US election results LIVE: Results slow in Pennsylvania; Trump yet ahead

US election results 2020 LIVE updates: Among key states with most electoral votes, Trump is leading in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Texas and Florida. Joe Biden is ahead in Arizona, Nevada, California, NYC

1:06 AM

Trump is leading in Pennsylvania by around 114,000 votes with Biden steadily closing the gap. Over 550,000 ballots are yet to be counted

12:50 AM

Election splits Congress, GOP bolstered as Democrats falter

The election scrambled seats in the House and Senate but ultimately left Congress much like it began, deeply split as voters resisted big changes despite the heated race at the top of the ticket for the White House.

 

It's an outcome that dampens Democratic demands for a bold new agenda, emboldens Republicans and almost ensures partisan gridlock regardless of who wins the presidency. Or perhaps, as some say, it provides a rare opening for modest across-the-aisle cooperation.

 

Speaker Nancy Pelosi was on track to keep control of the Democratic House, but saw her majority shrinking and her leadership called into question. Control of the Senate tilted Republicans' way as they fended off an onslaught of energized challengers, though a few races remained undecided Wednesday.

12:38 AM

Wall Street draws comfort from potential divided Congress

US stocks jumped on Thursday as bets on Republicans retaining control of the Senate eased worries of major policy changes that could hurt corporate America under a Joe Biden White House, even as the presidential election hung in the balance.

 

With counting continuing in the battleground states, investors were abandoning cautious positioning that many took ahead of the election, driving all of Wall Street's main indexes up by around 2 per cent.

12:17 AM

Control of the Senate still hangs in the balance. Contests in Georgia, North Carolina and Alaska haven't been decided. One other race in Georgia is headed to a January 5 runoff.

11:41 PM

Be patient, folks. Votes are being counted: Biden

11:29 PM

Trump campaign files electoral malpractice lawsuit in Nevada

The Trump Campaign on Thursday filed a lawsuit in the battleground State of Nevada, alleging mass level electoral malpractice.

 

Nevada is the fourth State where the Trump Campaign has filed a lawsuit. US President Donald Trump, who has 214 votes so far, has filed lawsuits in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and demanded recounting of votes in Wisconsin.

 

Trump in a tweet, threatened to file lawsuits in all States where his rival and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has claimed victory.

 

All of the recent Biden claimed States will be legally challenged by us for Voter Fraud and State Election Fraud. Plenty of proof - just check out the Media. WE WILL WIN! America First! Trump said in a tweet.

11:28 PM

Georgia judge dismisses Trump campaign lawsuit

A judge in Georgia has dismissed a lawsuit by the state Republican Party and President Donald Trump’s campaign that asked him to ensure a coastal county was following state laws on processing absentee ballots.

 

Chatham County Superior Court Judge James Bass did not provide an explanation for his decision Thursday at the close of a roughly one-hour hearing. The county includes the heavily Democratic city of Savannah. (AP)

11:08 PM

Stop the fraud, says Trump as Biden narrows gap in Georgia, extends lead in Nevada

10:50 PM

Trump has a narrow path to victory as Biden races ahead

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden appeared to be on the cusp of making history along with his running mate Senator Kamala Harris, while President Donald Trump continued to have a bumpy and narrow path to victory as counting of votes in some key battleground States entered its last stretch.
 

As per projections made by major media outlets, Biden has 264 electoral college votes, just six votes short of the magical number of 270 out of 538 required to win the presidency. However, for news outlets like CNN, Biden has 253 electoral college votes as it has still not called Arizona, which has 11 votes and counting of votes continued.

10:40 PM

Joe Biden extends lead in battleground state Nevada --- which has 6 electoral votes --- inching closer to halfway mark.

10:36 PM

Biden’s campaign manager predicts a victory, but urges patience as votes are counted, reports New York Times

10:22 PM

Ballot counting in Philadelphia temporarily halted: Report

The counting of mail-in ballots in Philadelphia has been temporarily halted as Democrats ask the state's top court to reverse a lower court ruling on ballot count observers, MSNBC reported.

10:00 PM

All of the recent Biden claimed States will be legally challenged by us for Voter Fraud and State Election Fraud: Trump

9:51 PM

Big legal win in Pennsylvania, says Trump

9:06 PM

US Election Results 2020 LIVE: Joe Biden's lead in Arizona shrank against Donald Trump, reports CNN