GOP Loses Bid To Toss ‘Flawed’ Ballots In PA; Biden’s Lead Widens In Nevada

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Originally appeared at ZeroHedge

Update (1750ET): While the AP has already called Arizona for Joe Biden, as has Fox News, but since the other networks have not and votes are still being counted, here’s a look at the race there, with 90% of the vote in: Joe Biden leads Donald Trump by 39,769 Biden leads 49.92% to 48.65%, per the AP.

Biden has expanded his lead in Georgia, according to newly released tallies. He’s now ahead of Trump by 4,235 votes in the state, according to AP’s results.

Meanwhile, The DNC’s top election lawyer, Marc Elias, on Friday filed a motion to intervene in the Nevada lawsuit filed by two Republican candidates for Congress who are challenging the state’s process for counting mail-in ballots. US District Judge Andrew Gordon in Las Vegas set a hearing earlier this afternoon local time Friday to start hearing arguments in the case, which is claiming that the state’s system isn’t catch enough mismatches in the ballot count.

As of dinner time on the East Coast, here’s where thing stand:

There hasn’t been a large shift in the race nor has AP called any states since we last checked in, but here is a look at the states yet to be called.

Just recently, new numbers out of Nevada, particularly, Clark County, which is heavily Democratic, have pushed Biden’s lead even higher in Nevada, though plenty of votes in more rural parts of the state remain to be counted.

GEORGIA:

Joe Biden leads Donald Trump by 1,538 votes

Biden leads 49.4% to 49.37% with 99% of the vote in

NORTH CAROLINA:

Donald Trump leads Joe Biden by 76,673 votes

Trump leads 50.09% to 48.69% with 99% of the vote in

PENNSYLVANIA:

Joe Biden leads Donald Trump by 14,725 votes

Biden leads 49.54% to 49.32% with 98% of the vote in

NEVADA:

Joe Biden leads Donald Trump by 20,137 votes

Biden leads 49.8% to 48%

* * *

Update (1530ET): As we wait to hear more from Biden and/or his top campaign staff, here’s where things stand as of Friday afternoon on the East Coast.

* * *

Update (1430ET): Republicans in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, lost a court bid to block the local elections board from disclosing identities of voters whose invalid mail-in ballots were cancelled on Nov. 3, one of several lawsuits filed in the state The Northampton election board provided the names to both the Democratic and Republican parties so they could alert the voters and suggest they vote in-person by provisional ballot.

The court denied complaint brought by state GOP officials, saying the state was already doing enough on its own to make sure the flawed or provisional ballots are separated.

Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman, a Democrat, appeared on CNN and proclaimed that Biden’s margins in the state are going to “continue to grow” and insisted that all the ballots had been legally counted. He also muttered this memorable line about Trump having the ability to “sue a ham sandwich”.

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman: Trump "can sue a ham sandwich" but it won't change ballots from being lawfully received and counted. pic.twitter.com/HyGZTYAYnA

— The Recount (@therecount) November 6, 2020

However, on the other hand, Biden’s lead in Arizona is shrinking, raising hopes that Trump could come back and win the Western state. Biden’s lead has shrank to 41,302.

Ivanka Trump, meanwhile, has come out to insist that every ballot be counted, even as her father pushes to limit late-arriving ballots from being added to the count.

* * *

Update (1345ET): Minutes after President Trump released his statement affirming that his team would take their fight over the ballot counting “transparency” to the courts, a PA state court delivered Trump’s team its second victory in PA today, ording that all provisional count.

• PENNSYLVANIA COURT ORDERS SEGREGATION OF PROVISIONAL BALLOTS

Earlier, Democrats in Pennsylvania on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to hold off any action involving a petition from Republicans in the state that argues the tribunal should strike down a three-day deadline extension for Pennsylvania mail ballots sent by Election Day to be received by elections boards.

The filing by the state Democratic Party on Thursday was in response to a motion by the Trump campaign to join the state GOP in its effort to overturn the deadline extension, which was implemented by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

At least now the ballots at the center of the ballots are in a safe space and segregated away from the rest of the      nb  bvvvcccc                                                                              n                                                           votes, so if Trump wins, they could easily be tossed.

* * *

Update (1300ET): The Washington Post just declared that Joe Biden will not wait for the final results to come in to declare victory.

Per Bloomberg, Biden is widely rumored to speak at some point Friday evening from an elaborate stage that has been set up at the Chase Center, waiting for days for the VP to use it.

The aide told WaPo that Biden from the day he announced his candidacy has been about bringing people together and about ending that sort of toxic, chaotic divisive mood of the country,” the aide said, adding that Biden “would want to go out and continue to deliver that message.”

