Joe Biden Wins 2020 Presidential Election

Joe Biden won the 2020 Presidential Election on Saturday, Nov. 7, naming him the 46th President of the United States in a time of unrivaled uncertainty. 

The result of the election provided a historic moment for the nation, as Biden’s running mate, Senator Kamala Harris of California, is the first woman and the first woman of color to be the Vice President of the United States. Despite significant backlash from the Trump administration, Joe Biden addressed the country in a victory speech on Saturday night, calling on Americans to end the polarization era.

"For all those of you who voted for President Trump, I understand the disappointment tonight. I've lost a couple of times myself. But now, let's give each other a chance. It's time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature, see each other again, listen to each other again. And to make progress, we have to stop treating our opponents as enemies." Biden said.

Biden gained 20 electoral college votes from Pennsylvania, giving him the 270 electoral college votes that he needed to win the presidency. Meanwhile, President Trump announced plans to take legal action against the voting process, with no evidence of fraudulent ballots. 

Since the night of Nov. 3,  states across the country have projected a winner or flip between party leads. Election night started to be increasingly promising for President Trump; However, as states finalized their vote counts, Joe Biden began to surpass the President in electoral and popular votes. Biden flipped PA and GA on Nov. 6, after more mail-in ballots were counted, which widened the candidates’ vote gap and put Joe Biden in place to secure the presidency more readily.

The 2020 Presidential Election has shaped up to be one of the most historic elections in the nation’s history. This election has been marked by the challenges in counting the votes from both Election Night and mail-in ballots from voters who did not wish to cast a ballot in-person due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

There has been significant backlash regarding the validity of the votes that have been counted after Election Day with President Trump making unfounded claims both on his Twitter account (those of which have been flagged by Twitter for false information) and in his address to the nation on November 5th. Fraudulent claims sparked protests demanding the count be stopped in the states still counting ballots. Philadelphia Police detained two men on the night of November 5th after credible threats were made against Philadelphia’s voting center. 

In the weeks ahead, a legal discussion will occur to calm speculations amongst angry voters. Despite unrest throughout the election, many cities celebrated Biden’s win well into the night on Saturday, hoping that he will unify the country in his term as President of the United States. 

“I am humbled by the trust and confidence you have placed in me. I pledge to be a President who seeks not to divide but to unify. Who doesn't see Red and Blue states, but the United States.” President-elect, Joe Biden said in his victory speech on Saturday.

Biden gained 20 electoral college votes from Pennsylvania, giving him the 270 electoral college votes that he needed to win the presidency. Source: Biden For President is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0