Election 2020 updates: Biden warns of 'dark winter,' pushes masks in pandemic plan
The president-elect emphasized how he would handle the pandemic response.
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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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.
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.
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
In final campaign stop, Biden says he feels ‘hopeful’
At what was very likely his final campaign stop of the 2020 race, former Vice President Joe Biden spoke with reporters, and gave his outlook on the race in the final hours.
“Toward the end, I never feel confident. I feel hopeful,” Biden said, addressing reporters outside the Joseph R. Biden Jr. Aquatic Center in Wilmington, Delaware.
Asked what he plans to do if President Trump declares victory tonight, Biden again expressed confidence that the voters will have the final say.
“You heard me use the line today several times. Presidents can't determine what votes counted and not counted. And, you know, voters determine who's president,” he said. “No matter what he does, no matter what he says the votes are going to be counted.”
Finally, Biden addressed if people can expect to hear him give a speech tonight.
"There's just so much in play right now and there’s such an overwhelming vote out there," he said. "We'll see. And if there's something to talk about tonight, I'll talk about it. If not, I'll wait till the votes are counted the next day.”
-ABC News’ John Verhovek
Cities nationwide bracing for potential violence on Election Day that's peaceful -- so far
From Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills to Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, police and store owners said they're preparing for Election Day unrest despite authorities coast to coast saying they've received no credible threats.
Some cities were bracing for the type of violence and looting that occurred earlier this year during protests that followed police-involved killings of Black Americans.
Stores along Rodeo Drive were seen with boarded up windows in the waning hours of the presidential election, with the mayor saying the street would be closed to vehicular traffic as an extra precaution.
In New York City, the sound of buzzsaws and hammers drowned out honking cars and sirens as work crews with truckloads of plywood swooped in. Along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, near Trump Tower, workers spent Monday night boarding up the windows of some of the nation's most expensive stores, including Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avene and nearly every shop in Rockefeller Center.
Similar scenes were found in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Denver, Philadelphia and St. Paul, Minnesota.
-ABC News’ Bill Hutchinson