The Biden campaign does not intend to wait for President Trump to concede before Biden declares victory. “Donald Trump doesn’t get to decide who wins elections,” the aide said. “The American people do.”

Biden’s aide told WaPo that there has been a “growing sense of excitement” throughout the day, and that Biden will pivot to focusing on governing immediately.

In a statement, President Trump and his team said the following: “the American people deserve to have full transparency into all vote counting and election certification, and that this is no longer about any single election. This is about the integrity of our entire election process. From the beginning we have said that all legal ballots must be counted and all illegal ballots should not be counted, yet we have met resistance to this basic principle by Democrats at every turn. We will pursue this process through every aspect of the law to guarantee that the American people have confidence in our government. I will never give up fighting for you and our nation.” – Trump said.

And with that Trump is doubling down on his ace in the hole – relying on all those judges and justices he’s appointed over the past three years.

* * *

Update (1200ET): Here’s some more of the latest updates.

Biden has 264 electoral votes; Trump has 214, according to the AP and Bloomberg.

But before everybody starts calling PA for Biden, here’s something to keep in mind:

Important Pennsylvania point, since many Republicans are saying otherwise:

ABC News has confirmed that ballots that arrived *after* polls closed on election day are *not* currently part of the vote count.

They're being sequestered at the moment as the legal fight continues.

— Adam Kelsey (@adamkelsey) November 6, 2020

.@PatToomey specifically said otherwise on our special report about an hour ago, and he subsequently doubled-down when @GStephanopoulos rightfully corrected him.

— Adam Kelsey (@adamkelsey) November 6, 2020

Sec. @KathyBoockvar actually said this publicly *yesterday:*

"The ballots that have been counted so far are the ones that came in by November 3rd," she said at her presser.

Our confirmation is that they're still sequestered and still not part of the count.

— Adam Kelsey (@adamkelsey) November 6, 2020

As of Noon on the East Coast:

• GEORGIA: Biden leads Trump by 1,587 votes, 49.4% to 49.37% with 99% of votes in
• PENNSYLVANIA: Biden leads Trump by 8,873 votes, 49.49% to 49.36% with 98% of votes counted
• NEVADA: Biden leads Trump by 22,076 votes, 49.83% to 48.07% with 86% of the vote counted
• There still has not been an update reported out of North Carolina, where Trump leads Biden by 76,701 votes, 50.09% to 48.69%.

* * *

Update (1130ET): We have another update on the vote out of PA: The new votes in Pennsylvania were reported from Delaware County (Philly suburbs), where Biden leads Trump 62.8% to 36.3% with 95% reporting.

In the new batch of votes added in the , Biden received 3,523 and Trump received 1,289, meaning Biden garnered 72% of all the new votes, and pushing the VP just ever-so-slightly ahead of the president.

Per Fox, 98% of the Keystone state is reporting, but with the margin so slight, officials have already declared that a recount is expected.

Nevada update: Biden now leads Donald Trump by 22,076 votes in Nevada, 49.8% to 48.1%, with 91% reporting according to Bloomberg.

That new batch of Nevada votes came from Clark County, where the vast majority of Nevadans live, and where Dem-heavy Las Vegas is located. Biden gained 19,995 votes and Trump gained 9,357, meaning 65% all the new votes counted in this update went to Biden. Biden leads Trump in Clark County 53.6% to 44.6%, with 91% reporting.

* * *

Update (1100ET):Nancy Pelosi started her Friday morning press conference by proclaiming that Joe Biden had won the election, defeating President Trump, even as the world waits for a final count, which may or may not be available by Friday evening.

“This morning it is clear that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will win the White House.”

For all the kvetching Pelosi did about Trump declaring victory prematurely, or refusing to concede, Pelosi has apparently shown few qualms about calling the race for her candidate.

As the press briefing continued, Pelosi said “president-elect Biden has a “strong mandate” to lead the country.

IN what was her only reference to the historic drubbing that just might cost her the speakership early next year, Pelosi said she hopes her members who lost in tough districts should consider running again next cycle.

Meanwhile, Democrats seemingly can’t help touting the victory of Mark Kelly, a former astronaut and husband to former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who was shot by a psychotic lunatic with a gun.

Finally and ironically, Pelosi echoed President Trump with a familiar “jobs, job, jobs” approaching, touting Biden’s commitment to growing the economy (even though the Democrat has also pledged to shut the whole thing down with nother lockdown).

* * *

Update (1040ET): Georgia’s Secretary of State has confirmed that there will be a recount.

! Georgia Secretary of State: "There will be a recount in Georgia."

— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) November 6, 2020

BREAKING: There will be a recount in Georgia, the state’s secretary of state just said during a news conference #Election2020

Joe Biden currently holds a narrow lead there over President Trump https://t.co/CSe4typnbM pic.twitter.com/dcPHqcx1Rn

— Bloomberg (@business) November 6, 2020

Meanwhile, the Biden Campaign is reminding American that if Trump refuses to concede, he will note be allowed to remain in the White House.

