It appears that the Democratic challenger Joe Biden is the presumed winner of the US Presidential contest held last Tuesday. It comes with the title Presumed President.Counting of ballots is still ongoing. The incumbent Donald Trump has not conceded. In fact, he has gone to court. But it does not appear that Trump has a legal case. And there isn’t a path to victory for him unless he reversed the gains made by Biden in a recount of ballots.
On Tuesday evening, Caribbean Americans who supported Biden were most disappointed with the outcome of the elections when they went to bed. He was trailing badly and appeared heading for defeat. Analogously, Caribbean supporters of Republican incumbent Donald Trump were pleased with the outcome convinced he was heading for victory. But the outcome was not clear Tuesday evening because millions of ballots remained to be counted in critical battleground states. Nothing had changed on the prospective outcome Wednesday morning as counting of ballots continued overnight.
On Wednesday morning, Biden was leading in electoral votes 238 to 223, but Trump was leading in popular votes in undeclared swing states to capture their electoral votes that would guarantee his re-election. Supporters of both sides were awakened on Wednesday morning with news that Trump had remained in the lead in the undecided critical battleground states. Indo Caribbean American Democrats were disheartened with that news. Everyone I spoke with gave up hope of anBiden victory. But I told them there is a chance that Biden could win the Presidency were he to prevail in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Nevada even if he were to lose Pennsylvania where he was trailing Trump badly.
By Wednesday afternoon, with counting of ballots continuing, it appears that Biden has won Wisconsin and Michigan and is ahead in Nevada. If those victories can be confirmed, then Biden’s electoral votes tally would be 270, which is a majority of 538 votes. All popular votes are not in as of Wednesday evening. But the trend shows a Biden victory in all three states, and he could possibly win Pennsylvania which would be a further 20 votes which would be above and beyond the minimum needed for victory. Two other states were also close. They would not matter if Biden wins Nevada and or Pennsylvania. If Nevada does not pan out, then Pennsylvania would take Biden over the finish line. And even if that does not work out, it is possible he could win Georgia or North Carolina.
Regardless, once the final count holds up in Nevada, and it appears it would, Biden would be the President Presumed waiting for the official final results expected in a few days to confirm his victory.Unlike heretofore when the winner of the presidency would have been known the very evening of the election, this year counting of ballots is taking several days because of a new method of voting – millions of mail in ballots that can be counted if they arrive by Friday but post marked by November 3. A declaration cannot be made before then although there would be enough of a trend to determine the winner. As it stands, Biden is heading for victory.
Meanwhile, Trump has gone to court to challenge the counting process in Pennsylvania. While Trumpers were convinced of victory Tuesday night, Biden supporters are ready for celebrations.
