Election 2020 presidential results

By Meg Wagner, Melissa Mahtani, Melissa Macaya, Jessica Estepa, Veronica Rocha and Fernando Alfonso III, CNN

Updated 7:32 a.m. ET, November 5, 2020
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7:18 a.m. ET, November 4, 2020

Chris Christie says Trump "undercut his own credibility" when he prematurely declared victory

From CNN’s Betsy Klein

Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie listens as President Trump speaks during a news conference at the White House on September 27.
Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie listens as President Trump speaks during a news conference at the White House on September 27. Joshua Roberts/Getty Images

Former New Jersey governor and top Trump ally Chris Christie voiced disagreement overnight with President Trump’s election night remarks prematurely declaring victory and attacking legitimate vote counting efforts. Christie said Trump “undercut his own credibility.”

“There’s just no basis to make that argument tonight. There just isn’t. All these votes have to be counted that are in now,” Christie said during a panel on ABC News moments after Trump’s remarks, noting that the vote count in Pennsylvania will continue for days and “that argument’s for later.”

He continued, “I disagree with what he did tonight. And I think Sarah is right that, you know, there comes a point where you have to let the process play itself out before you judge it to have been flawed. And I think by prematurely doing this, if there is a flaw in it later, he has undercut his own credibility in calling attention to that flaw.”

Christie, who said he was speaking from his experience as a former US attorney, argued that Trump had made a “bad strategic decision” and a “bad political decision.”

“And it's not the kind of decision you would expect someone to make tonight who holds the position he holds,” he added. 

Watch President Trump's election night statement:

7:00 a.m. ET, November 4, 2020

Here's why we're seeing a narrowing of the vote in Michigan right now

On-air analysis from CNN's Phil Mattingly/ Written by CNN's Adrienne Vogt

The tightening of the vote between President Trump and Joe Biden in Michigan comes down to Wayne County, where Detroit and the surrounding suburbs are located, CNN’s Phil Mattingly explained.

“It shows the effect of major urban centers that are Democratic strongholds where there's major vote outstanding,” Mattingly said.

Wayne County — the largest county in the state — is about 18% of the voting population. 

“Those votes are by mail for the most part. We believe that is the composition of them. We know they're coming in a Democratic county. Democrats have been voting heavily by mail,” Mattingly said. “What I'm trying to lay out for you is this: Donald Trump was ahead by 212,000 votes about 30 minutes ago. Right now, he's ahead by 64,000 votes.”

CNN's Phil Mattingly walks through latest numbers out of Michigan:

6:46 a.m. ET, November 4, 2020

Some Pennsylvania counties are counting mail-in ballots last

It's the morning after Election Day, and Pennsylvania is one of nine states across the country where CNN has not projected a winner.

Pennsylvania's counties have starkly different plans for when they will begin processing their mail-in ballots, with Democratic strongholds moving to get them counted as quickly as possible while other areas plan to tally in-person Election Day votes first.

Unlike most states, Pennsylvania law does not allow officials to start processing early ballots until 7 a.m. on Election Day.

While Philadelphia and other areas started work on their mail-in votes at 7 a.m. sharp yesterday, swing counties like Erie and red ones like Cumberland were waiting until after the polls close or even until this morning to begin.

6:18 a.m. ET, November 4, 2020

It's just after 6 a.m. ET. Here's where the race to 270 stands.

The election is far from over with millions of votes outstanding in key states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan — ballots that were cast before Election Day that have yet to be counted. 

Based on CNN's current projections, Joe Biden has 224 electoral votes while President Trump has 213 electoral votes.

Reminder: Each candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win the presidency.

CNN's Chris Cuomo breaks down key races to watch:

6:27 a.m. ET, November 4, 2020

Catch up: Here are some of the issues states voted on

Voters have been deciding more than just who will sit in the White House. States have weighed several different issues this election, such as whether to legalize marijuana, limit access to abortion, reform voting and more.

Here are some of the top ballot measures states voted on:

Arizona, New Jersey, South Dakota vote to legalize recreational marijuana

Voters have approved ballot measures to legalize recreational marijuana in Arizona and New Jersey, and both recreational and medical use in in South Dakota, CNN projects.

South Dakota will be the first state ever to approve medical and recreational marijuana measures at the same time.

Results have not yet been determined for Montana's ballot questions on recreational marijuana and Mississippi's medical marijuana measure.

The initiatives would only be the first step in the process, said John Hudak, deputy director at the Brookings Institution, where he specializes in state and federal marijuana policy.

After voters approve the measures, he said, the state legislatures normally would need to set up regulatory structures within each state. Currently, 11 states have legalized full, adult marijuana use.

You can read more detail on each state's marijuana ballot here.

Voters line-up to cast their ballots in Billings, Montana, on Tuesday, November 3.
Voters line-up to cast their ballots in Billings, Montana, on Tuesday, November 3. Matthew Brown/AP

Louisiana voters approve amendment limiting abortion protections

Louisiana voters approved Proposed Amendment No. 1 by 62% to 38%, according to CNN projections. Should Roe be overturned, the amendment would prevent the state courts from declaring abortion restrictions unconstitutional at the state level.