BREAKING: There will be a recount in Georgia, the state’s secretary of state just said during a news conference #Election2020

Joe Biden currently holds a narrow lead there over President Trump https://t.co/CSe4typnbM pic.twitter.com/dcPHqcx1Rn

— Bloomberg (@business) November 6, 2020

In a pretty vivid illustration of how close the vote is in Georgia, Voting Implementation Manager Gabriel Sterling just called the kind of margin you’d see in “a large high school.”

We’ll likely have more on this seaon.

* * *

Update (0945ET): Donald Trump Jr. is raising some fair points on Twitter…starting with a comparison o fthe numbers with 2016 and 2008.

I’m retweeting this and genuinely asking for people to explain what it happening here if not a woman filling out ballots.

This is not misinformation or conjecture. I’m asking a question and will gladly retweet an honest explanation.

Maybe mainstream media could try the same. https://t.co/Bz8ZmXC6eW

— Dave Rubin (@RubinReport) November 6, 2020

"Saddam Hussein never held an election in which he got all of 23,277 ballots cast. Yet here we are in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States of America … and Joe Biden gets 23,277 votes out of 23,277 ballots cast?" https://t.co/fHY8gskrRO

— Trump War Room – Text TRUMP to 88022 (@TrumpWarRoom) November 6, 2020

Serious question… could it be that to get the highest number of fraudulent ballots they only filled out one dot rather than take the amount of time to fill out the full ballot??? https://t.co/29pl9uzuxb

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) November 6, 2020

Does anyone really believe that Joe Biden shattered Obama’s historic 2008 numbers?

Does anyone really believe that he did that mostly in big cities?

C’mon man!!!

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) November 6, 2020

Nope. You’re being deliberately dishonest.

Someone 20 ft away—forced to use binoculars—is not an “observer” under the law. Not if they can’t see what ballot counters are actually doing.

Since most Dems will just believe your rhetoric—despite the facts—READ the court ruling: https://t.co/GMA5nbJphV pic.twitter.com/4flnbHF0RK

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) November 6, 2020

Joe Biden wants the economy shutdown and you and your family locked down.

"I would shut it down." – Joe Biden pic.twitter.com/hLf5dL2D2j

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) October 31, 2020

Meanwhile, the Trump Campaign is insisting that the race is far from over, as the battle lines are being drawn in PA, where Biden is on track to amass a lead of around 80k votes before provisional ballots get counted. One NYT reporter surmised that this could be enough for the networks to make a projection calling the race for Biden (something they have already done, before retracting that).

Bottom line: As the battle over the biggest remaining prize continues, a word about potential recounts: In Pennsylvania, Republican Senator Pat Toomey suggested that a recount is also possible there.

* * *

Update (0910ET): After the NBC News decision desk briefly called PA for Biden (saying the outcome had officially put Biden over the top, making him the new president-elect), it looks like that decision has been retracted.

The Hill still has Biden up by 5,587 votes in PA.

Quintanilla has deleted a tweet referring to Biden as “President-elect”, but this one remained up.

BREAKING: Joe Biden has taken the lead in Pennsylvania, a result that, if it holds, would take him over the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency.

— Matt Viser (@mviser) November 6, 2020

However, others are insisting that the battle for PA has already been lost.

Decision Desk HQ projects that @JoeBiden has won Pennsylvania and its 20 electoral college votes for a total of 273.

Joe Biden has been elected the 46th President of the United States of America.

Race called at 11-06 08:50 AM EST

All Results: https://t.co/BgcQsEyt3j

— Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) November 6, 2020

But as the old saying goes: it ain’t over till it’

And as President Trump’s eldest son, Donald Jr., pointed out, there have been many notable ‘irregularities’ which, while not uncommon in past American elections, could play a major role as the Congress and the courts try to parse the true victor.

If you think this is all a coincidence you’re an idiot. These are statistical impossibilities. https://t.co/dmnSIJgnC5

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) November 6, 2020

Here’s where Fox has things as of early Thursday morning in the US.

* * *

Update (0900ET): NBC News has officially declared that Biden has taken the lead in PA just before 0900 on Friday morning, moving him closer to defeating President Trump, with tens of thousands of votes still available to be counted. Biden took a lead of 5,587 votes as ballots from Philadelphia were counted.

It’s the second major encouraging sign for Biden Friday am, coming hours after he reportedly took the lead in Georgia, a state that President Trump was favored.

Interestingly, the news of Biden taking the lead in PA comes as USPS has found more ballots in Philly, a heavily Democratic stronghold. News of the discovery of the 1,000+ new ballots bu USPS comes via Politico.

* * *

Update (0800ET): Nevada’s AG has said he is “skeptical” of President Trump’s arguments about why the vote should be stopped, yet the flurry of legal challenges continues, as President Trump battles to preclude the possibility of a Biden victory.

Trump, speaking to reporters late last night, said he has no doubt that he won. Meanwhile, backers of the president are carrying guns, ramped up demonstrations on Thursday night against what Trump claims has been a rigged election, in Nevada, Arizona and other Western states.

Despite all those calls for violence, and boarded up stores and strip malls in anticipation of the chaos that has occasionally dotted the American urban landscape this year, demonstrators on both sides were mostly peaceful.

In Arizona, one of the closely contested states, Trump and Biden supporters briefly scuffled outside the Maricopa County Elections Department in Phoenix.

According to Reuters, several heavily armed right-wing groups assembled on the site as election workers counted votes inside. Election officials continued to tabulate ballots across the country, in some cases processing an unprecedented number of mail-in ballotss

* * *

As we head into day three of counting the ballots, Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt told CNN he expects an update in the next few hours as they kept counting through the night.

There are 50,000 votes left to be counted there, he said. Despite a dustup that was the result of observers from both the Trump and Biden campaigns have been present observing the counting process, Schmidt said. “We have no doubt when the count is finished, Senator Harris and I will be declared the winners” he added.

Here’s the most up to date map from Bloomberg:

Source: Bloomberg

In Georgia, Biden took a lead of more than 900 votes at about 0430 Friday morning: the lead has since grown to 1,096 votes. He gained the lead initially came after Clayton County in the Atlanta suburbs reported a bucket of ballots. Biden had been winning a huge proportion of the votes in that area. Other Atlanta suburbs are still reporting.

Georgia hasn’t voted for a Democrat for president since Bill Clinton in 1992, He won in the state by 13,000 votes, garnering 43% of the votes cast. With 14,097 votes left to count in Georgia President Trump’s lead over Joe Biden had evaporated to a mere 1,775 votes

In PA, Trump’s lead stood at 18,229 votes at 0600ET though it seems to steadily be shrinking. More mailed-in ballots, which Biden is winning by a healthy margin, are still expected to be counted, with many of them from the heavily Democratic city of Philadelphia and its suburbs. More mailed-in ballots are also set to be counted on Friday in Allegheny County, the home of Pittsburgh.

However, in Georgia, a local reporter summed up the situation with all the attendant frustration and vitriol. Robin Kemp, the reporter in Clayton County, acknowledged that “yes” the votes are still being counted” and that no clear winner has emerged.

If, by some miracle, Biden does pull off a victory in Georgia, it would be a historic moment for Dems. But it wouldn’t necessarily translate to a victory: Also, for readers who aren’t familiar with the other votes that take days to fully count these are validly cast ballots, just being counted now.

Biden also retains leads in the states of Nevada and Arizona, where ballots are still being counted, and mail in ballots from thousands of older retirees remain to be counted. While the MSM is branding those states as Biden upsets, with votes being counted at a glacial pace, there is still plenty of room for Trump to pull through.

With PA remaining the biggest available prize, every major network has Biden leading with at least 253 electoral votes, meaning that if he were to win Pennsylvania and its 20 electoral votes, he would have more than the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency. Fox News and the Associated Press have both called the race for Biden in Arizona, projecting him as the winner of that state’s 11 electoral votes, though other networks have abstained.

While the MSM seems to be fixated on Biden winning Arizona and Nevada, conservative and independent journalists have focused on the Democrats’ dragging their feet on counting the votes in PA.

Delaware County, PA.

Two workers literally filling out ballots.

This thing is so crooked.

pic.twitter.com/IZToAUb5iv

— HARLAN Z. HILL ?? (@Harlan) November 6, 2020

While USPS proclaimed that it may have somehow lost mail-in ballots, raising the specter of an “illegitimate” vote, stock futures turned red as markets began to contemplate the ‘doomsday scenario’.

If Biden does pull away with GA…

As stock futures turn red, it seems nobody wants to even acknowledge the growing possibility of we have lightheartedly called “the doomsday scenario”. That is, if Biden wins GA and its 16 electoral votes, but loses Arizona (11) and Nevada (6), the race could ultimately come down to PA, potentially leaving either the Supreme Court, or the House, to decide the outcome of the vote.

As the legal wrangling drags on, the DOJ is looking into whether mail-in ballots in Nevada were improperly cast by people who’d moved out of the state, while a federal judge denied the Trump campaign’s emergency request to stop counting in Philadelphia. Though Trump has stumbled in court, the lawsuit claims are still arousing his base.

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