Election Day 2020 has finally arrived. After over a year of anticipation, voters will have a final opportunity to cast their vote to determine the President of the United States for the next four years.
This election is unlike any other in our nation’s history. The COVID-19 pandemic has not only changed the talking points of the election but also the way candidates have campaigned leading up to today.
Presidential Election
Mail-in ballots have made voting more accessible during the pandemic but may take longer to count. It is possible that we will not have a clear winner tonight, or even this week. Still, many states are safely or likely red or blue, leaving the balance of the election to key swing and leaning states.
270towin.com’s latest electoral map forecast (as of Nov. 2 at 3:02 p.m.) shows the following projections for leaning and swing states.
Leaning Democrat
- Nebraska District 2 – 1 electoral vote
- New Hampshire – 4 electoral votes
- Nevada – 6 electoral votes
- Wisconsin – 10 electoral votes
- Arizona – 11 electoral votes
- Michigan – 16 electoral votes
- Pennsylvania – 20 electoral votes
Leaning Republican
- Texas – 38 electoral votes
Swing States
- Maine District 2 – 1 electoral vote
- Iowa – 6 electoral votes
- North Carolina – 15 electoral votes
- Georgia – 16 electoral votes
- Ohio – 18 electoral votes
- Florida – 29 electoral votes
Fivethirtyeight.com (as of Nov. 2 at 5:23 p.m.) shows the following polling average leads for each candidate in these states.
Leaning Democrat
- Nebraska District 2 – Biden +4.5%
- New Hampshire – Biden +11.1%
- Nevada – Biden +4.8%
- Wisconsin – Biden +8.2%
- Arizona – Biden +2.6%
- Michigan – Biden +8%
- Pennsylvania – Biden +4.8%
Leaning Republican
- Texas – Trump +1%
Swing States
- Maine District 2 – Biden +3.2%
- Iowa – Trump +1.4%
- North Carolina – Biden +1.9%
- Georgia – Biden +1%
- Ohio – Trump +0.7%
- Florida – Biden +2.5%
The chance of a third party playing a role in the election is still in play, as well. Libertarian candidate Jo Jorgensen is polling at or above 5% in early voting exit polls for multiple states.
- Pennsylvania – 9% (Citizen Data)
- Virginia – 8% (Roanoke University)
- Alabama – 7% (Swayable)
- Indiana – 5% (Ragnar)
House of Representatives: Pennsylvania Congressional District 14
In 2018, Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R) defeated Bibiana Boerio (D) by 15.8% in District 14. This year, Reschenthaler faces democratic challenger William Marx. Cookpolitical.com and insideelections.com both rate District 14’s race as safe for Reschenthaler.
Pennsylvania House of Representatives: Legislative District 50
Rep. Pam Snyder (D) faces challenger Larry Yost (R) in District 50, encompassing all of Greene County, as well as parts of Fayette and Washington Counties. In 2018, Snyder defeated current Greene County commissioner Betsy McClure by 13.4%, after defeating her by just over 6% in 2016.
The Yellow Jacket and WCTV will have you covered on these races and more tonight. WCTV will be holding a four hour live Election Night Special on their YouTube channel WUDP starting at 7 p.m. Yellow Jacket staff members will be live tweeting results from the above races throughout the night as well. Make sure to follow us @WUYellowJacket on Twitter and turn notifications on for our coverage of Election Night 2020.