Election 2020 presidential results

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

Updated 1020 GMT (1820 HKT) November 6, 2020
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11:12 p.m. ET, November 5, 2020

Here's who's leading in 5 key states

We're tracking the narrow margins of votes in key states. See the latest figures below, and get full details and results in CNN's Election Center.

11:05 p.m. ET, November 5, 2020

There are roughly 14,000 ballots still outstanding in Georgia as Trump's lead shrinks

From CNN’s Jason Morris

As of 10:35 p.m. ET, there are approximately 14,097 ballots still outstanding across Georgia, according to a statement by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

Almost all of the outstanding ballots are absentee ballots, Raffensperger’s office told CNN earlier Thursday.

President Trump's lead over former Vice President Joe Biden has shrunk to 1,775 votes, CNN's Wolf Blitzer said.

Here's a breakdown of the ballots by county:

  • Clayton County: 4,355
  • Cobb County: 700
  • Floyd County: 444
  • Forsyth County: 1,545
  • Gwinnett County: 4,800
  • Laurens County: 1,797
  • Taylor County: 456

Shauna Dozier, Clayton County’s elections director, told CNN Thursday evening that Clayton County hopes to complete counting their remaining ballots by midnight.

11:07 p.m. ET, November 5, 2020

While awaiting election results, the US hits a new record high of Covid-19 cases

From CNN’s Haley Brink and Jennifer Henderson

An attendant talks to a person waiting in their car at a coronavirus testing site at Ascarate Park on October 31, in El Paso, Texas.
An attendant talks to a person waiting in their car at a coronavirus testing site at Ascarate Park on October 31, in El Paso, Texas. Cengiz Yar/Getty Images

The next president of the US is yet to be called, but the coronavirus pandemic looms large.

The US reached a new record high of daily Covid-19 cases. So far today, there have been at least 121,054 daily new coronavirus cases in the US, per Johns Hopkins University data.

This is the highest single day reporting since the pandemic began.

The top 5 Covid-19 case days so far:

  1. Nov. 5: 121,054
  2. Nov. 4: 102,831
  3. Oct. 30: 99,321
  4. Nov. 3: 91,530
  5. Oct. 31: 89,126

Joe Biden attended a briefing on coronavirus earlier today in Wilmington, Delaware. The pandemic's impact has been a key issue of the campaign, and whichever candidate wins the presidency will have to lead the country through this crisis.

10:59 p.m. ET, November 5, 2020

All mail-in ballots in Clayton County will be counted tonight, top elections official says

From CNN's Josiah Ryan

All remaining 4,200 uncounted mail-in ballots and provisional ballots cast in Clayton County, Georgia, will most likely be released by midnight, the director of the county's board of elections, Shauna Dozier, told CNN tonight. 

Dozier said to expect results posted on the county's website roughly every 30 minutes until midnight.

The only remaining uncounted ballots will then be military ballots, which are due at 5 p.m. ET, on Friday. Dozier said she is unaware of how many military ballots officials may receive. 

Clayton County, a suburb of Atlanta which trends Democratic, could put President Trump's path to the presidency in serious peril, noted CNN's John King earlier this evening. 

CNN's John King speaks to Shauna Dozier:

10:37 p.m. ET, November 5, 2020

Here's how you can track the status of your mail-in ballot

From CNN's  Jessica Campisi

Chester County, Pennsylvania, election worker Kristina Sladek opens mail-in and absentee ballots for the 2020 General Election in the United States at West Chester University on Tuesday, November 3.
Chester County, Pennsylvania, election worker Kristina Sladek opens mail-in and absentee ballots for the 2020 General Election in the United States at West Chester University on Tuesday, November 3. Matt Slocum/AP

The presidential race between President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden remains on a razor's edge as election workers in key states continue to plow through mail-in ballots.

Most states, with the help of USPS, sent ballot envelopes with a unique set of numbers for each individual voter. Those numbers are often known as Intelligent Mail Barcodes, which allow the Postal Service to track the ballot.

It's still too close to call a winner in these six states as votes continue to be counted: Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

If you submitted your ballot in one of these states and want to check its status, here's where you can go:

  • Alaska: Track your ballot here.
  • Arizona: Track your ballot here.
  • Georgia: Track your ballot here.
  • Nevada: Track your ballot here.
  • North Carolina: Track your ballot here.
  • Pennsylvania: Track your ballot here.

Learn how you can check your ballot in other states here.

And if ballot tracking technology isn't available where you live, you can contact your local election office if you have questions or concerns about your ballot.

10:38 p.m. ET, November 5, 2020

Arizona governor asks for "patience" as votes continue to be counted

From CNN’s Andy Rose

In this July 23, 2020 file photo, Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey applies hand sanitizer prior to giving the latest Arizona coronavirus update during a news conference in Phoenix.
In this July 23, 2020 file photo, Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey applies hand sanitizer prior to giving the latest Arizona coronavirus update during a news conference in Phoenix. Matt York/AP

The Republican governor of Arizona said the state is “following established Arizona election law to the letter,” following President Trump’s White House statement tonight claiming the election was being stolen from him.

“In Arizona, we count votes received up until Election Day. That’s it,” Gov. Doug Ducey said in a written statement Thursday. “No judges have intervened and no last-minute changes have been enacted.”

Contrary to the President’s demands in Pennsylvania and Georgia, the Trump campaign has pushed for vote counting to continue in Arizona as they hope to overtake Joe Biden. The most recent updates in the returns have helped Trump narrow the gap in that state.

“We’ve seen dramatic changes to races up and down the ballot since Tuesday night, including for President,” Ducey said. “All of this underlines the importance of not jumping to conclusions in the state of Arizona until there is a final outcome in all counties.”

10:22 p.m. ET, November 5, 2020

At least 3 Georgia counties have stopped counting ballots

From CNN’s Jason Morris and Chuck Johnston

At least three counties across Georgia have stopped counting ballots for the night, county officials told CNN Thursday evening.

This includes, Cobb County, an Atlanta suburb where Hillary Clinton won by a small margin in 2016 and Taylor County, located roughly 100 miles south of Atlanta.

Gwinnett County, the second largest county in the state, has stopped counting ballots for the evening and plan to update their results to Georgia's Secretary of State website on Friday morning.

10:22 p.m. ET, November 5, 2020

Biden team believes it's not a matter of if, but when, the race will be called for him

From CNN's MJ Lee

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden joined by Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., speaks at the The Queen theater Thursday, Nov. 5, in Wilmington, Delaware.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden joined by Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., speaks at the The Queen theater Thursday, Nov. 5, in Wilmington, Delaware. Carolyn Kaster/AP

In the final hours of Thursday night, with Joe Biden continuing to close in on President Trump in Georgia and Pennsylvania, the former vice president's campaign is projecting confidence.

The campaign believes it is simply a matter of when – not if – the race will be called for Biden. 

“We are confident that we’re going to pass 270,” said one Biden official late Thursday night.

Trump’s speech tonight from the White House filled with lies about the democratic vote-tallying process unfolding across the country only appears to have fueled the Biden team’s confidence, with one official calling the remarks “baseless and a sure sign he’s losing.”

10:23 p.m. ET, November 5, 2020

It's almost 10:30 p.m. ET. Here's where the race to 270 stands.

Joe Biden keeps gaining ground in Georgia tonight, and he's now in a near tie with President Trump in that traditionally red state.

It's a different story in Arizona, where Biden's advantage has narrowed, but he stills appears to be on a path toward nearing the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency.

Biden currently has 253 electoral votes, while Trump has 213.

Here's a look at where things stand in the closest contests: