As per the Associated Press, Joe Biden will be the next President of the United States. Biden pulled ahead of current President Donald Trump in the popular vote and surpassed the 270 threshold of electoral college votes needed to secure the Presidency.
Last week was spent watching results trickle in from several key swing states as mail-in were counted. On Friday it was announced that Biden had secured enough of the vote to win the electoral college. Votes are still being counted in several states, but Biden’s lead is now past the point of return hence the election being called in his favor by the AP.
In states where the gap between the two candidates is less than 1%, a recount will likely take place. However, recounts rarely change the total count by more than a couple hundred votes so the likelihood of this changing the outcome of the election is slim. The way of voting for president has had its changes due to COVID and has also presented challenges as well. Voting deadlines for an application to mail in votes was for Oct. 28 and submissions by mail as well as in person voting was for Nov. 3.
West Virginia, much like other states, held early voting and absentee and mail-in voting. Voters were still able to mail their absentee ballot if it was postmarked by election day and received by Nov. 9.
“All West Virginia voters had the option to vote absentee if they had concerns of COVID-19. During early voting, 253,243 votes were cast. We enter today (Nov. 3) with 394,476 ballots already cast in West Virginia,” said Deputy Press Secretary Jennifer Gardner.
The impacts of COVID have resulted in a rise in people who voted earlier this year or through the mail. According to Dr. Brian Fitzpatrick, from West Liberty’s political science department, roughly 150 to 160 million people were expected to vote in this year’s election and about 100 million had already voted prior to election.
Trump has made claims of election fraud and rigging but they have no foundation. He is yet to concede the race to Biden which contrasts customary practice. However, foreign leaders have been in contact with Biden to congratulate him on the victory.
The Biden campaign’s victory also sees Kamala Harris make history as the first female, first black, and first Vice President of South Asian descent. She will replace Trump’s Vice President, Mike Pence.
The Democrats maintained control of the House of Representatives, but the Senate race is still undecided as Georgia will head into two run-off elections in January to decide their Senators. Republicans need to win the Senate in order to prevent the Democrats from holding the Presidency and both legislative bodies.