Presidential election results 2020

By Meg Wagner, Melissa Macaya, Veronica Rocha, Melissa Mahtani and Amanda Wills, CNN

Updated 2:44 p.m. ET, November 23, 2020

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6:34 a.m. ET, November 3, 2020

How the huge rise in pre-Election Day voting could affect when we get solid results

From CNN's Marshall Cohen

A poll worker collects vote-by-mail ballots at a drive-thru system set up in the parking lot of the Leon County Supervisor of Elections Office in Tallahassee, Florida, on Monday, November 2. Tori Lynn Schneider/Tallahassee Democrat/Imagn Content Services

Early results that pop up shortly after the polls close might look very different from the final outcome, because of unprecedented levels of mail-in ballots and early voting due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, supporters of Democratic nominee Joe Biden have shown a strong preference for mail-in voting. Most of President Trump's supporters say they want to vote on Election Day. States count these different types of votes in very different ways.

As a result, in some of the most competitive states— including Florida and Texas — early results may look too rosy for former Vice President Joe Biden, before falling back down to earth and becoming more representative of the true outcome. In other states — particularly Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin — Trump could see early leads that slowly narrow as more ballots are counted.

This won't be a sign of fraud or irregularities. Rather, it's just a reflection of how states count votes. Some states process early ballots first, and will report those early in the night, while others save them for last.

Read more about what to watch for in the pivotal states here

7:41 a.m. ET, November 3, 2020

Ohio secretary of state: "Every legally cast ballot will be counted"

From CNN's Devon M. Sayers

The Republican secretary of state of Ohio said that all legally cast ballots will be counted in "an election unlike we have ever seen before."

In an election-eve message to Ohio voters, Secretary of State Frank LaRose quoted President Lincoln saying that "elections belong to the people."

Ohio has seen a record level of early and absentee ballots, some 3.4 million out of the 8 million registered voters.

The Secretary reaffirmed that all votes will be counted, "the foundation of our government and our way of life relies on the confidence of votes," Sec LaRose said.

"Every legally cast ballot will be counted and remember the results you see tomorrow night aren't final. The final official results come weeks later," LaRose added in the video posted to Twitter.

Watch the full video:

6:12 a.m. ET, November 3, 2020

Get ready for tonight, and personalize your election night experience with CNN's My Election

Today Americans will choose a president, members of Congress, governors and a host of local officials. To help you follow the races that are most important to you and your community, we developed a tool called My Election.

My Election allows you to select races to follow prior to election night. When results begin to come in on Nov. 3, the races you've selected will be conveniently available in the My Election drawer, which can be opened anywhere in CNN's Election Center.

Here's how to get started:

Go to the CNN Election Center and open My Election.
Create or sign in to your CNN account so you can save races you follow. Learn more about data privacy.
Search for a race by typing a candidate's name, a state, or a type of race such as "President," "Senate," or "House." Then, click "Follow" to save that race.
On election night you'll be able to discover and follow races from all over CNN's website and Election Center.
Once results begin to come in, your saved races will automatically update.
Not sure which races to follow? CNN Collections offer suggestions from CNN's top political anchors, analysts and contributors. Select "Follow" to instantly add that collection's races to your list of favorites with one click. We'll automatically ignore any races that you've already followed.

Learn more here

6:01 a.m. ET, November 3, 2020

It's Election Day. Here are key things to know for tonight.

From CNN's Zachary B. Wolf

First, have you voted? If not, make your plan and go vote now. Many states allow same-day registration. For rules in your state, check CNN's voter guide here.

Here are key things to know for tonight:

How long will election night last?: Who knows! CNN won't project a winner of a state until polls in that state close (and maybe much later if things are tight).

When do polls close?: Polls close at various times starting at 7 p.m. ET on the East Coast. The last polls will close at 1 a.m. ET in Alaska.

When do the polls close in key battleground states?

7 p.m. ET — Georgia, which is interesting at the presidential and Senate levels. Kentucky and South Carolina have key Senate races.
7:30 p.m. ET — North Carolina and Ohio. There's a tight Senate race in North Carolina.
8 p.m. ET — Florida and Pennsylvania. Maine has a key Senate race.
9 p.m. ET — Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas and Wisconsin. There are also key Senate races in Arizona, Michigan, Colorado and Texas.
10 p.m. ET — Iowa and Nevada

When will we know the winner? This is an impossible question to answer, because we don't know how all the early voting will affect different states' ability to report results quickly.

Many, many more millions of Americans have voted early in person or by mail this year than usual because of the pandemic, so it could take more time to count those ballots, particularly in a few key battleground states (ahem, Pennsylvania).

What do we know about how the vote will come in on election night?

We have some educated guesses.

We might know some states early. A very large proportion of Americans are voting early and in most states, election officials can tee up those ballots to generate results quickly after polls close. So in contested states like Florida and Texas, we may have a very good idea early in the night how things will go.
It might take some states many days. In Pennsylvania, for instance, election officials can't do anything with early ballots until Election Day. Some counties won't even pick them up until the day after Election Day.

Read more here.

6:10 a.m. ET, November 3, 2020

How to stay safe while voting in person during the pandemic

From CNN's Sandee LaMotte

An early voter waits in line to cast a ballot at the Franklin County Board of Elections in Columbus, Ohio. Fred Squillante/Columbus Dispatch/Imagn Content Services

Voting in person is a cherished right for many Americans — and for people concerned that their ballot might be lost in the mail, delivering their mail-in or absentee ballot may be their preferred option this year.

Standing in long lines at the polling center with people who may or may not be wearing masks, often inside buildings without good ventilation, certainly raises your risk of catching Covid-19.

But there are things you can do to reduce risk if you vote in person:

Check your polling station: What's the level of protection that will be in place at your assigned polling station? You should know in advance, for example: If you'll be spending the majority of your wait standing outside or If masks are required of both voters and poll workers. You also want to vote at a location that has a separate point of entry and exit to minimize crowds forming in the space. Any time spent indoors should be minimized. The safest locations will be school gymnasiums, community recreation centers, convention centers and large parking lots, according to the Brennan Center and the Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines.
Vote at less busy times of the day: Even though people are still working from home, most people are likely to vote before or after work or at lunch time. If you can aim for mid-morning or early to mid-afternoon, you may encounter fewer lines. You may also encounter fewer people if you vote early in the window of opportunity your state provides for early voting. Stay in touch with local friends on Facebook or a neighborhood site like Nextdoor. People will often post updates about crowds at different times of the day, which can be used to plan your trip.
Carefully choose your mask: Be picky about your mask. Studies have shown that cotton masks with two or three layers of fabric are more protective than single-ply masks or bandanas. In fact, a recent study found bandanas and gaiter masks to be least effective in protection.
Vote alone: Unless you have a disability that requires assistance, vote alone, experts say. This is not the year to bring your children or other non-voting family members to the voting location.
Come prepared: Along with that highly protective mask, you should definitely bring tissues and hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol or disinfecting wipes, the CDC says.