Nov 03, 2020, 7:00 PM EST
Polls close in 5 states
The polls are closing in Georgia, Virginia, Vermont, South Carolina and Florida.
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Election 2020 updates: Biden warns of 'dark winter,' pushes masks in pandemic plan
The president-elect emphasized how he would handle the pandemic response.
ByCatherine Thorbecke, Morgan Winsor, Libby Cathey, Adia Robinson, Lauren King, Emily Shapiro, Ivan Pereira, and Marc Nathanson
Last Updated: November 10, 2020, 10:14 AM EST
Joe Biden is set to become the 46th president of the United States, capping a tumultuous and tension-filled campaign during a historic pandemic against President Donald Trump. ABC News characterized Joe Biden as the apparent winner of his home state of Pennsylvania, putting him over the 270 vote threshold needed to capture the presidency.
The hard-fought battle against the president was set against the backdrop of racial unrest and the coronavirus pandemic and bitter divisions among the electorate.
Trump had falsely declared on election night, when he held a lead in several key states, that he won the contest and alleged without evidence, after the count started to swing the other way, that the election was being stolen from him and that fraud had been committed.
Painting the election as a "battle for the soul of the nation," Biden won on a message of unity over division, compassion over anger, and reality over what he called Trump's "wishful thinking" as the coronavirus pandemic cast a heavy shadow over the campaign.
The 2020 election has shattered voting records with votes totaling 147 million and counting, surpassing the 138 million who voted in 2016.
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Here's how election week unfolded. All times Eastern.
Nov 03, 2020, 6:52 PM EST
Voters rank economy as their most important issue in preliminary exit poll
Among five issues listed as most important in making their vote for president, preliminary exit poll results have found about a third of voters said their top issue was the economy, in a year marked by a severe recession and record levels of unemployment due to the coronavirus pandemic.
After that, 21% said the most important issue was racial inequality, with 2020 seeing waves of protesters nationwide following the death of George Floyd in police custody.
Another 18% put their top issue as the coronavirus pandemic itself. Crime/safety and health care policy rounded out the five issues, with 11% each.
Grant Baldwin/AFP via Getty Images
In a measure of personal characteristics, 52% said Trump lacks the temperament it takes to serve effectively as president, while 45% said the same about Biden. Trump was deeper under water on this question in 2016, yet won the Electoral College nonetheless.
-ABC News' Polling Director Gary Langer
Nov 03, 2020, 6:21 PM EST
USPS fails to meet deadline but will complete sweeps before polls close
The U.S. Postal Service responded to a judge's order late Tuesday, noting that while it was not able to comply with the court-imposed deadline of 4:30 p.m., its inspectors would complete "sweeps" of mail facilities in the key battleground states by the times polls closed.
A Justice Department lawyer representing the mail agency explained that, due to other Election Day responsibilities and logistical concerns, the Postal Service was "unable to accelerate the daily review process" to comply with Judge Sullivan's order -- but that "the process remains ongoing."
Nathan Howard/Getty Images, File
"(The Postal Service) is working as expeditiously as possible to comply with this court's orders while recognizing physical and operational limitations and the need to avoid disrupting key activities on Election Day," the DOJ lawyer wrote.
Shortly after the Postal Service response, the NAACP requested an emergency hearing, claiming that the Postal Service response "does not comply to the court's order."
-ABC News' Lucien Bruggeman
Nov 03, 2020, 6:08 PM EST
Scene from Black Lives Matter Plaza outside the White House
Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA" is blaring, an African drum corps is jamming and Christian demonstrators are chanting "Jesus Saves."
Beyond the three layers of security fencing separating Trump inside the White House is a peaceful and festive -- if, at times, bizarre -- melting pot of America.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images
Several thousands -- diverse in age, gender, race and faith -- have gathered outside and crowds have been building at Black Lives Matter Plaza -- a space that has symbolized the racial justice movement pulsing through the presidential campaign. Many told ABC News they felt compelled to come out for what they believe will be a historic moment.
There is an air of anticipation -- and a tinge of anxiety. The history of the protests and violence that have marked this space looms large. Buildings all around are boarded up. Many in attendance have said they plan to leave at dark.
John Minchillo/AP
Police are keeping a low profile on the sidelines for now. Organizers are vowing to stay peaceful and to occupy the space, making their voices heard, until the election results are credibly certified.
-ABC News' Senior Washington Reporter Devin Dwyer, Bobby Gehlen, Jackie Yoo and Janet Weinstein
