If Trump does not win Pennsylvania and Florida, it is likely that his presidency will be lost. Texas could also wobble.
Who will be the next US president is decided in a few US states. In many of the 50 states the same party always wins, but about a dozen are fiercely contested. In the election on November 3, the eyes will be on these “Battleground States” or “Swing States”. The Republican Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden have also been increasingly campaigning for votes there in the final spurt of the election campaign.
The US president is not directly elected. The voters’ votes decide the composition of the electoral college that ultimately elects the president. To win an election, a candidate needs the votes of at least 270 of the 538 voters. Because of Corona, it is expected that many more people will vote by postal vote. Therefore, experts partly expect delayed results. In at least three states (Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan), which together provide 46 voters, those responsible consider delays in counting possible. It could last until Friday. An overview:
Florida: With 29 voters, Florida is one of the most important contested states. In 2016 Trump narrowly won there. Current polls indicate a neck-and-neck race. Biden is just ahead in most surveys. Postal ballot papers can be counted there days before the election, so a timely announcement of the result is likely. The polling stations are open from 13.00 CET Tuesday to 2.00 CET Wednesday.
Pennsylvania: In the 2016 election, Trump narrowly won the Pennsylvania election. Polls currently give Biden a good chance of securing the 20 voters – but it could be close. Postal voting documents may only be collected and counted on election day. Therefore a delay in the announcement of the results is likely. The polling stations are open from Tuesday 13.00 CET to Wednesday 2.00 CET.
Arizona: The southwestern state was long considered a safe bastion of the Republicans. In 2016 Trump was able to secure the eleven Arizona voters. However, polls recently showed Biden to be just ahead. Postal votes can be counted before the election. The polling stations are open from Tuesday 15.00 CET to Wednesday 4.00 CET.
Wisconsin: The northeastern state has ten voters to assign. In 2016 Trump was able to win by a very narrow margin, this year Biden is considered the favorite. Postal ballot papers may not be collected and counted until election day, so a delay in the final results is possible. The polling stations are open from 14.00 CET on Tuesday to 3.00 CET on Wednesday.
Ohio: The state has 18 voters to assign. There are signs of a neck-and-neck race between Trump and Biden. Trump had won the state in 2016 very convincingly. Postal ballot papers can be collected before election day. The polling stations are open from 12.30 CET Tuesday to 1.30 CET Wednesday.
Minnesota: In 2016, Democrat Hillary Clinton was able to secure the ten votes of the men and women voters there by a narrow margin. Polls now see Biden clearly in the lead in the state on the border with Canada. The collection of postal voting documents begins before the election, the counting of votes only on election day. The polling stations are open from Tuesday 14.00 CET to Wednesday 3.00 CET.
Michigan: The state’s 16 voters went to Trump in 2016 with a wafer-thin majority. Polls see Biden clearly in the lead in this election. The processing of the postal ballot documents will begin shortly before the election, but the counting will not begin until election day, which is why those responsible expect a delay. The polling stations are open from Tuesday 13.00 CET to Wednesday 3.00 CET.
Iowa: In 2016 Trump was able to secure the state’s six voters in the Midwest by a large margin. Now, according to polls, there are signs of a neck-and-neck race between the Republican and the Democrat Biden. The polling stations will be open on Tuesday from 14.00 CET to 4.00 CET on Wednesday.
North Carolina: The state on the east coast has 15 voters to fill in. In 2016, Trump was able to prevail there with a good three percentage points lead. Polls are now predicting a very close race, with a lead for Biden. Postal ballot papers can partly be evaluated before the election, the polling stations are open on Tuesday from 12:30 CET to 1:30 CET on Wednesday.
Georgia: Trump was able to secure the votes of the 16 voters in the southeastern state of 2016 with a good lead. Now polls are predicting a neck-and-neck race. Postal ballot papers will be collected upon receipt and counted on election day. The polling stations are open on Tuesday from 13.00 CET to 1.00 CET on Wednesday.
Nevada: In 2016, the votes of the six electorates of the western state went to Clinton with a good two percentage points lead. Polls now predict a narrow victory for Biden. The polling stations are open from 16.00 CET to 4.00 CET on Wednesday.
Texas: The populous southern state with 38 voters has been going to Republicans for decades and is not considered a “swing state”. Trump was nine percentage points ahead of Clinton in 2016. Current polls see Trump in the lead there – but only very narrowly. Postal voting documents can sometimes be processed before the election. The polling stations are open from Tuesday 14.00 CET to 3.00 CET on Wednesday.
Source: kurier.at. Picture: pixabay.com
This post has already been read 972 times!