The state isn't the first to amend its constitution this way — Alabama and West Virginia did so in 2018, as did Tennessee in 2014.

The Louisiana ballot measure marked another attempt by the state to restrict abortion. The US Supreme Court struck down in June a Louisiana restriction barring doctors from performing the procedure unless they had admitting privileges at a nearby hospital, and a decision from a federal appellate court prevented the state's "heartbeat" abortion ban, passed last year, from going into effect.

Colorado voters reject a ban on abortion beginning at 22 weeks of pregnancy

In Colorado, voters rejected Proposition 115 by a 59% to 41% vote, according to CNN projections. It would have banned abortion beginning at 22 weeks of pregnancy. The measure included exceptions to save the life of the pregnant woman but not for instances of rape or incest. Doctors who continue to perform abortions at 22 weeks would have faced a fine up to $5,000.

The results maintain Colorado as one of seven states that do not bar some abortions past a specific point in pregnancy, according to data from the abortion-rights research group the Guttmacher Institute. Data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's office shows that women from more than 30 states have traveled to Colorado to access abortions.

Follow live updates on the congressional race here.

6:05 a.m. ET, November 4, 2020

These are the 9 states that have not been called yet

Workers with the Detroit Department of Elections process ballots at the Central Counting Board in Detroit, Michigan on November 4.
Workers with the Detroit Department of Elections process ballots at the Central Counting Board in Detroit, Michigan on November 4. Elaine Cromie/Getty Images

It's the morning after Election Day, and CNN has not projected a winner in nine states across the country.

Right now, Joe Biden has 224 electoral votes, and President Trump has 213. Remember: It takes 270 votes to win the presidential election.

These are the nine states that have not yet been called, whose electoral votes are still up for grabs:

  1. Alaska
  2. Arizona
  3. Georgia
  4. Michigan
  5. Maine
  6. Nevada
  7. North Carolina
  8. Pennsylvania
  9. Wisconsin
5:56 a.m. ET, November 4, 2020

In Nevada, "the big question right now is composition," CNN's Phil Mattingly says

From CNN's Adrienne Vogt

Workers process polling materials at the Clark County Election Department after polls closed in North Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 3.
Workers process polling materials at the Clark County Election Department after polls closed in North Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 3. Ethan Miller/Getty Images

With Joe Biden and President Trump in a tight race in Nevada, “the big question right now is composition,” according to CNN’s Phil Mattingly. 

While populous Clark County — where Las Vegas is located — is currently reporting more than three-quarters of the vote, it’s unknown right now if the remaining vote to be counted is via mail-in ballots or in-person voting. 

“What kind of vote is coming in is just as important as where that vote is coming in,” Mattingly said. 

Joe Biden has an edge in Washoe County, where Reno is located, which is traditionally a tossup county, Mattingly explained. Hillary Clinton won the county, but narrowly, back in 2016. 

Meanwhile, Trump takes a big lead in the rural counties of the state. “Donald Trump wins the rurals, and he blows them out of the water,” Mattingly said. 

5:26 a.m. ET, November 4, 2020

US stock futures jittery on fears of a contested election

From CNN's Clare Duffy, Julia Horowitz and Jazmin Goodwin

A statue of former U.S. President George Washington is seen outside the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on November 3, in New York.
A statue of former U.S. President George Washington is seen outside the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on November 3, in New York. Andrew Kelly/Reuters

US stock futures swung wildly early Wednesday as the prospects of a quick, decisive result to the election faded and President Trump made baseless claims about the vote, leaving investors on edge.

Dow (INDU) futures plunged more than 400 points, or 1.5%, after Trump prematurely claimed victory and said he would go to court to prevent legitimate votes from being counted.

Stocks later pared back losses but remain jumpy in premarket trading. Dow futures were down just 0.1% at 3:30 a.m. ET, while S&P 500 futures rose 0.6%. The Nasdaq Composite, an outlier throughout the night, surged 2.5%.

Uncertainty is the enemy of markets. Investors had hoped that early results would point to a clear winner sooner rather than later, avoiding the nightmare scenario of a contested election.

5:30 a.m. ET, November 4, 2020

All of the votes from Milwaukee County are now in and counted, says elections director

From CNN's Josiah Ryan

All of the ballots from Milwaukee County have now been counted, Milwaukee County elections director Julietta Henry reported early this morning, just minutes after the lead in the state had flipped from President Trump to Joe Biden. 

The only exception are provisional ballots, which are due on Friday. 

"In Milwaukee county, we are now at 100% ballots cast," she told CNN's Chris Cuomo, early this morning. 

She said there have been no reports of irregularities in the county.

"There weren't any irregularities in Milwaukee County," she said. "We were anticipating finishing up tonight between 3:00 A.M. and 6:00 A.M. And I think we're right on target, with the 4:00 completion time."

See Milwaukee County elections director share numbers live on air: