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{{Short description|59th quadrennial U.S. presidential election}}
{{For|related races|2020 United States elections}}
{{use mdy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{use American English|date=December 2017}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 2020 United States presidential election
| country = United States
| flag_year = 1960
| type = presidential
| ongoing = no
| opinion_polls = Nationwide opinion polling for the 2020 United States presidential election
| college_voted = yes
| previous_election = 2016 United States presidential election
| previous_year = 2016
| election_date = November 3, 2020{{efn|name="ElectionDay"}}
| next_election = 2024 United States presidential election
| next_year = ''2024''
| votes_for_election = 538 members of the [[United States Electoral College|Electoral College]]
| needed_votes = 270 electoral
| turnout = 66.6% {{increase}} 6.5 [[percentage point|pp]]{{efn|The Federal Election Commission calculated a voter turnout of 62.8% in 2020, as the votes for president divided by the estimated U.S. population at or over age 18.<ref name=FEC /> The denominator included U.S. residents ineligible to vote due to not being U.S. citizens or due to a criminal conviction, and excluded U.S. citizens residing in other countries who were eligible to vote. This turnout was an increase of 7.1pp compared to the turnout of 55.7% in the 2016 election, calculated by the same institution with the same basis.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Federal Elections 2016 |url=https://www.fec.gov/resources/cms-content/documents/federalelections2016.pdf |publisher=[[Federal Election Commission]] |date=December 2017}}</ref><br /><br />
The U.S. Census Bureau calculated a voter turnout of 66.8% in 2020, as the people reporting having voted divided by the estimated U.S. population at or over age 18 who were U.S. citizens. The denominator excluded U.S. residents ineligible to vote due to not being U.S. citizens, but included those ineligible due to a criminal conviction and excluded U.S. citizens residing in other countries who were eligible to vote. This turnout was an increase of 5.4pp compared to the turnout of 61.4% in the 2016 election, calculated by the same institution with the same basis.<ref>[https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cps/tables/time-series/voting-historical-time-series/a1.xlsx Table A-1. Reported Voting and Registration by Race, Hispanic Origin, Sex and Age Groups: November 1964 to 2020], U.S. Census Bureau.</ref><br /><br />
The U.S. Elections Project calculated a voter turnout of 66.6% in 2020, as the total ballots divided by the estimated population that was eligible to vote.<ref>{{Cite web|title=US Elections Project – 2020g|url=https://www.electproject.org/2020g|access-date=2022-11-14|website=www.electproject.org|language=en-US}}</ref> The denominator excluded U.S. residents ineligible to vote due to not being U.S. citizens or due to a criminal conviction, and included U.S. citizens residing in other countries who were eligible to vote. This turnout was an increase of 6.5pp compared to the turnout of 60.1% in the 2016 election, calculated by the same institution with the same basis.<ref>{{Cite web|title=US Elections Project – 2016g|url=https://www.electproject.org/2020g|access-date=2022-11-14|website=www.electproject.org|language=en-US}}</ref>}}
| image_size = 200x200px
| image1 = <!--DO NOT CHANGE WITHOUT CONSENSUS. SEE TALK PAGE NOTE.-->Joe Biden presidential portrait (cropped).jpg
| nominee1 = '''[[Joe Biden]]'''
| party1 = Democratic Party (United States)
| home_state1 = [[Delaware]]
| running_mate1 = '''[[Kamala Harris]]'''
| popular_vote1 = '''81,283,501'''<ref name=FEC />
| electoral_vote1 = '''306'''
| states_carried1 = '''25 + [[Washington, D.C.|DC]] + [[Nebraska's 2nd congressional district|NE-02]]'''
| percentage1 = '''51.3%'''<!-- 81,283,501/158,429,631 = 51.3057%, which rounds to 51.31% with two decimals or 51.3% with one decimal.-->
| image2 = Donald Trump official portrait (cropped).jpg
| nominee2 = [[Donald Trump]]
| party2 = Republican Party (United States)
| home_state2 = [[Florida]]{{efn|name="Florida Residency"|Trump's official state of residence was [[New York (state)|New York]] in the [[2016 United States presidential election|2016 election]] but changed to Florida when his permanent residence was switched from [[Trump Tower]] to [[Mar-a-Lago]] in 2019.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Choi |first=Matthew |date=October 31, 2019 |title=Trump, a symbol of New York, is officially a Floridian now |website=[[Politico]] |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2019/10/31/trump-florida-residence-063564 |access-date=October 31, 2019}}</ref>}}
| running_mate2 = [[Mike Pence]]
| popular_vote2 = 74,223,975<ref name=FEC />
| electoral_vote2 = 232
| states_carried2 = 25 + [[Maine's 2nd congressional district|ME-02]]
| percentage2 = 46.8%<!-- 74,223,975/158,429,631 = 46.8498%, which rounds to 46.85% with two decimals or 46.8% with one decimal.-->
| map = {{2020 United States presidential election imagemap}}
| map_caption = Presidential election results map. <span style="color:darkblue;">Blue</span> denotes states won by Biden/Harris and <span style="color:darkred;">red</span> denotes those won by Trump/Pence. Numbers indicate [[United States Electoral College|electoral votes]] cast by each state and the District of Columbia.
| map_alt = A map of the United States showing several coastal states and some of the Midwest and South voting for Biden, with most of the Midwest, South, and Plains voting for Trump.
| title = President
| before_election = [[Donald Trump]]
| before_party = Republican Party (United States)
| after_election = [[Joe Biden]]
| after_party = Democratic Party (United States)
}}
{{US 2020 presidential elections series}}

The '''2020 United States presidential election''' was the 59th quadrennial [[United States presidential election|presidential election]], held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.{{efn|name="ElectionDay"|About 64% of voters [[early voting|voted early]] before November{{spaces}}3 in person or [[Postal voting in the United States|by mail]], with the earliest state starting on September{{spaces}}4.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.axios.com/how-to-vote-by-state-2020-307c3d17-ee57-4a1b-8bad-182ca1cdb752.html|title=When and how to vote in all 50 states|work=[[Axios (website)|Axios]]|date=August 13, 2020|last1=Knight|first1=Stef W.|last2=Ahmed|first2=Naema}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://electproject.github.io/Early-Vote-2020G/index.html|title=2020 General Election Early Vote Statistics|work=U.S. Elections Project|date=November 6, 2020|last1=McDonald|first1=Michael}}</ref>}} The [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] ticket of former [[Vice President of the United States|vice president]] [[Joe Biden]] and the junior [[U.S. senator]] from California [[Kamala Harris]] defeated the incumbent [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[President of the United States|president]], [[Donald Trump]], and [[Vice President of the United States|vice president]], [[Mike Pence]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-elections-electoral-college-3e0b852c3cfadf853b08aecbfc3569fa|title=Biden officially secures enough electors to become president|date=December 5, 2020|website=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> The election took place against the backdrop of the global [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|COVID-19 pandemic]] and [[COVID-19 recession|related recession]]. The election saw the highest [[Voter turnout in United States presidential elections|voter turnout]] by percentage [[1900 United States presidential election|since 1900]], with each of the two main tickets receiving more than 74 million votes, surpassing [[Barack Obama]]'s record of 69.5 million votes [[2008 United States presidential election|from 2008]]. Biden received more than 81 million votes,<ref name=":7">{{Cite news |url=https://www.newsweek.com/joe-biden-crosses-80-million-votes-10-million-more-obama-got-1549612 |title=Joe Biden Crosses 80 million votes |work=[[Newsweek]] |access-date=November 24, 2020}}</ref> the [[List of United States presidential candidates by number of votes received|most votes ever cast]] for a candidate in a U.S. presidential election.<ref name=":8">{{Cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/joe-biden-popular-vote-record-barack-obama-us-presidential-election-donald-trump/ |title=Joe Biden breaks Obama's record for most votes ever cast for a U.S presidential candidate|first=Sophie |last=Lewis |work=[[CBS News]] |date=November 7, 2020}}</ref>

In a competitive primary that featured the most candidates for any political party in the [[Sixth Party System|modern era of American politics]], Biden secured the [[2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries|Democratic presidential nomination]] over his closest rival, Senator [[Bernie Sanders]]. Biden's running mate, Harris, became the first African-American, first Asian-American, and third female{{efn|The previous two female vice presidential nominees were [[Geraldine Ferraro]] in [[1984 United States presidential election|1984]] and [[Sarah Palin]] in [[2008 United States presidential election|2008]].}} vice presidential nominee on a major party ticket. Trump secured re-nomination, getting a total of 2,549 delegates, one of the most in [[United States presidential primary|presidential primary]] history, to runner-up [[Bill Weld]]'s one delegate in the [[2020 Republican Party presidential primaries|Republican primaries]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Republican Convention 2020 |url=https://www.thegreenpapers.com/P20/R |access-date=2022-12-09 |website=www.thegreenpapers.com}}</ref> [[Jo Jorgensen]] secured the [[2020 Libertarian Party presidential primaries|Libertarian presidential nomination]] with [[Spike Cohen]] as her running mate, and [[Howie Hawkins]] secured the [[2020 Green Party presidential primaries|Green presidential nomination]] with [[Angela Nicole Walker]] as his running mate.

The central issues of the election included the public health and [[Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|economic impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic]]; [[George Floyd protests|civil unrest in reaction]] to the police [[murder of George Floyd]] and others; the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] following the [[Death and state funeral of Ruth Bader Ginsburg|death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg]] and [[Amy Coney Barrett Supreme Court nomination|confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett]]; and the future of the [[Affordable Care Act]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Edsall|first=Thomas B.|date=June 3, 2020|title=Opinion {{!}} The George Floyd Election|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/03/opinion/george-floyd-trump-biden.html|access-date=October 13, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Baker|first=Peter|date=September 22, 2020|title=With Nothing Else Working, Trump Races to Make a New Supreme Court Justice the Issue|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/22/us/politics/trump-supreme-court.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923002004/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/22/us/politics/trump-supreme-court.html |archive-date=2020-09-23 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=October 14, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|author=<!--Not stated-->|date=September 26, 2020|title=How Amy Coney Barrett Would Reshape the Court – And the Country|url=https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/09/26/amy-barrett-scotus-legal-experts-422028|access-date=October 13, 2020|website=[[Politico]]}}</ref> Due to the ongoing pandemic, a record number of ballots were [[Early voting|cast early]] and [[Postal voting|by mail]].<ref name=":9">{{Cite news |last1=Saul |first1=Stephanie |last2=Hakim |first2=Danny |date=November 3, 2020 |title=As Counting Begins, a Flood of Mail Ballots Complicates Vote Tallies|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/03/us/elections/mail-ballot-counting-vote.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103224018/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/03/us/elections/mail-ballot-counting-vote.html |archive-date=2020-11-03 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=November 12, 2020 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Many more registered Democrats voted by mail than registered Republicans.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Otterbein|first=Holly|title=Democrats return nearly three times as many mail-in ballots as Republicans in Pennsylvania|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/03/democrats-more-mail-in-ballots-pennsylvania-433951|access-date=2021-02-10|website=[[Politico]]|date=November 3, 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-11-20|title=The 2020 voting experience: Coronavirus, mail concerns factored into deciding how to vote|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2020/11/20/the-voting-experience-in-2020/|access-date=2021-06-28|website=Pew Research Center – U.S. Politics & Policy|language=en-US}}</ref> As a result of a large number of mail-in ballots, some [[swing state]]s saw delays in vote counting and reporting; this led to major news outlets delaying their projection of Biden and Harris as the [[Presidential transition of Joe Biden|president-elect]] and [[Vice president-elect of the United States|vice president-elect]] until the morning of November 7, three and a half days after the election. Major media networks project a state for a candidate once there is high statistical confidence that the outstanding vote would be unlikely to prevent the projected winner from ultimately winning that state.<ref name="math">{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/17/politics/2020-election-projections-explained/index.html|title=It's not magic, it's math. Here's how CNN makes election projections|first=Zachary |last=Wolf |work=[[CNN]]|date=October 17, 2020}}</ref>

Biden ultimately received the majority in the [[United States Electoral College|Electoral College]] with 306 electoral votes, while Trump received 232. Key to Biden's victory were his wins in the Democratic-leaning [[Rust Belt]] states of [[2020 United States presidential election in Michigan|Michigan]], [[2020 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], and [[2020 United States presidential election in Wisconsin|Wisconsin]], which Trump carried in 2016 and whose combined 46 electoral votes were enough to swing the election to either candidate. Biden also became the first Democrat to win a presidential election in [[United States presidential elections in Georgia|Georgia]] since [[1992 United States presidential election in Georgia|1992]], in [[2020 United States presidential election in Arizona|Arizona]] since [[1996 United States presidential election in Arizona|1996]], and in [[Nebraska's 2nd congressional district]] since [[2008 United States presidential election|2008]].<ref name="autogenerated1">{{Cite news |url=https://kutv.com/news/nation-world/joe-biden-wins-georgia-turning-the-state-blue-for-first-time-since-92 |title=Joe Biden wins Georgia, turning the state blue for first time since '92 |work=[[KUTV]] |date=November 13, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Biden Takes Electoral Vote in 2nd District, Trump Wins Nebraska's 4 Other Votes |url=https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/ca/news/news-articles/biden-takes-electoral-vote-in-2nd-district-trump-wins-nebraskas-4-other-votes/ |access-date=2022-10-13 |website=[[Nebraska Public Media]] |language=ca}}</ref>

Before, during, and after Election Day, Trump and numerous other Republicans engaged in an aggressive and unprecedented<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cohen |first=Marshall |date=2021-11-05 |title=Timeline of the coup: How Trump tried to weaponize the Justice Department to overturn the 2020 election {{!}} CNN Politics |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/05/politics/january-6-timeline-trump-coup/index.html |access-date=2023-06-12 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-10 |title=Five things we learned from the Jan. 6 Trump documentary |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-trump-january-6-capitol-coup-election-unprecedented-20220710-52f6lsm3yzf35dji2wodh2fzd4-story.html |access-date=2023-06-12 |website=New York Daily News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Pilkington |first=Ed |date=2021-10-30 |title='A roadmap for a coup': inside Trump's plot to steal the presidency |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/oct/30/trump-2020-election-steal-presidency-coup-inside-story |access-date=2023-06-12 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Gersen |first=Jeannie Suk |date=2020-12-15 |title=Trump's Coup Attempt Isn't Over |language=en-US |magazine=The New Yorker |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/trumps-coup-attempt-isnt-over |access-date=2023-06-12 |issn=0028-792X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-18 |title=What to watch as Jan. 6 panel cites Trump's 'attempted coup' |url=https://apnews.com/article/january-6-final-hearing-trump-what-to-watch-a9d0eb77311df5d0391735cd64afa8fb |access-date=2023-06-12 |website=AP NEWS |language=en}}</ref> [[Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election|attempt to subvert the election and overturn the results]],<ref name="NYT-20230808">{{cite news |last1=Haberman |first1=Maggie |last2=Savage |first2=Charlie |last3=Broadwater |first3=Luke |title=Previously Secret Memo Laid Out Strategy for Trump to Overturn Biden's Win - The House Jan. 6 committee's investigation did not uncover the memo, whose existence first came to light in last week's indictment. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/08/us/politics/trump-indictment-fake-electors-memo.html |date=August 8, 2023 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20230809142035/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/08/us/politics/trump-indictment-fake-electors-memo.html |archivedate=August 9, 2023 |accessdate=August 10, 2023 }}</ref> falsely alleging widespread [[Electoral fraud|voter fraud]] and trying to influence the vote-counting process in swing states,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Pennycook |first1=Gordon |last2=Rand |first2=D. G. |author2link=David G. Rand|title=Examining false beliefs about voter fraud in the wake of the 2020 Presidential Election |journal=Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review |date=2021 |doi=10.37016/mr-2020-51 |url=https://dash.harvard.edu/handle/1/37367184 |access-date=26 August 2021 |quote=The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election saw an unprecedented number of false claims alleging election fraud and arguing that Donald Trump was the actual winner of the election.|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Donald Trump Is Lying About The Early Election Results|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/kadiagoba/trump-election-night-speech|access-date=November 4, 2020|website=[[BuzzFeed News]]|date=November 4, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/11/07/joe-biden-victory-president-trump-claims-election-far-over/6202892002/|title=Trump revives baseless claims of election fraud after Biden wins presidential race|last=King|first=Ledyard|date=November 7, 2020|work=[[USA Today]]|access-date=November 7, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Haberman|first1=Maggie|last2=Corasaniti|first2=Nick|last3=Rutenberg|first3=Jim|last4=Feuer|first4=Alan|last5=Thrush|first5=Glenn|last6=Gray|first6=Kathleen|date=November 19, 2020|title=Presidential Transition Live Updates: Trump Invites State Lawmakers to White House in Bid to Subvert Election|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]s|url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/11/19/us/joe-biden-trump-updates/trump-tries-to-subvert-the-election-inviting-michigan-gop-lawmakers-to-the-white-house|access-date=November 23, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> in what was described by many as an attempted [[coup d'état]]. Attorney General [[William Barr]] and officials in each of the 50 states found no evidence of widespread fraud or irregularities in the election.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-12-01|title=Disputing Trump, Barr says no widespread election fraud|first=Michael|last=Balsamo|url=https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-elections-william-barr-b1f1488796c9a98c4b1a9061a6c7f49d|access-date=2020-12-01|website=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref><ref name="NY Times Officials">{{Cite news|last1=Corasaniti|first1=Nick|last2=Epstein|first2=Reid|last3=Rutenberg|first3=Jim|date=November 10, 2020|title=The Times Called Officials in Every State: No Evidence of Voter Fraud|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/us/politics/voting-fraud.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111005123/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/us/politics/voting-fraud.html |archive-date=2020-11-11 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=November 10, 2020}}</ref> Federal agencies overseeing election security said it was the most secure in American history.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Denean|first=Austin|date=November 12, 2020|title=DHS agency: 'Nov. 3 election was most secure in American history'|url=https://abc3340.com/news/nation-world/dhs-agency-nov-3-election-was-most-secure-in-american-history|access-date=November 13, 2020|website=[[WBMA-LD|ABC 3340]]|publisher=[[Sinclair Broadcast Group]]}}</ref><ref name="Statement" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Chen|first=Shawna|date=November 12, 2020|title=Department of Homeland Security calls election 'the most secure in American history'|url=https://www.axios.com/cisa-election-security-trump-a385868b-512a-4449-addd-4591829a4aef.html|access-date=November 13, 2020|website=[[Axios (website)|Axios]]}}</ref> The Trump campaign and its allies, including Republican members of [[United States Congress|Congress]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Here are the Republican members of Congress who signed on to the suit to throw out the votes in 4 states|url= https://news.yahoo.com/here-are-the-republican-members-of-congress-who-signed-on-to-the-suit-to-throw-out-the-votes-in-four-states-195834720.html|date=December 11, 2020|website=[[Yahoo! News]]}}</ref> continued to engage in numerous attempts to overturn the results of the election by [[Post-election lawsuits related to the 2020 United States presidential election|filing numerous lawsuits]] in several states (most of which were withdrawn or dismissed),<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Collins|first1=Kaitlan|last2=Bennett|first2=Kate|last3=Diamond|first3=Jeremy|last4=Liptak|first4=Kevin|date=November 8, 2020|title=Jared Kushner has approached Donald Trump to concede and Melania Trump advised the President to accept the loss|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/08/politics/jared-kushner-donald-trump-concession/index.html|access-date=November 8, 2020|work=[[CNN]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-campaigns-pennsylvania-michigan-861506f10960504bcdc7e854705c8ef1|title=Trump faces long odds in challenging state vote counts|first=Maryclaire|last=Dale|work=[[Associated Press]]|date=November 9, 2020|access-date=November 9, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-losing-election-lawsuits-36d113484ac0946fa5f0614deb7de15e|title=Trump loves to win but keeps losing election lawsuits|date=December 4, 2020|website=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> spreading conspiracy theories alleging fraud,<ref>{{Cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/21/sidney-powell-conspiracy-theorist-white-house|title= Conspiracy-theorist lawyer Sidney Powell spotted again at White House|first=Martin|last=Pengelly|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=December 21, 2020|access-date=January 3, 2021}}</ref> pressuring Republican state election officials (including, notably, Georgia Secretary of State [[Brad Raffensperger]], in [[Trump-Raffensperger phone call|a phone call that later became widely publicized]]) and legislators to change results,<ref name="WaPo Georgia call">{{Cite news |last1=Gardner |first1=Amy |title='I just want to find 11,780 votes': In extraordinary hour-long call, Trump pressures Georgia secretary of state to recalculate the vote in his favor |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-raffensperger-call-georgia-vote/2021/01/03/d45acb92-4dc4-11eb-bda4-615aaefd0555_story.html |access-date=4 January 2021 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=3 January 2021}}</ref> pressuring the [[United States Department of Justice|Department of Justice]] to declare the election "corrupt" and intervene,<ref>{{Cite news |url= https://apnews.com/article/trump-urged-justice-department-to-declare-election-corrupt-0edf178869f33ddcf72d4c739bd18a5d |title=Trump urged Justice officials to declare election "corrupt" |work=[[Associated Press]] |date=July 30, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/doj-officials-rejected-colleagues-request-intervene-georgias-election/story?id=79243198 |title=DOJ officials rejected colleague's request to intervene in Georgia's election certification: Emails |work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |date=August 3, 2021}}</ref> objecting to the [[United States Electoral College|Electoral College]] certification in Congress,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/31/politics/electoral-college-house-republicans/index.html|title= At least 140 House Republicans to vote against counting electoral votes, two GOP lawmakers say|first=Jake|last=Tapper|work=[[CNN]]|date=December 31, 2020|access-date=January 2, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.axios.com/multiple-senators-oppose-certify-election-results-c5f0610c-91e0-4431-abbe-91b4d860dfd4.html|title=Multiple senators oppose certifying election results|first=Alayna|last=Treene|work=[[Axios (website)|Axios]]|date=January 2, 2021|access-date=January 2, 2021}}</ref> and refusing to cooperate with the [[presidential transition of Joe Biden]].<ref name=":11">* {{Cite news|last1=Rucker|first1=Philip|last2=Gardner|first2=Amy|last3=Dawsey|first3=Josh|date=November 19, 2020|title=Trump uses power of presidency to try to overturn the election and stay in office|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-uses-power-of-presidency-to-try-to-overturn-the-election-and-stay-in-office/2020/11/19/bc89caa6-2a9f-11eb-8fa2-06e7cbb145c0_story.html|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|ref=none}}
* {{Cite news|author=Editorial Board|date=November 18, 2020|title=Trump's coup might not work. But he may pave the way for the next failed candidate.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trumps-coup-might-not-work-but-he-may-pave-the-way-for-the-next-failed-candidate/2020/11/18/418ca536-29d6-11eb-92b7-6ef17b3fe3b4_story.html|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|ref=none}}</ref>  With Trump vowing that he would never concede the election and after exhorting his followers to "fight like hell", a mob of Trump supporters [[January 6 United States Capitol attack|attacked the United States Capitol]] on January 6, 2021, during the joint session of Congress held to certify the Electoral College count.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Zilbermints|first=Regina|date=January 6, 2021|title=Trump puts pressure on Republicans, says he will 'never concede'|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/532920-trump-puts-pressure-on-republicans-says-he-will-never-concede|access-date=January 7, 2021|newspaper=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.motherjones.com/2020-elections/2020/11/in-public-trump-still-claims-he-won-in-private-aides-say-hes-planning-for-life-after-presidency/|title=In Public, Trump Still Claims He Won. In Private, Aides Say He's Planning for Life After Presidency.|last=Michaels|first=Samantha|date=November 22, 2020|work=Mother Jones|access-date=November 24, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Trump falsely claims he won the election; Twitter flags the tweet|agency=Associated Press|date=November 16, 2020|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-tweet-claims-he-won-election-twitter-flags/|work=[[CBS News]]|access-date=November 18, 2020}}</ref> On January 7, Trump acknowledged the incoming administration without mentioning Biden's name.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55738746|title=Biden sets to work on reversing Trump policies with executive orders|website=[[BBC News]]|date=21 January 2021|access-date=21 January 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/07/politics/trump-biden-us-capitol-electoral-college-insurrection/index.html|title=Trump publicly acknowledges he won't serve a second term day after inciting mob|last1=Liptak|first1=Kevin|last2=Stracqualursi|first2=Veronica|last3=Malloy|first3=Allie|date=January 7, 2021|work=[[CNN]]|access-date=January 7, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-orderly-transition-f03215c31a400f815a8f62960a430063|title=After excusing violence, Trump acknowledges Biden transition|last1=Miller|first1=Zeke|last2=Colvin|first2=Jill
|date=January 8, 2021|work=[[Associated Press]]|access-date=January 9, 2021}}</ref> Biden and Harris were [[Inauguration of Joe Biden|inaugurated]] on January 20, 2021. Trump was [[Federal prosecution of Donald Trump (2020 election case)|indicted]] on August 1, 2023, on four counts relating to conspiring to overturn the results.

{{TOC limit|3}}

== Background ==
=== Procedure ===
{{further|United States presidential election#Procedure}}

[[Article Two of the United States Constitution|Article Two]] of the [[United States Constitution]] states that for a person to serve as president, the individual must be a [[Natural-born-citizen clause|natural-born citizen of the United States]], be at least 35 years old, and have been a United States resident for at least 14 years. Candidates for the presidency typically seek the nomination of one of the [[List of political parties in the United States|various political parties]] in the United States. Each party develops a method (such as a [[primary election]]) to choose the candidate the party deems best suited to run for the position. Primary elections are usually [[indirect election]]s where voters cast ballots for a slate of party delegates pledged to a particular candidate. The party's delegates then officially nominate a candidate to run on the party's behalf. The presidential nominee typically chooses a vice presidential [[running mate]] to form that party's [[Ticket (election)|ticket]], which is then ratified by the delegates at the party's convention (except for the [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian Party]], which nominates its vice-presidential candidate by delegate vote regardless of the presidential nominee's preference). The general election in November is also an indirect election, in which voters cast ballots for a slate of members of the [[Electoral College (United States)|Electoral College]]; these electors then directly elect the president and vice president.<ref name="rQNzf" /> If [[Contingent election|no candidate receives the minimum 270 electoral votes needed to win the election]], the [[United States House of Representatives]] will select the president from among the three candidates who received the most electoral votes, and the [[United States Senate]] will select the vice president from among the candidates who received the two highest totals. The presidential election occurred simultaneously alongside elections for the [[2020 United States House of Representatives elections|House of Representatives]], the [[2020 United States Senate elections|Senate]], and [[List of elections in 2020#2020 United States elections|various state and local-level elections]].<ref name="CRSElectionTimeline">{{Cite web|first=Thomas H.|last= Neale|title=The Electoral College: A 2020 Presidential Election Timeline|date=October 22, 2020|work=Congressional Research Service|url=https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF11641|access-date=November 9, 2020}}</ref>

The [[Maine Legislature]] passed a bill in August 2019 adopting [[ranked-choice voting in the United States|ranked-choice voting]] (RCV) both for presidential primaries and for the general election.<ref name="ovz9x" /><ref name="qhJpi" /> Governor [[Janet Mills]] allowed the bill to become law without her signature, which delayed its taking effect until after the [[2020 Maine Democratic primary|2020 Democratic primary]] in March and made Maine the first state to use RCV for a presidential general election. The [[Maine Republican Party]] filed signatures for a [[veto referendum]] to preclude the use of RCV for the 2020 election, but [[Maine Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] [[Matthew Dunlap]] found there were insufficient valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. A challenge in [[Maine Superior Court]] was successful for the Maine Republican Party, but the [[Maine Supreme Judicial Court]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=Piper|first=Jessica|date=August 28, 2020|title=Maine secretary of state appeals decision putting ranked-choice voting challenge on ballot|url=https://bangordailynews.com/2020/08/28/politics/maine-secretary-of-state-to-appeal-decision-putting-ranked-choice-voting-challenge-on-ballot/|access-date=August 29, 2020|website=[[Bangor Daily News]]|archive-date=September 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913091138/https://bangordailynews.com/2020/08/28/politics/maine-secretary-of-state-to-appeal-decision-putting-ranked-choice-voting-challenge-on-ballot/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Judge: Ranked-Choice Voting Repeal Qualifies For Maine November Ballot|url=https://www.wbur.org/news/2020/08/26/maine-ranked-choice-runoff-voting-repeal-effort|date=August 26, 2020|last1=Leary|first1=Mal|access-date=August 29, 2020|work=WBUR|archive-date=September 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913091655/https://www.wbur.org/news/2020/08/26/maine-ranked-choice-runoff-voting-repeal-effort|url-status=live}}</ref> stayed the ruling pending appeal on September 8, 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Mannino |first1=Gabrielle |title=Ranked choice voting for president still uncertain following court ruling |url=https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/politics/elections/court-clears-the-way-for-rcv-in-presidential-election/97-17e25d66-9274-4bfe-9132-69bcefd5160f |website=[[WCSH|News Center Maine]] |date=September 2020 |access-date=September 11, 2020 |archive-date=September 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913093959/https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/politics/elections/court-clears-the-way-for-rcv-in-presidential-election/97-17e25d66-9274-4bfe-9132-69bcefd5160f |url-status=live}}</ref> Nevertheless, ballots began being printed later that day without the veto referendum and including RCV for the presidential election,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Maine ballots sent to printer with ranked-choice voting for president, no people's veto|url=https://wgme.com/news/local/maine-ballots-sent-to-printer-with-ranked-choice-voting-for-president-no-peoples-veto|work=WGME|date=September 9, 2020|access-date=September 11, 2020|archive-date=September 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913091907/https://wgme.com/news/local/maine-ballots-sent-to-printer-with-ranked-choice-voting-for-president-no-peoples-veto|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="forbes">{{Cite web |last1=Reimann |first1=Nicholas |title=Maine Will Be The First-Ever State To Use Ranked-Choice Voting For A Presidential Election |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2020/09/08/maine-will-be-the-first-ever-state-to-use-ranked-choice-voting-for-a-presidential-election/ |website=[[Forbes]] |date=September 8, 2020 |access-date=September 11, 2020 |archive-date=September 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200911180531/https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2020/09/08/maine-will-be-the-first-ever-state-to-use-ranked-choice-voting-for-a-presidential-election/#290be25d7b8d |url-status=live}}</ref> and the Court ruled in favor of the Secretary of State on September 22, allowing RCV to be used.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Mannino|first1=Gabrielle|title=Court rules in favor of Sec. of State clearing way for RCV in presidential election|url=https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/politics/elections/court-rules-in-favor-of-sec-of-state-clearing-way-for-rcv-in-presidential-election/97-82fb8375-e884-4db2-a0ff-e294ce9e8fea|website=[[WCSH|News Center Maine]]|date=September 22, 2020|access-date=September 22, 2020|archive-date=September 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923080303/https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/politics/elections/court-rules-in-favor-of-sec-of-state-clearing-way-for-rcv-in-presidential-election/97-82fb8375-e884-4db2-a0ff-e294ce9e8fea|url-status=live}}</ref> An emergency appeal to the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] was denied on October 6.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Howe |first1=Amy |title=Breyer rejects Republicans' plea to stop ranked-choice voting in Maine |url=https://www.scotusblog.com/2020/10/breyer-rejects-republicans-plea-to-stop-ranked-choice-voting-in-maine/#more-296746 |website=[[SCOTUSblog]] |date=October 6, 2020|access-date=October 7, 2020 |archive-date=October 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008030544/https://www.scotusblog.com/2020/10/breyer-rejects-republicans-plea-to-stop-ranked-choice-voting-in-maine/#more-296746 |url-status=live}}</ref> The law continues the use of the [[congressional district method]] for the allocation of Maine's electors ([[Nebraska]] is the only other state that apportions its electoral votes this way).<ref name="FcJYG" /> While multiple rounds of vote counting were not needed due to a single candidate receiving a majority of first-choice votes statewide and in each district, use of RCV complicates interpretation of the national [[direct election|popular vote]] because voters are more likely to vote for third-party or independent candidates.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Muller|first1=Derek T.|date=July 10, 2019|title=Maine, ranked choice voting, and the National Popular Vote Compact|url=https://excessofdemocracy.com/blog/2019/7/maine-ranked-choice-voting-and-the-national-popular-vote-compact|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200521012223/https://excessofdemocracy.com/blog/2019/7/maine-ranked-choice-voting-and-the-national-popular-vote-compact|archive-date=May 21, 2020|access-date=January 14, 2020|website=Excess of Democracy}}</ref>

On December 14, 2020, pledged electors for each candidate, known collectively as the [[United States Electoral College]], gathered in their states' capitols to cast their official votes. Pursuant to the processes laid out by the [[Electoral Count Act]] of 1887, [[Certificate of ascertainment|certificates of ascertainment]] listing the names of the electors and separate certificates recording their votes are distributed to various officials across the branches of government.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/12/14/the-latest-california-pushes-biden-to-electoral-college-win/|title=The Latest: California pushes Biden to Electoral College win|agency=Associated Press|publisher=Mercury News|date=December 14, 2020|access-date=December 14, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.archives.gov/electoral-college/provisions |title=Legal provisions relevant to the Electoral College process |work=National Archives and Records Administration |date=September 5, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.archives.gov/electoral-college/2020 |title=2020 Electoral College Results |work=National Archives |date=November 5, 2019}}</ref> The newly elected Congress, with the Vice President in his role as Senate President presiding, met in a [[Joint session of the United States Congress|joint session]] to formally open the certificates and count the votes, which began on January 6, 2021, was interrupted by the [[January 6 United States Capitol attack]], and finished the following day.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Cochrane|first1=Emily|last2=Fandos|first2=Nicholas|date=January 6, 2021|title=After Pro-Trump Mob Storms Capitol, Congress Confirms Biden's Win|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/06/us/politics/congress-gop-subvert-election.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/06/us/politics/congress-gop-subvert-election.html |archive-date=2021-12-28 |url-access=limited|access-date=January 7, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

=== Simultaneous elections ===
{{further|2020 United States elections}}

The presidential election occurred simultaneously with elections to the [[2020 United States Senate elections|Senate]] and the [[2020 United States House of Representatives elections|House of Representatives]]. Gubernatorial and legislative elections were also held in several states. For the subsequent election, the apportionment of House seats among the 50 states based on the results of the [[2020 United States Census]] occurred, and the states conducted [[United States redistricting, 2022|redistricting]] of Congressional and state legislative districts. In most states, the governor and the state legislature conduct the redistricting, although some states have [[redistricting commission]]s. Often, a party that wins a presidential election experiences a [[coattail effect]] that also helps other candidates of that party win elections.<ref name="9qYs9" /> The party that won the 2020 presidential election could have also won a [[gerrymandering|significant advantage]] in drawing new congressional and state legislative districts, which would stay in effect until 2032.<ref name="X02Fz" />

== Nominations ==
{{further|2020 United States presidential primary elections}}
{{Joe Biden series}}
{{Kamala Harris series}}

=== Democratic Party ===
{{Main|2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries|2020 Democratic National Convention}}
[[Joe Biden]] became the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party on June 5, 2020, when he secured enough delegates to ensure his nomination at the national convention.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Montellaro |first1=Zach |title=Biden clinches Democratic presidential nomination |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/05/biden-clinches-democratic-presidential-nomination-304338 |website=[[Politico]] |access-date=June 9, 2020 |date=June 5, 2020 |archive-date=June 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609180039/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/05/biden-clinches-democratic-presidential-nomination-304338 |url-status=live}}</ref> He was formally nominated at the convention on August 18.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Olorunnipa |first1=Toluse |last2=Janes |first2=Chelsea |last3=Sonmez |first3=Felicia |last4=Itkowitz |first4=Colby |last5=Wagner |first5=John |title=Joe Biden officially becomes the Democratic Party's nominee on convention's second night |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2020/08/18/democratic-national-convention-live-updates/ |access-date=27 January 2021 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=19 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103083542/https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2020/08/18/democratic-national-convention-live-updates/ |archive-date=January 3, 2021 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

{{Nominee Table
|party logo=Democratic Disc.svg
|party=Democratic
|header=2020 Democratic Party ticket
|president=Joe Biden
|vice president=Kamala Harris
|president portrait=Joe Biden presidential portrait.jpg
|vp portrait=Kamala Harris Vice Presidential Portrait.jpg
|experience=[[List of vice presidents of the United States|47th]]<br />[[Vice President of the United States]]<br /><small>(2009–2017)</small>
|vp experience=[[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]]<br />from [[California]]<br /><small>(2017–2021)</small>
|campaign=Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign
|campaign logo=Biden Harris logo.svg
|bottom color=#c8ebff
}}

=== Republican Party ===
{{Main|2020 Republican Party presidential primaries|2020 Republican National Convention}}
{{Donald Trump series |expanded=Campaigns}}
{{Mike Pence series}}

Every incumbent president seeking another term, with the partial exception of Lyndon Johnson in 1968,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Andrew Glass |title=McCarthy nearly upsets LBJ in New Hampshire primary: March 12, 1968 |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2016/03/mccarthy-nearly-upsets-lbj-in-new-hampshire-primary-march-12-1968-220521 |access-date=2022-09-07 |website=[[Politico]] |date=March 12, 2016 |language=en}}</ref> has been renominated by their party since 1884.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/politicaljunkie/2009/07/a_president_denied_renominatio.html|title=When Has A President Been Denied His Party's Nomination?|website=[[NPR]]|date=July 22, 2009|last1=Rudin|first1=Ken}}</ref> [[Donald Trump]] and his running mate, Mike Pence, were able to easily secure the nomination after receiving enough delegates in the [[2020 Republican Party presidential primaries|2020 Republican presidential primaries]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Egan |first1=Lauren |title=Trump officially becomes Republican nominee after delegates' roll call |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/rnc-meets-charlotte-officially-nominate-trump-n1237835 |website=[[NBC News]] |access-date=27 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114034429/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/rnc-meets-charlotte-officially-nominate-trump-n1237835 |archive-date=14 January 2021 |date=24 August 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=2020 Republican Primary Election Results {{!}} USA Today|url=https://www.usatoday.com/elections/results/primaries/republican/|access-date=2021-02-10|website=www.usatoday.com|language=en}}</ref>

{{Nominee Table
|party logo=Republican Disc.svg
|party=Republican
|header=2020 Republican Party ticket
|president=Donald Trump
|vice president=Mike Pence
|president portrait=Official Portrait of President Donald Trump.jpg
|vp portrait=Vice President Pence Official Portrait.jpg
|experience=[[List of presidents of the United States|45th]]<br />[[President of the United States]]<br /><small>(2017–2021)</small>
|vp experience=[[List of vice presidents of the United States|48th]]<br />[[Vice President of the United States]]<br /><small>(2017–2021)</small>
|campaign=Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign
|campaign logo=Trump-Pence 2020.svg
|bottom color=#ffd0d7
}}

=== Libertarian Party ===
{{Main|2020 Libertarian Party presidential primaries|2020 Libertarian National Convention}}
[[Jo Jorgensen]], who was the running mate of author [[Harry Browne]] in [[1996 United States presidential election|1996]], received the Libertarian nomination at the national convention on May 23, 2020.<ref name="Jorgensen nomination">{{Cite web |last1=Doherty |first1=Brian |title=Jo Jorgensen Wins Libertarian Party Presidential Nomination |url=https://reason.com/2020/05/23/jo-jorgensen-wins-libertarian-party-presidential-nomination/ |website=[[Reason (magazine)|Reason]] |access-date=August 7, 2020 |date=May 23, 2020}}</ref> She achieved ballot access in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.<ref name="Jorgensen ballot access">{{Cite news |last1=Voskuil |first1=Connor |title=LP Presidential Nominee On The Ballot in All 50 States Plus DC |url=https://www.lp.org/lp-presidential-nominee-on-the-ballot-in-all-50-states-plus-dc/ |website=[[Libertarian Party (US)|Libertarian Party]] |access-date=26 January 2021 |date=16 September 2020}}</ref>

{{Nominee Table|party logo=Libertarian Disc.svg|party=Libertarian|header=2020 Libertarian Party ticket|president=Jo Jorgensen|vice president=Spike Cohen|top text color=black|president portrait=Jo Jorgensen portrait 3.jpg|vp portrait=Spike Cohen portrait 1 (crop 2).jpg|experience=Senior Lecturer at {{nowrap|[[Clemson University]]}}|vp experience=Podcaster and businessman|campaign=Jo Jorgensen 2020 presidential campaign|campaign logo=Jorgensen Cohen 2020 Campaign Logo.svg|bottom color=#ffffbf}}

=== Green Party ===
{{Main|2020 Green Party presidential primaries|2020 Green National Convention}}
[[Howie Hawkins]] became the presumptive nominee of the Green Party on June 21, 2020, and was officially nominated by the party on July 11, 2020.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Nam|first1=Rafael|date=June 21, 2020|title=Howie Hawkins clinches Green Party's nomination after primary wins|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/503696-howie-hawkins-clinches-green-partys-nomination-after-primary-wins|url-status=live|access-date=June 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003020137/https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/503696-howie-hawkins-clinches-green-partys-nomination-after-primary-wins|archive-date=October 3, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last1=Winger|first1=Richard|date=July 11, 2020|title=Green Party Nominates Howie Hawkins for President on First Ballot|url=http://ballot-access.org/2020/07/11/green-party-nominates-howie-hawkins-for-president-on-first-ballot/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200817121900/http://ballot-access.org/2020/07/11/green-party-nominates-howie-hawkins-for-president-on-first-ballot/|archive-date=August 17, 2020|access-date=July 11, 2020|website=Ballot Access News}}</ref> Hawkins secured ballot access in 29 states and the District of Columbia, representing 381 electoral votes, and write-in access in 16 more states, representing 130 electoral votes.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ballot Access|url=https://howiehawkins.us/ballotaccess/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200915133426/https://howiehawkins.us/ballotaccess/|archive-date=September 15, 2020|access-date=September 15, 2020|website=Howie Hawkins 2020|date=June 28, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news| url=https://www.syracuse.com/politics/cny/2020/10/syracuses-howie-hawkins-on-his-30-state-presidential-bid-im-not-a-spoiler.html| first1= Mark|last1=Weiner| title=Syracuse's Howie Hawkins on his 30-state presidential bid: I'm not a spoiler| website=Syracuse.com| date=October 5, 2020}}</ref>{{efn|Although claimed in Hawkins's campaign website, he did not obtain write-in access in Montana.<ref>[https://sosmt.gov/wp-content/uploads/State_Canvass_Writein_by_County.pdf 2020 statewide general election canvass, abstract of write-in votes], Montana Secretary of State.</ref>}}

{{Nominee Table|party logo=Green Disc.svg|party=Green|header=2020 Green Party ticket|president=Howie Hawkins|vice president=Angela Walker|vice president link=Angela Nicole Walker|president portrait=Hawkins 2010 (1).jpg|vp portrait=Angela Walker (cropped).jpg|experience=Co-founder of the [[Green Party (United States)|Green Party]]|vp experience=[[Amalgamated Transit Union|ATU Local 998]] Legislative Director<br /><small>(2011–2013)</small>|campaign=Howie Hawkins 2020 presidential campaign|campaign logo=Hawkins Walker logo wide.png|campaign logo size=x60px|bottom color=#6BDE9D}}

== General election campaigns ==
=== Ballot access ===
{|class="wikitable"
! colspan=2 rowspan=2|Presidential<br />candidate{{efn|Candidates in '''bold''' were listed on ballots of states representing most of the [[United States Electoral College|electoral college]]. Other candidates were listed on ballots of more than one state '''and''' were listed on ballots or were [[write-in candidate]]s in states representing most of the electoral college.}}
! rowspan=2|Vice presidential<br />candidate{{efn|In some states, some presidential candidates were listed with a different or no vice presidential candidate.}}
! rowspan=2|Party or ''label''{{efn|In some states, some candidates were listed with a different or additional party, a label, or as [[independent politician|independent]] or unaffiliated.}}
! colspan=3|[[Ballot access]] ''{{small|(including [[write-in candidate|write-in]])}}''
|-
![[U.S. state|States]]/[[Washington, D.C.|DC]]
![[United States Electoral College|Electors]]
!Voters<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.electproject.org/2020g|title=2020 November general election turnout rates|work=United States Election Project|date=October 7, 2020|access-date=November 8, 2020|archive-date=November 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107042631/http://www.electproject.org/2020g|url-status=live}}</ref>
|- style=font-weight:bold
| style="background:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}"|
|[[Joe Biden]] || [[Kamala Harris]] || [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] || 51 || 538 || 100%
|- style=font-weight:bold
| style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}"|
|[[Donald Trump]] || [[Mike Pence]] || [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] || 51 || 538 || 100%
|- style=font-weight:bold
| style="background:{{party color|Libertarian Party (United States)}}"|
|[[Jo Jorgensen]] || [[Spike Cohen]] || [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian]] || 51 || 538 || 100%
|- style=font-weight:bold
| style="background:{{party color|Green Party of the United States}}"|
|[[Howie Hawkins]] || [[Angela Nicole Walker|Angela Walker]] || [[Green Party of the United States|Green]] || 30 ''{{small|(46)}}'' || 381 ''{{small|(511)}}'' || 73.2% ''{{small|(95.8%)}}''
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Party for Socialism and Liberation}}"|
|[[Gloria La Riva]] || Sunil Freeman || [[Party for Socialism and Liberation|Socialism and Liberation]] || 15 ''{{small|(33)}}'' || 195 ''{{small|(401)}}'' || 37.0% ''{{small|(76.1%)}}''
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Alliance Party (United States)}}"|
|[[Rocky De La Fuente]] || Darcy Richardson || [[Alliance Party (United States)|Alliance]] || 15 ''{{small|(25)}}'' || 183 ''{{small|(289)}}'' || 34.7% ''{{small|(54.1%)}}''
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Constitution Party (United States)}}"|
|[[Don Blankenship]] || William Mohr || [[Constitution Party (United States)|Constitution]] || 18 ''{{small|(30)}}'' || 166 ''{{small|(305)}}'' || 31.2% ''{{small|(56.8%)}}''
|-
| style="background:#093"|
|[[Brock Pierce]] || Karla Ballard || ''[[Independent politician|Independent]]'' || 16 ''{{small|(31)}}'' || 115 ''{{small|(285)}}'' || 19.1% ''{{small|(50.1%)}}''
|-
| style="background:{{party color|American Solidarity Party}}"|
|[[Brian T. Carroll|Brian Carroll]] || Amar Patel || [[American Solidarity Party|American Solidarity]] || 8 ''{{small|(39)}}'' || 66 ''{{small|(463)}}'' || 11.4% ''{{small|(87.7%)}}''
|-
| style="background:#8CF"|
|[[Jade Simmons]] || Claudeliah J. Roze || ''Becoming One Nation'' || 2 ''{{small|(38)}}'' || 15 ''{{small|(372)}}'' || 2.7% ''{{small|(68.9%)}}''
|}

=== Party conventions ===
{{Location map many | USA |left| width=320
| caption=
{{Legend|#00aef3|Democratic Party}}
{{Legend|red|Republican Party}}
{{Legend|gold|Libertarian Party (virtual)}}
{{Legend|green|Green Party (virtual)}}
| alt=Map of the United States showing Milwaukee, Charlotte, Austin, and Detroit
| mark1=Cyan pog.svg | mark1size=10 | lat1_deg=43.045028 | lon1_deg=-87.918167 | label1=Milwaukee | position1=top
| mark2=red pog.svg | mark2size=10 | lat2_deg=35.225 | lon2_deg=-80.839167 | label2=Charlotte | position2=top
| mark3= gold pog.svg | mark3size=10 | lat3_deg= 30.266666 | lon3_deg= -97.733330 | label3=Virtual | position3=bottomright
| mark4= green pog.svg | mark4size=10 | lat4_deg= 42.331389 | lon4_deg= -83.045833 | label4=Virtual | position4=bottom
}}<!--1=Rep 2=Dem-->

The [[2020 Democratic National Convention]] was originally scheduled for July 13–16 in [[Milwaukee]], [[Wisconsin]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/15/politics/dnc-2020-convention-dates/index.html|title=Exclusive: Democrats, anticipating heated primary, set earlier 2020 convention date|work=[[CNN]]|last1=Merica|first1=Dan|date=June 15, 2018|access-date=June 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180615191455/https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/15/politics/dnc-2020-convention-dates/index.html|archive-date=June 15, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/11/dnc-picks-milwaukee-to-host-2020-convention-1215502|title=DNC picks Milwaukee to host 2020 convention|last1=Korecki|first1=Natasha|last2=Thompson|first2=Alex|website=[[Politico]]|date=March 11, 2019|access-date=March 11, 2019}}</ref><ref name="OJaOg">{{Cite web|url=https://secure.gpus.org/cgi-bin/vote/irvresult?pid=967|title=Selection of Site for 2020 Presidential Nominating ConventionANM|work=[[Green National Committee]]|year=2019|access-date=August 19, 2019}}</ref> but was delayed to August 17–20 due to the effects of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/democratic-party-delays-july-convention-until-august-over-coronavirus-concerns-n1175046|title=Democratic Party delays July convention until August over coronavirus concerns|work=[[NBC News]]|last1=Smith|first1=Allan|last2=Vitali|first2=Ali|date=April 3, 2020|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-date=May 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523160227/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/democratic-party-delays-july-convention-until-august-over-coronavirus-concerns-n1175046|url-status=live}}</ref> On June 24, 2020, it was announced that the convention would be held in a mixed online in-person format, with most delegates attending remotely but a few still attending the physical convention site.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/democratic-national-convention-2020-plan-scaled-down-reveal/|title=Democratic Party reveals scaled-down convention plan|work=[[CBS News]]|last1=Brewster|first1=Adam|last2=Watson|first2=Eleanor|last3=O'Keefe|first3=Edward|date=June 24, 2020|access-date=June 25, 2020|archive-date=July 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200730120919/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/democratic-national-convention-2020-plan-scaled-down-reveal/|url-status=live}}</ref> On August 5, the in-person portion of the convention was scaled down even further; major speeches, including Biden's, were switched to a virtual format.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Epstein|first1=Reid J.|last2=Glueck|first2=Katie|date=August 5, 2020|title=Biden's Milwaukee Trip Is Canceled, and So Is a Normal Presidential Campaign|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/05/us/politics/joe-biden-milwaukee.html|access-date=August 7, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=August 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807002230/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/05/us/politics/joe-biden-milwaukee.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[2020 Republican National Convention]] took place from August 24–27 in [[Charlotte, North Carolina]], and various remote locations. Originally, a three-day convention was planned to be held in North Carolina, but due to North Carolina's insistence that the convention follow COVID-19 social distancing rules, the speeches and celebrations were moved to [[Jacksonville, Florida]] (official convention business was still contractually obligated to be conducted in Charlotte).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/rnc-picks-jacksonville-florida-convention-site-trump-accept-gop-nomination-n1230326|title=RNC picks Jacksonville, Florida, as convention site for Trump to accept GOP nomination|work=[[NBC News]]|last1=Clark|first1=Dartunurro|date=June 11, 2020|access-date=June 11, 2020|archive-date=June 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616013116/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/rnc-picks-jacksonville-florida-convention-site-trump-accept-gop-nomination-n1230326|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/rnc-2020/article243453231.html|title=It's official. RNC convention will head to Jacksonville after 1 day in Charlotte|last1=Morrill|first1=Jim|last2=Funk|first2=Tim|last3=Murphy|first3=Kate|newspaper=[[The Charlotte Observer]]|date=June 11, 2020|access-date=June 11, 2020|archive-date=June 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629181550/https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/rnc-2020/article243453231.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Due to the worsening situation with regards to COVID-19 in Florida, the plans there were cancelled, and the convention was moved back to Charlotte in a scaled-down capacity.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/rnc-2020/article244462217.html|title=After Trump cancels Jacksonville events, RNC is back where it was – in Charlotte|website=[[The Charlotte Observer]]|last1=Morrill|first1=Jim|date=July 24, 2020|access-date=July 27, 2020|archive-date=July 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727164840/https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/rnc-2020/article244462217.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[2020 Libertarian National Convention]] was originally scheduled to be held in [[Austin, Texas]], over [[Memorial Day]] weekend from May 22 to 25,<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Winger|first1=Richard|url=http://ballot-access.org/2017/12/11/libertarian-party-sets-location-and-date-of-2020-presidential-convention/|title=Libertarian Party Sets Location and Date of 2020 Presidential Convention|date=December 11, 2017|work=[[Ballot Access News]]|access-date=December 23, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171224101308/http://ballot-access.org/2017/12/11/libertarian-party-sets-location-and-date-of-2020-presidential-convention/|archive-date=December 24, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Francis |first1=Eric |title=An alternative to the right/left political menu|url=https://cal-catholic.com/an-alternative-to-the-right-left-political-menu/|access-date=December 6, 2018 |website=California Catholic Daily |date=December 21, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181206102407/https://cal-catholic.com/an-alternative-to-the-right-left-political-menu/ |archive-date=December 6, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> but all reservations at the [[JW Marriott Hotels|JW Marriott Downtown Austin]] for the convention were cancelled on April 26 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lnc2020.com/covid-19-notice/|title=COVID-19 and the Libertarian National Convention|date=April 26, 2020|website=LNC 2020|access-date=April 26, 2020|last1=Hayes|first1=Daniel|archive-date=April 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429050141/https://lnc2020.com/covid-19-notice/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Libertarian National Committee eventually decided the party would hold two conventions, one online from May 22–24 to select the presidential and vice-presidential nominees and one at a physical convention in [[Orlando, Florida]], from July 8–12 for other business.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ballot-access.org/2020/05/09/libertarian-party-will-use-on-line-process-to-choose-national-ticket-in-late-may-then-hold-an-in-person-july-convention-for-other-business/|title=Libertarian Party Will Use On-Line Process to Choose National Ticket in Late May, Then Hold an In-Person July Convention for Other Business|website=[[Ballot Access News]]|last1=Winger|first1=Richard|date=May 9, 2020|access-date=May 10, 2020|archive-date=June 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604190240/https://ballot-access.org/2020/05/09/libertarian-party-will-use-on-line-process-to-choose-national-ticket-in-late-may-then-hold-an-in-person-july-convention-for-other-business/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[2020 Green National Convention]] was originally to be held in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]], from July 9{{spaces}}to 12.<ref name="OJaOg" /> Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the convention was instead held online, without a change in date.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ballot-access.org/2020/04/24/green-party-national-convention-will-be-virtual/|title=Green Party Presidential Convention Will be Virtual|website=[[Ballot Access News]]|last1=Winger|first1=Richard|date=April 24, 2020|access-date=April 24, 2020|archive-date=June 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200601013149/https://ballot-access.org/2020/04/24/green-party-national-convention-will-be-virtual/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Issues unique to the election ===
==== Impeachment ====
{{further|First impeachment of Donald Trump}}
The House of Representatives [[First impeachment of Donald Trump|voted to impeach Trump]] on two counts on December 18, 2019.<ref name="OB3KB" /> The trial in the Senate began on January 21, 2020,<ref name="IIWDj" /> and ended on February 5, resulting in [[Acquittal#United States|acquittal]] by the [[United States Senate]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/05/trump-impeachment-vote-110805|title=Trump acquitted on impeachment charges, ending gravest threat to his presidency|first1=Kyle|last1=Cheney|first2=Andrew|last2=Desiderio|first3=John|last3=Bresnahan|date=February 5, 2020|access-date=February 5, 2020|work=[[Politico]]|archive-date=June 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617023326/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/05/trump-impeachment-vote-110805|url-status=live}}</ref>

This is the [[1868 Democratic National Convention|second]] time a president has been impeached during his first term while running for a second term.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.historycentral.com/elections/Conventions/1868DEM.html|title=1868 Democratic Convention|website=History Central|access-date=November 8, 2020|archive-date=October 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008115442/https://www.historycentral.com/elections/Conventions/1868DEM.html|url-status=live}}</ref>{{efn|[[Andrew Johnson]] received votes during the [[1868 Democratic National Convention]], four months after having been [[Impeachment of Andrew Johnson|impeached]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://millercenter.org/president/johnson/campaigns-and-elections|title=Andrew Johnson: Campaigns and Elections|work=Miller Center|publisher=University of Virginia|last1=Varon|first1=Elizabeth R.|year=2019|access-date=November 1, 2020|archive-date=September 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200903114824/https://millercenter.org/president/johnson/campaigns-and-elections|url-status=live}}</ref>}} Trump continued to hold campaign rallies during the impeachment.<ref name="FVJtv" /><ref name="GGhFA" /> This is also the first time since the modern presidential primaries were established in 1911 that a president has been subjected to impeachment while the primary season was underway.<ref name="Politiconov1" /> The impeachment process overlapped with the primary campaigns, forcing senators running for the Democratic nomination to remain in Washington for the trial in the days before and after the Iowa caucuses.<ref name="2cIKK" /><ref name="JDGyw" />

==== Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic ====
[[File:Electionsaltered.svg|thumb|right|States and territories with at least one local, state, or federal primary election date or method of voting altered as of August 5, 2020.]]
{{further|COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics|White House COVID-19 outbreak}}
Several events related to the 2020 presidential election were altered or postponed due to the ongoing [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States]] and its effects, such as stay-at-home orders and [[social distancing]] guidelines by local governments. On March 10, following primary elections in six states, Democratic candidates Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders cancelled planned campaign night events and further in-person campaigning and campaign rallies.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Glueck |first1=Katie |title=Joe Biden Will Host "Virtual Events" as Coronavirus Fears Heat Up |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/11/us/politics/biden-coronavirus-campaign-events.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 11, 2020 |access-date=March 24, 2020 |archive-date=June 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618132520/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/11/us/politics/biden-coronavirus-campaign-events.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Ember |first1=Sydney |last2=Karni |first2=Annie |last3=Haberman |first3=Maggie |title=Sanders and Biden Cancel Events as Coronavirus Fears Upend Primary |date=March 10, 2020|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/10/us/politics/sanders-biden-rally-coronavirus.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200310212102/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/10/us/politics/sanders-biden-rally-coronavirus.html |archive-date=2020-03-10 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=March 24, 2020}}</ref> On March 12, Trump also stated his intent to postpone further campaign rallies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/487259-trump-says-hell-likely-curtail-rallies-amid-coronavirus|title=Trump says he'll likely curtail rallies amid coronavirus|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|last1=Chalfant|first1=Morgan|date=March 12, 2020|access-date=March 24, 2020|archive-date=June 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618015213/https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/487259-trump-says-hell-likely-curtail-rallies-amid-coronavirus|url-status=live}}</ref> The 11th Democratic debate was held on March 15 without an audience at the [[CNN]] studios in [[Washington, D.C.]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/12/politics/cnn-univision-debate-arizona-dc/index.html|title=Democratic debate moved from Arizona to Washington, DC, over coronavirus concerns, DNC announces|work=[[CNN]]|date=March 12, 2020|access-date=November 8, 2020|archive-date=August 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200830201107/https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/12/politics/cnn-univision-debate-arizona-dc/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Several states also postponed their primaries to a later date, including Georgia,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/03/14/coronavirus-georgia-presidential-primaries-postponed-until-may/5052124002/|title=Georgia presidential primaries postponed over coronavirus concerns|website=[[USA Today]]|agency=Associated Press|date=March 15, 2020|access-date=November 8, 2020|archive-date=March 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200317035630/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/03/14/coronavirus-georgia-presidential-primaries-postponed-until-may/5052124002/|url-status=live}}</ref> Kentucky,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/16/politics/kentucky-primary-postponed/index.html|title=Kentucky secretary of state says primary postponed|work=[[CNN]]|last1=Sullivan|first1=Kate|date=March 16, 2020|access-date=November 8, 2020|archive-date=October 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201011041425/https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/16/politics/kentucky-primary-postponed/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Louisiana,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/13/louisiana-postpones-democratic-primary-over-coronavirus-the-first-state-to-do-so.html|title=Louisiana postpones Democratic primary over coronavirus, the first state to do so|work=[[CNBC]]|last1=Pramuk|first1=Jacob|date=March 13, 2020|access-date=November 8, 2020|archive-date=July 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200709043156/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/13/louisiana-postpones-democratic-primary-over-coronavirus-the-first-state-to-do-so.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Ohio,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200316/coronavirus-ohio-supreme-court-allows-delay-to-primary-election|title=Coronavirus: Ohio Supreme Court allows delay to primary election|website=The Columbus Dispatch|last1=Rouan|first1=Rick|last2=Futty|first2=John|date=March 16, 2020|access-date=November 8, 2020|archive-date=June 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619101442/https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200316/coronavirus-ohio-supreme-court-allows-delay-to-primary-election|url-status=live}}</ref> and Maryland.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/17/maryland-postpones-april-28-primary-election-over-coronavirus-133776|title=Maryland postpones primary, shifts special election to mail voting over coronavirus|website=[[Politico]]|last1=Ollstein|first1=Alice Miranda|last2=Montellaro|first2=Zach|date=March 17, 2020|access-date=November 8, 2020|archive-date=May 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200528024457/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/17/maryland-postpones-april-28-primary-election-over-coronavirus-133776|url-status=live}}</ref> As of March 24, 2020, all major-party presidential candidates had halted in-person campaigning and campaign rallies over COVID-19 concerns. Political analysts speculated at the time that the moratorium on traditional campaigning, coupled with the effects of the pandemic on the nation, could have unpredictable effects on the voting populace and possibly, how the election will be conducted.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fortune.com/2020/03/18/coronavirus-2020-election-pandemic-primaries-postponed-voting-trump-biden-sanders-covid-19/|title=10 questions about the 2020 election during the coronavirus pandemic, answered|website=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]]|last1=Goodkind|first1=Nicole|date=March 19, 2020|access-date=March 25, 2020|archive-date=April 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424141210/https://fortune.com/2020/03/18/coronavirus-2020-election-pandemic-primaries-postponed-voting-trump-biden-sanders-covid-19/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/03/17/coronavirus-pandemic-delays-primaries-time-worry-2020-november-election/5057930002/|title=As coronavirus pandemic delays 2020 primaries, is it time to worry about the November election?|website=[[USA Today]]|last1=Garrison|first1=Joey|date=March 17, 2020|access-date=March 25, 2020|archive-date=June 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616084049/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/03/17/coronavirus-pandemic-delays-primaries-time-worry-2020-november-election/5057930002/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/us/politics/coronavirus-2020-campaign.html|title=How the Coronavirus Changed the 2020 Campaign|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|last1=Lerer|first1=Lisa|last2=Epstein|first2=Reid J.|date=March 12, 2020|access-date=March 25, 2020|archive-date=May 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200530202552/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/us/politics/coronavirus-2020-campaign.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Poll worker sanitizes election booth.jpg|thumb|left|A poll worker sanitizes an election booth in [[Davis, California]]]]
Some presidential primary elections were severely disrupted by COVID-19-related issues, including long lines at polling places, greatly increased requests for absentee ballots, and technology issues.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.brookings.edu/research/voting-by-mail-in-a-pandemic-a-state-by-state-scorecard/|title=Voting by mail in a pandemic: A state-by-state scorecard|date=August 2020|work=The Brookings Institution|last1=Kamarck|first1=Elaine|last2=Ibreak|first2=Yoused|last3=Powers|first3=Amanda|last4=Stewart|first4=Chris|access-date=August 14, 2020|archive-date=August 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200814085512/https://www.brookings.edu/research/voting-by-mail-in-a-pandemic-a-state-by-state-scorecard/|url-status=live}}</ref> Due to a shortage of election workers able or willing to work during the pandemic, the number of polling places was often greatly reduced. Most states expanded or encouraged voting by mail as an alternative, but many voters complained that they never received the absentee ballots they had requested.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election/confusion-long-lines-at-some-poll-sites-as-eight-u-s-states-vote-during-coronavirus-pandemic-idUSKBN2391B5|title=Confusion, long lines at some poll sites as eight U.S. states vote during coronavirus pandemic|last1=Whitesides|first1=John|last2=Renshaw|first2=Jarrett|date=June 2, 2020|work=[[Reuters]]|access-date=August 14, 2020|archive-date=August 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801054503/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election/confusion-long-lines-at-some-poll-sites-as-eight-u-s-states-vote-during-coronavirus-pandemic-idUSKBN2391B5|url-status=live}}</ref>

The March 2020 [[Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act]] included money for states to increase mail-in voting. By May, Trump and his campaign strongly opposed mail-in voting, claiming that it would cause widespread voter fraud, a belief that has been discredited by a number of media organizations.<ref name="auto">{{Cite news|first=Chris|last=Cillizza|title=Here's the *real* reason Donald Trump is attacking mail-in ballots|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/26/politics/mail-in-ballot-vote-by-mail-trump/index.html|date=May 26, 2020|access-date=June 29, 2020|work=[[CNN]]|archive-date=July 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200730153554/https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/26/politics/mail-in-ballot-vote-by-mail-trump/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{Cite news|last1=Haberman|first1=Maggie|last2=Corasaniti|first2=Nick|last3=Qiu|first3=Linda|date=June 24, 2020|title=Trump's False Attacks on Voting by Mail Stir Broad Concern|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/24/us/politics/trump-vote-by-mail.html|access-date=June 29, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=July 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729030608/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/24/us/politics/trump-vote-by-mail.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Government response to the impact of the pandemic from the Trump administration, coupled with the differing positions taken by congressional Democrats and Republicans regarding [[Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act|economic stimulus]], became a major campaign issue for both parties.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/us/politics/coronavirus-2020-campaign.html|title=How the Coronavirus Changed the 2020 Campaign|work=[[The New York Times]]|last1=Lerer|first1=Lisa|last2=Epstein|first2=Reid J.|date=March 12, 2020|access-date=November 8, 2020|archive-date=May 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200530202552/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/us/politics/coronavirus-2020-campaign.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/488748-the-memo-democrats-grapple-with-virus-response|title=The Memo: Democrats grapple with virus response|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|last1=Stanage|first1=Niall|date=March 21, 2020|access-date=March 25, 2020|archive-date=May 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523203311/https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/488748-the-memo-democrats-grapple-with-virus-response|url-status=live}}</ref>

On April 6, the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] and Republicans in the State Legislature of Wisconsin rebuffed Wisconsin Governor [[Tony Evers]]'s request to move [[2020 Wisconsin elections|the state's spring elections]] to June. As a result, the elections, which included a presidential primary, went ahead on April{{spaces}}7 as planned.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Parks|first1=Miles|title='In The End, The Voters Responded': Surprising Takeaways From Wisconsin's Election|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/04/15/834037566/in-the-end-the-voters-responded-surprising-takeaways-from-wisconsin-s-election|work=[[NPR]]|date=April 15, 2020|access-date=April 21, 2020|archive-date=June 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618192836/https://www.npr.org/2020/04/15/834037566/in-the-end-the-voters-responded-surprising-takeaways-from-wisconsin-s-election|url-status=live}}</ref> At least seven new cases of COVID-19 were traced to this election. Voting-rights advocates expressed fear of similar chaos on a nationwide scale in November, recommending states move to expand vote-by-mail options.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Neely|first1=Brett|last2=Silver|first2=Maayan|title=Milwaukee Claims 7 Coronavirus Cases Tied To Controversial Wisconsin Election|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/21/839865567/milwaukee-claims-7-coronavirus-cases-tied-to-controversial-election|work=[[NPR]]|date=April 21, 2020|access-date=April 21, 2020|archive-date=June 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619153133/https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/21/839865567/milwaukee-claims-7-coronavirus-cases-tied-to-controversial-election|url-status=live}}</ref>

On June 20, 2020, Trump's campaign held [[2020 Trump Tulsa rally|an in-person rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma]], after the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that the event could go ahead despite continuing concerns over COVID-19.<ref>{{Cite web|date=June 20, 2020|title=Trump's Oklahoma rally can go ahead, court rules|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53116623|access-date=June 22, 2020|website=[[BBC News]]|archive-date=June 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620054735/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53116623|url-status=live}}</ref> Attendance at the rally was far lower than expected, being described as a "flop", and it led to a significant worsening of relations between Trump and his campaign manager, [[Brad Parscale]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/21/brad-parscale-donald-trump-tulsa-rally-covid-ivanka-kushner-rick-wilson|title=Brad Parscale faces Trump "fury" after Tulsa comeback rally flops|website=[[The Guardian]]|last1=Lutz|first1=Tom|date=June 22, 2020|access-date=October 2, 2020|archive-date=June 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622001002/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/21/brad-parscale-donald-trump-tulsa-rally-covid-ivanka-kushner-rick-wilson|url-status=live}}</ref> 7.7 million people watched the event on Fox News, a Saturday audience record for that channel.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Swanson|first=Ian|date=June 22, 2020|title=Trump rally delivers Saturday-record 7.7 million viewers on Fox News|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/media/503908-trump-rally-delivers-saturday-record-77-million-viewers-on-fox-news|access-date=July 24, 2020|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|archive-date=July 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724191114/https://thehill.com/homenews/media/503908-trump-rally-delivers-saturday-record-77-million-viewers-on-fox-news|url-status=live}}</ref> Three weeks after the rally, the Oklahoma State Department of Health recorded record numbers of cases of COVID-19,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://time.com/5865890/oklahoma-covid-19-trump-tulsa-rally/|title=Three Weeks After Trump's Tulsa Rally, Oklahoma Reports Record High COVID-19 Numbers|last=Carlisle|first=Madeleine|date=July 11, 2020|magazine=Time|access-date=October 3, 2020|archive-date=October 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003194326/https://time.com/5865890/oklahoma-covid-19-trump-tulsa-rally/|url-status=live}}</ref> and former Republican presidential candidate [[Herman Cain]] died of the virus, although it was not confirmed that he caught the disease due to his attendance at the rally.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/30/former-gop-presidential-candidate-herman-cain-dies-after-battle-with-coronavirus.html|title=Former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain dies after battle with coronavirus|last=Breuninger|first=Kevin|date=July 30, 2020|work=[[CNBC]]|access-date=October 3, 2020|archive-date=July 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200730150323/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/30/former-gop-presidential-candidate-herman-cain-dies-after-battle-with-coronavirus.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

On October 2, 2020, Trump and First Lady [[Melania Trump]] tested positive for [[SARS-CoV-2]] following a positive test from his senior advisor, [[Hope Hicks]], as part of the larger [[White House COVID-19 outbreak|COVID-19 outbreak among White House personnel]]. Both the president and first lady immediately entered quarantine, which prevented Trump from further campaigning, notably at campaign rallies.<ref name="COVID infection NYT">{{Cite news |last1=Baker |first1=Peter |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |title=Trump Tests Positive for the Coronavirus |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/02/us/politics/trump-positive-coronavirus.html |access-date=October 2, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 2, 2020 |archive-date=October 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002051753/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/02/us/politics/trump-positive-coronavirus.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Dawsey|first1=Josh|last2=Itkowitz|first2=Colby|title=Trump says he and first lady have tested positive for coronavirus|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/hope-hicks-close-trump-aide-tests-positive-for-coronavirus/2020/10/01/af238f7c-0444-11eb-897d-3a6201d6643f_story.html|access-date=October 2, 2020|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=October 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002134159/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/hope-hicks-close-trump-aide-tests-positive-for-coronavirus/2020/10/01/af238f7c-0444-11eb-897d-3a6201d6643f_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Mason|first=Jeff|date=October 2, 2020|title=Trump starts "quarantine process" after aide Hope Hicks tests positive for coronavirus|work=[[Reuters]]|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-usa-hicks-int-idUSKBN26N0FV|access-date=October 2, 2020|archive-date=October 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003122145/https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-usa-hicks-int-idUSKBN26N0FV|url-status=live}}</ref> Later that day, the President was admitted to [[Walter Reed National Military Medical Center]] with a low grade fever, where he was reported to have received an experimental antibody treatment.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wctrib.com/news/nation/6688036-Trump-to-be-moved-to-hospital-for-treatment-after-COVID-19-diagnosis|title=Trump to be moved to hospital for treatment after COVID-19 diagnosis|website=West Central Tribune|last1=Mason|first1=Jeff|last2=Alper|first2=Alexandra|last3=Holland|first3=Steve|date=October 2, 2020|access-date=October 2, 2020|agency=Reuters|archive-date=October 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002231452/https://www.wctrib.com/news/nation/6688036-Trump-to-be-moved-to-hospital-for-treatment-after-COVID-19-diagnosis|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Dawsey |first1=Josh |last2=Parker |first2=Ashley |last3=Itkowitz |first3=Colby |title=Trump tests positive for coronavirus, plans to go to Walter Reed hospital, two officials say |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-covid/2020/10/02/b91072e6-04c3-11eb-a2db-417cddf4816a_story.html |access-date=October 2, 2020 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |archive-date=October 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003003136/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-covid/2020/10/02/b91072e6-04c3-11eb-a2db-417cddf4816a_story.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Trump's diagnosis came only two days after he had shared the stage with Biden at the first presidential debate and raised the possibility that Biden had caught the virus from Trump; Biden tested negative.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.news.com.au/world/coronavirus/global/donald-trump-mocked-joe-biden-for-wearing-a-mask-before-testing-positive/news-story/61b3b4880398ee7f59a8f10b30e8f436|title=Donald Trump mocked Joe Biden for wearing a mask before testing positive|newspaper=News.com.au|last1=Loomes|first1=Phoebe|date=October 2, 2020|access-date=October 2, 2020|archive-date=October 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003220243/https://www.news.com.au/world/coronavirus/global/donald-trump-mocked-joe-biden-for-wearing-a-mask-before-testing-positive/news-story/61b3b4880398ee7f59a8f10b30e8f436|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/02/democratic-nominee-joe-biden-tests-negative-for-coronavirus-after-potential-exposure.html|title=Democratic nominee Joe Biden tests negative for coronavirus after potential exposure, Trump's diagnosis|work=[[CNBC]]|last1=Wilkie|first1=Christina|date=October 2, 2020|access-date=October 2, 2020|archive-date=October 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002204401/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/02/democratic-nominee-joe-biden-tests-negative-for-coronavirus-after-potential-exposure.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Trump was discharged from the hospital on October 5.<ref name="Hook" />

Trump being diagnosed with COVID-19 was widely seen as having a negative effect on his campaign and shifted the attention of the public back onto COVID-19, an issue which is generally seen as a liability for Trump, due to his response to the COVID-19 pandemic suffering from low approval ratings.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/02/the-campaign-as-we-knew-it-is-over-trumps-covid-test-upends-the-race-425020|title=This is the worst nightmare for the Trump campaign|website=[[Politico]]|last1=Siders|first1=David|last2=Mahtesian|first2=Charlie|date=October 2, 2020|access-date=October 2, 2020|archive-date=October 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003173445/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/02/the-campaign-as-we-knew-it-is-over-trumps-covid-test-upends-the-race-425020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/coronavirus-polls/|title=How Americans View The Coronavirus Crisis And Trump's Response|website=[[FiveThirtyEight]]|last1=Bycoffe|first1=Aaron|last2=Groskopf|first2=Christopher|last3=Mehta|first3=Dhrumil|date=October 2, 2020|access-date=October 3, 2020|archive-date=October 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003164422/https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/coronavirus-polls/|url-status=live}}</ref> Being in quarantine also meant Trump was unable to attend rallies, which were a major part of his campaign. As a result of Trump contracting COVID-19, Biden continued campaigning but temporarily ceased running attack ads against him.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-campaign-plows-ahead-with-campaign-schedule-after-he-tests-negative-for-covid-19/|title=Biden campaign pulls ads attacking Trump for now, but plows ahead with schedule|work=[[CBS News]]|last1=O'Keefe|first1=Ed|last2=Erickson|first2=Bo|last3=Ewall-Wice|first3=Sarah|date=October 2, 2020|access-date=October 3, 2020|archive-date=October 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003162801/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-campaign-plows-ahead-with-campaign-schedule-after-he-tests-negative-for-covid-19/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/oct/02/donald-trump-positive-test-covid-19-surprise-many-saw-coming-coronavirus|title=Trump's positive Covid test was a surprise that many saw coming|website=[[The Guardian]]|last1=Smith|first1=David|date=October 2, 2020|access-date=October 3, 2020|archive-date=October 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003064612/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/oct/02/donald-trump-positive-test-covid-19-surprise-many-saw-coming-coronavirus|url-status=live}}</ref> On October 12, one week after his discharge from the hospital, Trump resumed in-person rallies.<ref name="Hook">{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-10-12/trump-travels-for-first-time-since-he-got-coronavirus|title=Trump declares himself immune to COVID: 'I'll kiss everyone in that audience'|last1=Hook|first1=Janet|last2=Bierman|first2=Noah|date=October 12, 2020|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=October 29, 2020|archive-date=October 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028140440/https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-10-12/trump-travels-for-first-time-since-he-got-coronavirus|url-status=live}}</ref> Trump continued to travel to battleground states and hold mass rallies, sometimes two or three in a day. His rallies were criticized for their lack of social distancing or mask wearing, and some polls suggested that voters saw him less favorably for potentially endangering attendees.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/elections/articles/2020-10-28/trumps-rallies-are-turning-voters-against-him|title=Trump's Rallies Are Turning Voters Against Him|last=Milligan|first=Susan|date=October 28, 2020|work=U.S. News & World Report|access-date=October 29, 2020|archive-date=October 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029065125/https://www.usnews.com/news/elections/articles/2020-10-28/trumps-rallies-are-turning-voters-against-him|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2020/10/29/heres-why-massive-rallies-may-do-trump-more-harm-than-good/|title=Here's Why Massive Rallies May Do Trump More Harm Than Good|work=[[Forbes]]|last1=Solender|first1=Andrew|date=October 29, 2020|access-date=October 29, 2020|archive-date=November 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201102065459/https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2020/10/29/heres-why-massive-rallies-may-do-trump-more-harm-than-good/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Foreign interference ====
{{further|Russian interference in the 2020 United States elections|Foreign electoral intervention}}
U.S. officials accused [[Russia]], [[China]], and [[Iran]] of trying to influence the 2020 United States elections.<ref>{{Cite news|title=U.S. Sees Russia, China, Iran Trying to Influence 2020 Elections|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-24/u-s-sees-russia-china-iran-trying-to-influence-2020-elections|website=[[Bloomberg News]]|last1=Sebenius|first1=Alyza|date=June 24, 2019|access-date=July 12, 2020|archive-date=October 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191006082404/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-24/u-s-sees-russia-china-iran-trying-to-influence-2020-elections|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=2020 Election Meddling by China, Iran, N. Korea Likely, Administration Officials Warn|url=https://news.yahoo.com/2020-election-meddling-china-iran-090500666.html|website=[[Yahoo! News]]|last1=Lucas|first1=Fred|date=June 28, 2019|access-date=July 12, 2020|archive-date=October 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191006082400/https://news.yahoo.com/2020-election-meddling-china-iran-090500666.html|url-status=live}}</ref> On October 4, 2019, Microsoft announced that "[[Charming Kitten|Phosphorus]]", a group of hackers linked to the [[Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran|Iranian government]], had attempted to compromise e-mail accounts belonging to journalists, U.S. government officials and the campaign of a U.S. presidential candidate.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Trump campaign targeted by Iran-linked hackers |url=https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Trump-campaign-targeted-by-Iran-linked-hackers-603732 |work=The Jerusalem Post |agency=Reuters|date=October 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191006084141/https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Trump-campaign-targeted-by-Iran-linked-hackers-603732 |archive-date=October 6, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/10/04/iran-tried-hack-us-presidential-candidates-journalists-effort-that-targeted-hundreds-microsoft-finds/ |title=Iranians tried to hack U.S. presidential candidate in effort that targeted hundreds, Microsoft says |date=October 4, 2019 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |first1=Jay |last1=Greene |last2=Romm |first2=Tony |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191004175108/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/10/04/iran-tried-hack-us-presidential-candidates-journalists-effort-that-targeted-hundreds-microsoft-finds/ |archive-date=October 4, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> The American Government owned ''[[Voice of America]]'' reported in April 2020 that "Internet security researchers say there have already been signs that China-allied hackers have engaged in so-called '[[spear-phishing]]' attacks on American political targets ahead of the 2020 vote." Chinese spokesman [[Geng Shuang]] denied the allegations and said he would "hope the people of the U.S. not drag China into its electoral politics".<ref>{{Cite news |title=China, Caught Meddling in Past Two US Elections, Claims "Not Interested" in 2020 Vote |url=https://www.voanews.com/east-asia-pacific/china-caught-meddling-past-two-us-elections-claims-not-interested-2020-vote |work=Voa News |date=April 30, 2020 |access-date=November 8, 2020 |archive-date=May 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200518183055/https://www.voanews.com/east-asia-pacific/china-caught-meddling-past-two-us-elections-claims-not-interested-2020-vote |url-status=live}}</ref>

On February 13, 2020, American intelligence officials advised members of the [[House Intelligence Committee]] that Russia was interfering in the 2020 election in an effort to get Trump re-elected.<ref>{{Cite web|title=New: Mueller Investigated Julian Assange, WikiLeaks, And Roger Stone For DNC Hacks And Election Law Violations|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonleopold/new-mueller-investigated-julian-assange-wikileaks-and-roger|access-date=November 3, 2020|last1=Leopold|first1=Jason|date=November 2, 2020|last2=Bensinger|first2=Ken|website=[[BuzzFeed News]]|archive-date=November 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103030502/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonleopold/new-mueller-investigated-julian-assange-wikileaks-and-roger|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://apnews.com/a55930e0a02d2e21d8ed2be7bc496a6f |title=FBI official: Russia wants to see US "tear ourselves apart" |work=[[Associated Press]]|date=February 24, 2020 |access-date=February 26, 2020 |last=Tucker |first=Eric |quote=One intelligence official said lawmakers were not told that Russia was working directly to aid Trump. But other people familiar with the meeting said they were told the Kremlin was looking to help Trump's candidacy. The people spoke on condition of anonymity to {{sic|discussed}} the classified briefing. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226204303/https://apnews.com/a55930e0a02d2e21d8ed2be7bc496a6f |archive-date=February 26, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> The briefing was delivered by [[Shelby Pierson]], the intelligence community's top election security official and an aide to acting [[Director of National Intelligence]] [[Joseph Maguire]]. On February 21, ''[[The Washington Post]]'' reported that, according to unnamed U.S. officials, Russia was interfering in the Democratic primary in an effort to support the nomination of Senator [[Bernie Sanders]]. Sanders issued a statement after the news report, saying in part, "I don't care, frankly, who Putin wants to be president. My message to Putin is clear: stay out of American elections, and as president, I will make sure that you do."<ref>{{Cite news |title=Bernie Sanders briefed by U.S. officials that Russia is trying to help his presidential campaign |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/bernie-sanders-briefed-by-us-officials-that-russia-is-trying-to-help-his-presidential-campaign/2020/02/21/5ad396a6-54bd-11ea-929a-64efa7482a77_story.html |last1=Harris|first1=Shane|display-authors=et al|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=February 21, 2020 |access-date=February 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200222124440/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/bernie-sanders-briefed-by-us-officials-that-russia-is-trying-to-help-his-presidential-campaign/2020/02/21/5ad396a6-54bd-11ea-929a-64efa7482a77_story.html |archive-date=February 22, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> Sanders acknowledged that his campaign was briefed about Russia's alleged efforts about a month prior.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Russia Is Said to Be Interfering to Aid Sanders in Democratic Primaries |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/21/us/politics/bernie-sanders-russia.html |last1=Barnes|first1=Julian E.|last2=Ember|first2=Sydney|work=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 21, 2020 |access-date=February 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200222132741/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/21/us/politics/bernie-sanders-russia.html |archive-date=February 22, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> In a February 2020 briefing to the House Intelligence Committee, U.S. intelligence officials warned Congress that Russia was interfering in the 2020 campaign to support Trump's reelection campaign; Trump was angered that Congress had been informed of the threat, and the day after the briefing castigated the acting director of national intelligence, [[Joseph Maguire]], for allowing the briefing to go forward.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/20/us/politics/russian-interference-trump-democrats.html|title=Lawmakers Are Warned That Russia Is Meddling to Support Trump|website=[[The New York Times]]|last1=Goldman|first1=Adam|last2=Barnes|first2=Julian E.|last3=Haberman|first3=Maggie|last4=Fandos|first4=Nicholas|date=February 20, 2020|access-date=July 13, 2020|archive-date=February 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200225234247/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/20/us/politics/russian-interference-trump-democrats.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=TodayRussiaChina /> China and some government-linked Chinese individuals have been accused of interfering in the election to support the candidacy of both Biden and Trump,<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Rogin |first1=Josh |title=There's Chinese interference on both sides of the 2020 election |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/theres-chinese-interference-on-both-sides-of-the-2020-election/2020/10/29/49f90dfe-1a2c-11eb-82db-60b15c874105_story.html |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=October 30, 2020 |access-date=November 8, 2020 |archive-date=November 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101220202/https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/theres-chinese-interference-on-both-sides-of-the-2020-election/2020/10/29/49f90dfe-1a2c-11eb-82db-60b15c874105_story.html |url-status=live}}</ref> though whether it is actually doing so is disputed among the intelligence community.<ref name=TodayRussiaChina>{{Cite news |title=Joe Biden says Russia, not China, is greatest threat to 2020 election |url=https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/09/04/joe-biden-says-russia-not-china-greatest-threat-2020-election/5718496002/ |work=USA Today |last1=Phillips|first1=Katherine|date=September 4, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/21418513/china-iran-us-election-meddling-russia|title=Are China and Iran meddling in US elections? It's complicated.|work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|last1=Kirby|first1=Jen|date=September 15, 2020|access-date=October 30, 2020|archive-date=November 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101015508/https://www.vox.com/21418513/china-iran-us-election-meddling-russia|url-status=live}}</ref>

On October 21, threatening emails were sent to Democrats in at least four states. The emails warned, "You will vote for Trump on Election Day or we will come after you."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/10/20/proud-boys-emails-florida/|title=U.S. government concludes Iran was behind threatening emails sent to Democrats|date=October 22, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=October 30, 2020|archive-date=October 29, 2020|first1=Ellen|last1=Nakashima|first2=Amy|last2=Gardner|first3=Isaac|last3=Stanley-Becker|first4=Craig|last4=Timberg|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029152953/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/10/20/proud-boys-emails-florida/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Director of National Intelligence]] [[John Ratcliffe (American politician)|John Ratcliffe]] announced that evening that the emails, using a spoofed return address, had been sent by Iran. He added that both Iran and Russia are known to have obtained American voter registration data, possibly from publicly available information, and "This data can be used by foreign actors to attempt to communicate false information to registered voters that they hope will cause confusion, sow chaos and undermine your confidence in American democracy." A spokesman for Iran denied the allegation.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/21/us/politics/iran-russia-election-interference.html|title=Iran and Russia Seek to Influence Election in Final Days, U.S. Officials Warn|last1=Barnes|first1=Julian E.|last2=Sanger|first2=David E.|date=October 21, 2020|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=October 24, 2020|archive-date=October 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026221529/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/21/us/politics/iran-russia-election-interference.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In his announcement, Ratcliffe said Iran's intent had been "to intimidate voters, incite social unrest, and damage President Trump", raising questions as to how ordering Democrats to vote for Trump would be damaging to Trump. It was later reported that the reference to Trump had not been in Ratcliffe's prepared remarks as signed off by the other officials on the stage; he had added it on his own.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/28/john-ratcliffe-iran-433375|title=Ratcliffe went off script with Iran remarks, officials say|last1=Bertrand|first1=Natasha|last2=Lippman|first2=Daniel|date=October 28, 2020|work=[[Politico]]|access-date=October 30, 2020|archive-date=October 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029162945/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/28/john-ratcliffe-iran-433375|url-status=live}}</ref> On November 18, 2021, the Justice Department charged two Iranian hackers with attempting to intimidate American voters ahead of the 2020 U.S. election by sending threatening emails and spreading false information.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2021-11-18/us-indicts-two-Iranian-hackers-2020-election-misinformation-campaign-3670812.html|title=US indicts two Iranian hackers over 2020 election misinformation campaign|website=[[Stars and Stripes (newspaper)|Stars and Stripes]]}}</ref>

Throughout the election period, several [[Colombia]]n lawmakers and the Colombian ambassador to the United States issued statements supporting the Donald Trump campaign, which has been viewed as potentially harmful to [[Colombia–United States relations]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=Is Colombia Interfering In The U.S. Election In Florida – With Tactics It Exported To Florida?|url=https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/politics-issues/2020-09-22/is-colombia-interfering-in-the-u-s-election-in-florida-with-tactics-it-exported-to-florida|last1=Padgett|first1=Tim|access-date=October 27, 2020|work=University of South Florida|date=September 22, 2020|archive-date=November 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101021834/https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/politics-issues/2020-09-22/is-colombia-interfering-in-the-u-s-election-in-florida-with-tactics-it-exported-to-florida|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/24/opinions/colombian-lawmakers-us-election-meeks-gallego/index.html|title=Colombian politicians shouldn't take sides in US election|work=[[CNN]]|last1=Meeks|first1=Gregory|author2-link=Ruben Gallego|last2=Gallego|first2=Ruben|date=October 24, 2020|access-date=October 27, 2020|archive-date=October 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027112911/https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/24/opinions/colombian-lawmakers-us-election-meeks-gallego/index.html|url-status=live|author1-link=Gregory Meeks}}</ref> On October 26, the U.S. Ambassador to Colombia, [[Philip Goldberg]], requested that Colombian politicians abstain from getting involved in the elections.<ref>{{Cite news|title=US embassy warns Colombian politicians not to get involved in US elections|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/27/embassy-warns-colombian-politicians-us-elections|last1=Daniels|first1=Joe Parkin|access-date=October 27, 2020|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=October 26, 2020|archive-date=October 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027134403/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/27/embassy-warns-colombian-politicians-us-elections|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Department of Justice is investigating whether the Trump Victory Committee accepted a $100,000 donation from [[Malaysia]]n businessman and international fugitive [[Jho Low]], who is accused of being the mastermind behind the multibillion-dollar [[1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal]] involving a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund, [[1MDB]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=March 14, 2019|title=US probing whether Jho Low secretly made donation to Trump's 2020 re-election campaign|work=The Straits Times|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/us-probing-whether-jho-low-secretly-made-donation-to-trumps-2020-re-election|access-date=November 12, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The bizarre story of 1MDB, the Goldman Sachs-backed Malaysian fund that turned into one of the biggest scandals in financial history|work=Business Insider|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/1mdb-timeline-the-goldman-sachs-backed-malaysian-wealth-fund-2018-12|date=December 20, 2018|last1=Burroughs|first1=Callum|last2=Khan|first2=Yusuf|access-date=November 12, 2020}}</ref>

Government officials and American corporate security officers braced for a repeat of [[Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections#Intrusions into state election systems|2016's election infrastructure hacking]] and [[Cyberwarfare by Russia|similar twenty-first century attacks]], and in fact conducted what were characterized as preemptive counter-strikes on [[botnet]] infrastructure which might be used in large-scale coordination of hacking,<ref name="NYT20201012">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/12/us/politics/election-hacking-microsoft.html|title=Microsoft Takes Down a Risk to the Election and Finds the U.S. Doing the Same: Fearing Russian ransomware attacks on the election, the company and U.S. Cyber Command mounted similar pre-emptive strikes. It is not clear how long they may work.|department=US Politics|last1=Sanger|first1=David E.|author-link=David E. Sanger|last2=Perlroth|first2=Nicole|date=2020-10-12|edition=October 21, 2020|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104020855/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/12/us/politics/election-hacking-microsoft.html|archive-date=2020-11-04|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[List of security hacking incidents#2020|some incidents earlier in the year]] appeared to foreshadow such possibilities. Nonetheless, after his [[Trump post-election dismissals|dismissal]], in a December 2020 interview, [[Chris Krebs]], the Trump administration's director of the [[Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency]] (CISA), described monitoring Election Day from CISA's joint command center along with representatives from the military's [[United States Cyber Command]], the [[National Security Agency]] (NSA), the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] (FBI), the [[United States Secret Service]] (USSS), the [[Election Assistance Commission]] (EAC), representatives of vendors of [[voting machine]] equipment, and representatives of [[State governments of the United States|state]] and [[Local government in the United States|local governments]], as well as his agency's analysis preceding and after that day, saying, "It was quiet. There was no indication or evidence that there was any sort of hacking or compromise of election systems on, before, or after November third."<ref name="60Min20201129">{{Cite episode|last=Krebs|first=Christopher Cox|subject-link=Chris Krebs|editor-last=Pelley|editor-first=Scott Cameron|editor-link=Scott Pelley|id=Securing the Election, The Last Slave Ship, James Corden|season=53|number=13|title=Fired director of U.S. cyber agency Chris Krebs explains why President Trump's claims of election interference are false|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/election-results-security-chris-krebs-60-minutes-2020-11-29/|series=60 Minutes|series-link=60 Minutes|network=[[CBS]]|time=11:30|date=2020-11-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202060053/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/election-results-security-chris-krebs-60-minutes-2020-11-29/|archive-date=2020-12-02|url-status=live}}</ref> Responding to spurious claims of foreign outsourcing of [[vote counting]] as a rationale behind litigation attempting to stop official vote-counting in some areas, Krebs also affirmed that, "All votes in the United States of America are counted in the United States of America."<ref name="60Min20201129" />

Acts of foreign interference included Russian state-directed application of [[Philip N. Howard#Computational propaganda|computational propaganda]] approaches, more conventional [[state-sponsored Internet propaganda]], [[Russian interference in the 2020 United States elections#Social-media disinformation and voting infrastructure|smaller-scale disinformation efforts]], "[[information laundering]]" and "[[trading up the chain]]" propaganda tactics employing some government officials, [[New York Post#Hunter Biden laptop story|Trump affiliates, and US media outlets]].<ref name="NYT20201025">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/25/business/media/hunter-biden-wall-street-journal-trump.html|title=Trump Had One Last Story to Sell. The Wall Street Journal Wouldn't Buy It.|department=The Media Equation|last=Smith|first=Ben|author-link=Ben Smith (journalist)|date=2020-10-25|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030084330/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/25/business/media/hunter-biden-wall-street-journal-trump.html|archive-date=2020-10-30|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Trump's potential rejection of election results ====
{{further|Blue shift (politics)|Peaceful transition of power}}
During the campaign, Trump indicated in [[Donald Trump on Twitter|Twitter posts]], interviews, and speeches that he might refuse to recognize the outcome of the election if he were defeated; Trump falsely suggested that the election would be [[Electoral fraud|rigged]] against him.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/21/trump-election-2020-1374589|title=What if Trump won't accept 2020 defeat?|website=[[Politico]]|last1=Bertrand|first1=Natasha|last2=Samuelsohn|first2=Darren|date=June 21, 2019|access-date=July 29, 2020|archive-date=July 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726071851/https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/21/trump-election-2020-1374589|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/what-could-happen-if-donald-trump-rejects-electoral-defeat|title=What could happen if Donald Trump rejects electoral defeat?|magazine=[[The New York Times]]|last1=Gessen|first1=Masha|date=July 21, 2020|access-date=July 29, 2020|archive-date=July 31, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731005940/https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/what-could-happen-if-donald-trump-rejects-electoral-defeat|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.yahoo.com/trumps-false-claims-of-rigged-voting-are-a-perilous-thing-says-top-republican-expert-204724461.html|work=[[Yahoo! News]]|first1=Jon|last1=Ward|title=Trump's false claims of rigged voting are "a perilous thing," says top Republican expert|date=October 1, 2020}}</ref> In July 2020, Trump declined to answer whether he would accept the results, just as he did in the [[2016 United States presidential election|2016 presidential election]], telling Fox News anchor [[Chris Wallace]] that "I have to see. No, I'm not going to just say yes. I'm not going to say no."<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Rafferty|first1=Andrew|last2=Taintor|first2=David|date=2016-10-16|title=Trump Won't Say He'll Accept Election Results: 'I Will Keep You In Suspense'|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/trump-won-t-say-he-ll-accept-election-results-i-n669801|access-date=2021-06-18|website=[[NBC News]]|language=en}}</ref><ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2020/09/24/heres-everything-trump-has-said-about-refusing-to-give-up-power/|title=Here's Everything Trump Has Said About Refusing To Give Up Power|first=Tommy|last=Beer|date=September 24, 2020|website=[[Forbes]]|access-date=November 8, 2020|archive-date=November 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106145147/https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2020/09/24/heres-everything-trump-has-said-about-refusing-to-give-up-power/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-results/trump-says-he-will-do-other-things-if-he-loses-2020-election-idUSKBN23J2YB|title=Trump says he will "do other things" if he loses 2020 election|work=[[Reuters]]|last1=Lange|first1=Jason|date=June 12, 2020|access-date=July 29, 2020|archive-date=July 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729112925/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-results/trump-says-he-will-do-other-things-if-he-loses-2020-election-idUSKBN23J2YB|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Feuer|first=Will|date=July 19, 2020|title=President Trump won't agree to accept 2020 election results as Biden leads in polls – 'I have to see'|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/19/president-trump-wont-agree-to-accept-2020-election-results-as-biden-leads-in-polls.html|access-date=July 29, 2020|work=[[CNBC]]|archive-date=July 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728004042/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/19/president-trump-wont-agree-to-accept-2020-election-results-as-biden-leads-in-polls.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Trump repeatedly claimed that "the only way" he could lose would be if the election was "rigged" and repeatedly refused to commit to a [[peaceful transition of power]] after the election.<ref>{{Cite news|date=September 24, 2020|title=Trump won't commit to peaceful transfer of power|work=[[BBC News]]|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54274115|url-status=live|access-date=September 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927153236/https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54274115|archive-date=September 27, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Choi|first=Matthew|date=September 23, 2020|title=Trump declines to commit to a peaceful transition of power after election|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/23/trump-peaceful-transition-of-power-420791|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929004407/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/23/trump-peaceful-transition-of-power-420791|archive-date=September 29, 2020|access-date=September 24, 2020|website=[[Politico]]}}</ref> Trump also attacked [[Postal voting in the 2020 United States elections|mail-in voting]] throughout the campaign, falsely claiming that the practice contains high rates of fraud;<ref>{{Cite news|first1=Eugene|last1=Kiely|first2=Rem|last2=Rieder|url=https://www.factcheck.org/2020/09/trumps-repeated-false-attacks-on-mail-in-ballots/|title=Trump's Repeated False Attacks on Mail-In Ballots|work=FactCheck|publisher=Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania|date=September 30, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|first1=Nicholas|last1=Riccardi|url=https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-joe-biden-election-2020-donald-trump-elections-3e8170c3348ce3719d4bc7182146b582|title=Here's the reality behind Trump's claims about mail voting|work=[[Associated Press]]|date=September 30, 2020 |ref=none}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|first1=Miles|last1=Parks|url=http://npr.org/2020/08/28/906676695/ignoring-fbi-and-fellow-republicans-trump-continues-assault-on-mail-in-voting|title=Ignoring FBI And Fellow Republicans, Trump Continues Assault On Mail-In Voting|work=[[NPR]]|date=August 28, 2020}}</ref> at one point, Trump said, "We'll see what happens{{spaces}}... Get rid of the ballots and you'll have a very peaceful{{snd}}there won't be a transfer, frankly. There will be a continuation."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-pressed-on-peaceful-transfer-of-power-have-to-see-what-happens|title=Trump blasts ballots when asked about election aftermath: 'The ballots are a disaster'|last=Stimson|first=Brie|date=September 24, 2020|work=[[Fox News]]|access-date=October 24, 2020|archive-date=October 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024000442/https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-pressed-on-peaceful-transfer-of-power-have-to-see-what-happens|url-status=live}}</ref> Trump's statements have been described as a threat "to upend the constitutional order".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Republicans break with Trump over peaceful transition of power|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/24/gop-peaceful-power-transfer-421025|access-date=September 24, 2020|last1=Levine|first1=Marianne|last2=Desiderio|first2=Andrew|last3=Everett|first3=Burgess|website=[[Politico]]|date=September 24, 2020|archive-date=September 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928122001/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/24/gop-peaceful-power-transfer-421025|url-status=live}}</ref> In September 2020, FBI Director [[Christopher A. Wray]], who was appointed by Trump, testified under oath that the FBI has "not seen, historically, any kind of coordinated national voter fraud effort in a major election, whether it's by mail or otherwise".<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Cillizza |first1=Chris |title=The FBI director just totally shut down Donald Trump's vote-fraud conspiracy |url=https://us.cnn.com/2020/09/25/politics/christopher-wray-election-fraud-vote-fraud/index.html |access-date=September 26, 2020 |work=[[CNN]] |date=September 25, 2020 |archive-date=September 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925205819/https://us.cnn.com/2020/09/25/politics/christopher-wray-election-fraud-vote-fraud/index.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

A number of congressional Republicans insisted they were committed to an orderly and peaceful transition of power, but declined to criticize Trump for his comments.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Crowley|first=Michael|date=September 24, 2020|title=2020 Election Live Updates: Trump Once Again Questions the Election, as Top Republicans Commit to a Peaceful Transfer of Power|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/09/24/us/trump-vs-biden-election|access-date=September 24, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=September 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927030625/https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/09/24/us/trump-vs-biden-election|url-status=live}}</ref> On September 24, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution affirming the Senate's commitment to a peaceful transfer of power.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/what-senate-republicans-are-saying-after-trump-refused-to-commit-to-an-orderly-transfer-of-power/2020/09/24/276973ba-fe8d-11ea-9ceb-061d646d9c67_story.html|first1=Paul|last1=Kane|first2=Rachael|last2=Bade|first3=Colby|last3=Itkowitz|title=What Senate Republicans are saying after Trump refused to commit to an orderly transfer of power|date=September 24, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=October 24, 2020|archive-date=October 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028092841/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/what-senate-republicans-are-saying-after-trump-refused-to-commit-to-an-orderly-transfer-of-power/2020/09/24/276973ba-fe8d-11ea-9ceb-061d646d9c67_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Trump also stated he expected the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] to decide the election and that he wanted a conservative majority in case of an election dispute, reiterating his commitment to quickly install a [[2020 United States Supreme Court vacancy|ninth justice]] following the death of [[Ruth Bader Ginsburg]].<ref>* {{Cite news|last=Baker|first=Peter|date=September 23, 2020|title=Trump says he wants a conservative majority on the Supreme Court in case of an Election Day dispute.|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/23/us/elections/trump-supreme-court-election-day.html|access-date=September 24, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=September 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928050629/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/23/us/elections/trump-supreme-court-election-day.html|url-status=live |ref=none}}
* {{Cite web|last=Reklaitis|first=Victor|title=Trump says Supreme Court will need 9th justice to decide election outcome|url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/trump-says-he-thinks-supreme-court-will-rule-on-election-outcome-so-9th-justice-needed-2020-09-23-161035612|access-date=September 24, 2020|date=September 23, 2020|website=[[MarketWatch]]|archive-date=September 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926184234/https://www.marketwatch.com/story/trump-says-he-thinks-supreme-court-will-rule-on-election-outcome-so-9th-justice-needed-2020-09-23-161035612|url-status=live |ref=none}}
* {{Cite web|last=Garrison|first=David Jackson and Joey|title=Trump says he wants to fill Supreme Court seat quickly in case justices need to settle election dispute|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/09/23/trump-need-fill-supreme-court-seat-quickly-because-election/3501368001/|date=September 23, 2020|access-date=September 24, 2020|website=[[USA Today]]|archive-date=September 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928213656/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/09/23/trump-need-fill-supreme-court-seat-quickly-because-election/3501368001/|url-status=live |ref=none}}
* {{Cite news|last=Mason|first=Jeff|date=September 24, 2020|title=Trump hedges on transferring power, says election will end up at Supreme Court|work=[[Reuters]]|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-court-election-idUSKCN26F06C|access-date=September 24, 2020|archive-date=September 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927000615/https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-court-election-idUSKCN26F06C|url-status=live |ref=none}}
* {{Cite web|last=Stieb|first=Matt|date=September 23, 2020|title=Trump Says Supreme Court Needs 9 Justices for Potential Election Dispute|url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/09/trump-supreme-court-needs-9-justices-for-election-dispute.html|access-date=September 24, 2020|website=[[New York (magazine)|New York]]|archive-date=September 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927084501/https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/09/trump-supreme-court-needs-9-justices-for-election-dispute.html|url-status=live |ref=none}}
* {{Cite news|last=Wingrove|first=Josh|date=September 23, 2020|title=Trump Talks Up Need for Full Court as He Casts Doubt on Election|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-23/trump-says-supreme-court-needs-ninth-justice-to-decide-election|access-date=September 24, 2020|newspaper=Bloomberg.com|archive-date=September 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928025437/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-23/trump-says-supreme-court-needs-ninth-justice-to-decide-election|url-status=live |ref=none}}</ref>

