US Election Day

Trump, Biden neck-and-neck in US presidential race

Radio România, 04.11.2020, 04:27

Polling stations are closing across the US in the presidential election that pitted Republican Donald Trump against Democrat Joe Biden.

Although Biden was ahead at national level, polls were close in key swing states, including Florida, Arizona, and Georgia, making the outcome unpredictable. Florida is projected to have been won by Donald Trump, but the race is too tight to call in many of the other battleground states.

The campaign was held amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the handling of which was one of the major issues over which the 2 contenders diverged. But even so, the turnout was among the highest in the past century, with an unprecedented 100 million people casting their ballots early or by mail.

Mail-in and early votes also play a part in how soon the final result will be known, as some states allow ballots arriving after Election Day to be counted—provided they are postmarked by November 3.

Also, given the electoral college system used by the US, where winning the most votes does not necessarily mean winning the election, both opinion polls and exit polls may prove misleading and Americans may still have to wait days before they know who their president will be for the next 4 years.

The Congress line-up was also at stake on Tuesday, with the Democrats seeking control over the Senate in addition to their current majority in the House.