It is likely that we will not know for certain the winner of the presidential election until at least tomorrow, and that is OK.
This election was unprecedented for a number of reasons. Among them was the sheer volume of absentee ballots involved because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Counting these ballots takes time. Say it with us: the election is not over until every vote is counted.
As of 2 p.m. Eastern time, the Associated Press has still not called Alaska (3 electoral votes), Georgia (16), Michigan (16), Nevada (6), North Carolina (15), or Pennsylvania (20).
Joe Biden has 248 confirmed electoral votes and would need 22 more to win. President Trump has 214 confirmed electoral votes and would need 56 more to win.
Twenty-two (22) states — including Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, Iowa, the District of Columbia and West Virginia -- allow postmarked ballots to arrive after Election Day.
Election results are certified at the state and local level, and no state certifies a winner on election night.
Biden told supporters a little after 12:30 a.m., “We believe we're on track to win this election.” But he emphasized the ballots remaining to be counted and did not declare victory.
Trump, by contrast, made reckless claims at the White House in which he falsely declared victory and threatened to go to the Supreme Court to shut the election down before every valid vote is counted.
Over 83 million nationwide requested a mail-in ballot to vote, including the 53 percent of Pennsylvania voters of color and 57 percent of Wisconsin voters of color who planned to vote by mail, and every vote must be counted.
We are actively working across the country to make sure the voices and votes of the American people are heard and counted.
Any effort to halt the count of mail-in votes would effectively disenfranchise tens of thousands of voters of color who overwhelmingly requested absentee ballots.
The ACLU will fight to ensure that every last vote is counted, so Americans can rest assured that our democracy remains intact. (edited)