Biden takes the lead in Pennsylvania, contest could be over for Trump

Biden now leads Trump by 5,587 votes in Pennsylvania

Pictures of the Week in North America Photo Gallery Joe Biden | AP

With 30,000 mail-in votes updated in Philadelphia's tally, former Vice President Joe Biden has now taken the lead from Donald Trump in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania—whose 20 electoral votes are crucial for Trump to remain in the race, and which would instantly grant the presidency to Biden.

Biden now leads Trump by 5,587 votes in Pennsylvania, days after being 11 points behind on account of the 'red mirage' that saw Trump take an initial lead that later withered away. Republicans turn up to vote in-person on Election Day, while Democrat votes which were sent by mail got tallied in the days after.

Biden enjoys an overwhelming lead in Philadelphia, with 553,953 votes to Trump's 125,513. What ballots remain to be counted in Pennsylvania are also from mostly Democrat areas, with 5 per cent of the total vote still remaining. 

Pennsylvania's 20 electoral college votes are a must-have for Trump to stay in the race. For Biden, who sits at 253 votes at present, winning Pennsylvania would cinch the contest. Even without PA, however, Biden could win by capturing Georgia or Nevada, assuming AP calling the contest in Arizona for him is accurate. However, ten per cent of votes remain to be counted there. 

Trump's path to power hinges on taking Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina and Nevada. 

Worryingly, CNN has reported that Trump has "no plans to concede" even if he loses key battleground states like Pennsylvania and Georgia (both of which Biden currently leads), having already questioned (without evidence) the legitimacy of the election.

In states like Georgia, where Biden's lead is just under half a percentage point, Trump may be able to call for a recount on account of the small margin. In Pennsylvania too, if the margin of victory is less than or rqual to 0.5 per cent of the total vote, an automatic recount is required by state law. 

Decision Desk HQ has already called the race for Joe Biden after projecting his victory in Pennsylvia to gain a total of 273 electoral votes. However, AP says it could take several more days for the vote count to conclude in some states and allow a clear winner to emerge. Biden has already received over 73 million votes nationally, the most in history—but millions of ballots remain to be tabulated. 

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