump.

Though focus remained on the presidential election, Democrats were nursing their wounds. In a blow to House speaker Nancy Pelosi, her party lost some seats in the election, while Democratic hopes of gaining control of the Senate faded. Susan Collins of Maine became the latest Republican to win her seat, despite the fact that most polls – yet again – had suggested she was trailing her opponent.

Quote of the Day

“I campaigned as a Democrat, but I will govern as an American president. The presidency itself is not a partisan institution. It is the one office in this nation that represents everyone. It demands a duty of care – for all Americans.” Democratic candidate Joe Biden speaking in Delaware the day after the election.

Recommended Reads

Thursday’s edition of the Irish Times is packed with reading on the latest from the US.

Fintan O'Toole writes that Trump launched an attempted coup by prematurely declaring victory in the White House. "Elective authoritarianism is now an official and equal rival to democracy," he writes.

Pat Leahy on what a Biden presidency would mean for Ireland.

Stephen Starr speaks to Trump supporters at an election night watch party in Ohio.

My piece on what may lie ahead legally in the presidential race.