==== Election delay suggestion ====
In April 2020, Biden suggested that Trump might try to delay the election, saying he "is gonna try to kick back the election somehow, come up with some rationale why it can't be held".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/24/politics/joe-biden-trump-delay-presidential-election/index.html|title=Biden says he thinks Trump will try to delay the presidential election|work=[[CNN]]|last1=Sullivan|first1=Kate|date=April 25, 2020|access-date=July 30, 2020|archive-date=July 31, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731063613/https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/24/politics/joe-biden-trump-delay-presidential-election/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/23/biden-trump-2020-delay-coronavirus-206142|title=Biden predicts Trump will try to delay November election|website=[[Politico]]|last1=Choi|first1=Matthew|date=April 23, 2020|access-date=July 30, 2020|archive-date=July 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200730153553/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/23/biden-trump-2020-delay-coronavirus-206142|url-status=live}}</ref> On July 30, Trump tweeted that "With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history" and asked if it should be delayed until people can safely cast ballots in person. Experts{{Who|date=May 2021}} indicated that, for the election to be legally delayed, such a decision must be made by Congress.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/07/30/897111969/trump-floats-delaying-the-election-it-would-require-a-change-in-law|title=Trump Floats Delaying The Election. It Would Require A Change In Law|work=[[NPR]]|last1=Rascoe|first1=Ayesha|last2=Davis|first2=Susan|last3=Parks|first3=Miles|date=July 30, 2020|access-date=July 30, 2020|archive-date=July 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200730154825/https://www.npr.org/2020/07/30/897111969/trump-floats-delaying-the-election-it-would-require-a-change-in-law|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/07/30/donald-trump-suggests-delaying-election-because-mail-voting/5543726002/|title=Trump floats delaying election over mail-in voting, legal experts say that power rests with Congress|website=[[USA Today]]|last1=Jackson|first1=David|last2=Garrison|first2=Joey|last3=Fritze|first3=John|date=July 30, 2020|access-date=August 1, 2020|archive-date=July 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200730170834/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/07/30/donald-trump-suggests-delaying-election-because-mail-voting/5543726002/|url-status=live}}</ref> And the Constitution sets the end of the presidential and vice-presidential terms at January 20, a hard deadline which cannot be altered by Congress except by constitutional amendment.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Muller |first1=Derek |title=Trump Can't Postpone the Election |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-cant-postpone-the-election-11588175516 |website=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=April 29, 2020 |access-date=July 30, 2020 |archive-date=September 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913095859/https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-cant-postpone-the-election-11588175516 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/verify/verify-no-nancy-pelosi-would-not-become-president-if-congress-delays-federal-elections-rumored-social-media/65-e36e4551-fb38-4261-bd70-ef4df2c90911|title=VERIFY: Nancy Pelosi won't become president on Jan. 20 if Congress delays federal elections|website=[[WUSA (TV)]]|last1=Koslof|first1=Evan|date=July 30, 2020|access-date=July 31, 2020|archive-date=July 31, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731194225/https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/verify/verify-no-nancy-pelosi-would-not-become-president-if-congress-delays-federal-elections-rumored-social-media/65-e36e4551-fb38-4261-bd70-ef4df2c90911|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Postal voting ====
{{See also|Postal voting in the United States#Expansion in 2020 election|2020 United States Postal Service crisis|label 1=Expansion of postal voting in the 2020 United States elections}}
[[File:2020 absentee and postal US voting chart by COVID19 CONSORTIUM REPORT 7 VBM JULY 2020.png|thumb|right|300px|Chart of July 2020 opinion survey on likelihood of voting by mail in November election, compared to 2016<ref>{{Citation|url=https://covidstates.org|last=Lazer|first=David|author-link=David Lazer|display-authors=et al|title=Report#7: Update on Vote by Mail|series=State of the Nation: A 50-State COVID-19 Survey|date=July 30, 2020|work=COVID-19 Consortium for Understanding the Public's Policy Preferences Across States|access-date=November 8, 2020|archive-date=November 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103085945/https://covidstates.org/|url-status=live}}</ref>]]

[[Postal voting in the United States]] has become increasingly common, with 25% of voters mailing their ballots in 2016 and 2018. By June 2020, the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|COVID-19 pandemic]] was predicted to cause a large increase in mail voting because of the possible danger of congregating at polling places.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/todaysdebate/2020/06/15/coronavirus-pandemic-makes-mail-voting-even-more-important-editorials-debates/5336826002/|title=Coronavirus makes voting by mail even more important|date=June 15, 2020|author=The Editorial Board|work=[[USA Today]]|access-date=August 14, 2020|archive-date=August 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200816135016/https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/todaysdebate/2020/06/15/coronavirus-pandemic-makes-mail-voting-even-more-important-editorials-debates/5336826002/|url-status=live}}</ref> An August 2020 state-by-state analysis concluded that 76% of Americans were eligible to vote by mail in 2020, a record number. The analysis predicted that 80 million ballots could be cast by mail in 2020{{snd}}more than double the number in 2016.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/08/11/us/politics/vote-by-mail-us-states.html|title=A Record 76% of Americans Can Vote by Mail in 2020|first1=Juliette|last1=Love|first2=Matt|last2=Stevens|first3=Lazaro|last3=Gamio|date=August 14, 2020|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=August 14, 2020|archive-date=August 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200816185758/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/08/11/us/politics/vote-by-mail-us-states.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The Postal Service sent a letter to multiple states in July 2020, warning that the service would not be able to meet the state's deadlines for requesting and casting last-minute absentee ballots.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.sltrib.com/news/nation-world/2020/08/14/postal-service-says/|title=Postal Service says delays could affect multiple states' elections|last1=Broadwater|first1=Luke|last2=Fuchs|first2=Hailey|date=July 14, 2020|via=[[The New York Times]]|newspaper=Salt Lake City Tribune|access-date=August 14, 2020|archive-date=August 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200821154740/https://www.sltrib.com/news/nation-world/2020/08/14/postal-service-says/|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition to the anticipated high volume of mailed ballots, the prediction was due in part to numerous measures taken by [[Louis DeJoy]], the newly installed [[United States Postmaster General]], including banning overtime and extra trips to deliver mail,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Katz|first=Eric|date=July 20, 2020|title=Looking to Cut Costs, New USPS Leader Takes Aim at Overtime and Late Trips|url=https://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2020/07/looking-cut-costs-new-usps-leader-takes-aim-overtime-and-late-trips/166917/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727174300/https://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2020/07/looking-cut-costs-new-usps-leader-takes-aim-overtime-and-late-trips/166917/|archive-date=July 27, 2020|access-date=July 27, 2020|website=[[Government Executive]]}}</ref> which caused delays in delivering mail,<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Gardner|first1=Amy|last2=Dawsey|first2=Josh|last3=Kane|first3=Paul|date=August 13, 2020|title=Trump opposes election aid for states and Postal Service bailout, threatening Nov. 3 vote|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-mail-voting/2020/08/13/3eb9ac62-dd70-11ea-809e-b8be57ba616e_story.html |url-status=live|archive-date=August 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200816204722/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-mail-voting/2020/08/13/3eb9ac62-dd70-11ea-809e-b8be57ba616e_story.html}}</ref> and dismantling and removing hundreds of high-speed mail sorting machines from postal centers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/n7wk9z/the-post-office-is-deactivating-mail-sorting-machines-ahead-of-the-election|title=The Post Office Is Deactivating Mail Sorting Machines Ahead of the Election|last=Gordon|first=Aaron|date=August 13, 2020|work=Vice|access-date=August 14, 2020|archive-date=August 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200816131447/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/n7wk9z/the-post-office-is-deactivating-mail-sorting-machines-ahead-of-the-election|url-status=live}}</ref> On August 18, after the House of Representatives had been recalled from its August break to vote on a bill reversing the changes, DeJoy announced that he would roll back all the changes until after the November election. He said he would reinstate overtime hours, roll back service reductions, and halt the removal of mail-sorting machines and collection boxes.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/senate-will-hold-postal-service-hearing-with-dejoy-on-friday-as-mail-delay-fears-grow/2020/08/18/5f978e76-e14f-11ea-8dd2-d07812bf00f7_story.html|title=Postmaster general announces he is "suspending" policies that were blamed for causing mail delays|last=Bogage|first=Jacob|date=August 18, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=August 18, 2020|archive-date=August 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200818190834/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/senate-will-hold-postal-service-hearing-with-dejoy-on-friday-as-mail-delay-fears-grow/2020/08/18/5f978e76-e14f-11ea-8dd2-d07812bf00f7_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The House of Representatives voted an emergency grant of $25{{spaces}}billion to the post office to facilitate the predicted flood of mail ballots.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/08/13/902109991/trump-admits-to-opposing-funding-for-postal-service-to-block-more-voting-by-mail|title=Trump Opposes Postal Service Funding But Says He'd Sign Bill Including It|last=Sprunt|first=Barbara|date=August 13, 2020|work=[[NPR]]|access-date=August 14, 2020|archive-date=August 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200823073156/https://www.npr.org/2020/08/13/902109991/trump-admits-to-opposing-funding-for-postal-service-to-block-more-voting-by-mail|url-status=live}}</ref> Although Trump has repeatedly denounced mail voting, he has mailed in ballots due to being in a different state than the one where he votes at the time of the election.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/after-voting-mail-trump-denounces-voting-mail-n1179036|title=After voting by mail, Trump denounces voting by mail|last=Benen|first=Steve|author-link=Steve Benen|date=April 8, 2020|work=[[MSNBC]]|access-date=August 15, 2020|archive-date=August 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808134417/https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/after-voting-mail-trump-denounces-voting-mail-n1179036|url-status=live}}</ref> In August 2020, Trump conceded that the post office would need additional funds to handle the additional mail-in voting, but said he would block any additional funding for the post office to prevent any increase in balloting by mail.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/08/12/postal-service-ballots-dejoy/|title=Trump says Postal Service needs money for mail-in voting, but he'll keep blocking funding|last=Bogage|first=Jacob|date=August 12, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=August 14, 2020|archive-date=August 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200823151540/https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/08/12/postal-service-ballots-dejoy/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Trump campaign filed lawsuits seeking to block the use of official ballot dropboxes in Pennsylvania in locations other than an election office, and also sought to "block election officials from counting mail-in ballots if a voter forgets to put their mail-in ballot in a secrecy sleeve within the ballot return-envelope".<ref name=Levine>{{Cite news|first1=Sam|last1=Levine|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/aug/21/trump-campaign-voter-fraud-pennsylvania|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|title=Trump campaign fails to show evidence of vote-by-mail fraud, filing reveals|date=August 21, 2020}}</ref> The Trump campaign and the Republican Party both failed to produce any evidence of vote-by-mail fraud after being ordered by a federal judge to do so.<ref name=Levine />

On Election Day, a judge ordered mail inspectors to search "mail facilities in{{spaces}}.... key battleground states" for ballots.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/live-updates/2020-election-campaign-vote/?id=73960714|title=Election Day 2020 live updates: USPS misses deadline but will sweep for ballots|website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|first1=Lauren|last1=King|first2=Catherine|last2=Thorbecke|first3=Morgan|last3=Winsor|first4=Libby|last4=Cathey|first5=Michelle|last5=Stoddart|date=November 3, 2020|access-date=November 3, 2020|archive-date=November 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103235357/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/live-updates/2020-election-campaign-vote/?id=73960714|url-status=live}}</ref> The agency refused to comply with the order and nearly 7% of ballots in [[USPS]] facilities on Election Day were not processed in time.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Bogage |first1=Jacob |last2=Ingraham |first2=Christopher |title=USPS data shows thousands of mailed ballots missed Election Day deadlines |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/11/03/election-ballot-delays-usps/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=November 3, 2020}}</ref>

==== Federal Election Commission issues ====
The [[Federal Election Commission]], which was created in 1974 to enforce [[Campaign finance in the United States|campaign finance laws]] in federal elections, has not functioned since July 2020 due to vacancies in membership. In the absence of a quorum, the commission cannot vote on complaints or give guidance through advisory opinions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/26/2020-campaign-finance-enforcement-resignations-1475596|title=FEC paralyzed by resignations as 2020 approaches|website=[[Politico]]|last1=Severns|first1=Maggie|date=August 26, 2019|access-date=August 19, 2020|archive-date=September 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913114720/https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/26/2020-campaign-finance-enforcement-resignations-1475596|url-status=live}}</ref> As of May 19, 2020, there were 350 outstanding matters on the agency's enforcement docket and 227 items waiting for action.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/senate-confirms-appointee-to-federal-election-commission-restoring-panels-voting-quorum/|title=Senate confirms appointee to Federal Election Commission, restoring panel's voting quorum|website=[[The Seattle Times]]|last1=Lee|first1=Michelle Ye Hee|date=May 19, 2020|access-date=November 8, 2020|archive-date=November 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103175551/https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/senate-confirms-appointee-to-federal-election-commission-restoring-panels-voting-quorum/|url-status=live}}</ref> As of September 1, 2020, Trump had not nominated anyone to fill the FEC vacancies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-happens-when-the-fec-cant-do-its-job/|title=What Happens When The FEC Can't Do Its Job?|website=[[FiveThirtyEight]]|last1=Frostenson|first1=Sarah|last2=Levinthal|first2=Dave|date=September 4, 2020|access-date=November 2, 2020|archive-date=September 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190914235546/https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-happens-when-the-fec-cant-do-its-job/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Supreme Court vacancy ====
{{further|Amy Coney Barrett Supreme Court nomination|Death and state funeral of Ruth Bader Ginsburg}}
[[File:President Trump Nominates Judge Amy Coney Barrett for Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (50397882607).jpg|thumb|President Donald Trump with [[Amy Coney Barrett]] and her family, just prior to Barrett being announced as the nominee, September 26, 2020]]
On September 18, 2020, Justice [[Ruth Bader Ginsburg]] died. [[Senate Majority Leader]] [[Mitch McConnell]] immediately said the [[precedent]] he had set regarding the [[Merrick Garland Supreme Court nomination|Merrick Garland nomination]] was inoperative and that a replacement would be voted on as soon as possible, setting the stage for a confirmation battle and an unexpected intrusion into the campaign.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/18/politics/congress-fight-rgb-seat/index.html|title=McConnell vows Trump's nominee to replace Ginsburg will get Senate vote, setting up historic fight|first1=Clare|last1=Foran|first2=Manu|last2=Raju |first3=Ted|last3=Barrett|work=[[CNN]]|date=September 19, 2020|access-date=September 19, 2020|archive-date=September 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919012142/https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/18/politics/congress-fight-rgb-seat/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The death of Justice Ginsburg resulted in large increases in momentum for both the Democrats and Republicans.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/19/dem-donors-smash-record-ginsburgs-death-418355|title=Dem donors smash ActBlue's daily record after Ginsburg's death|website=[[Politico]]|last1=Schneider|first1=Elena|date=September 19, 2020|access-date=September 20, 2020|archive-date=September 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919234552/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/19/dem-donors-smash-record-ginsburgs-death-418355|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/19/supreme-court-vacancy-provides-trump-new-rallying-cry-418663|title='We're going to fill the seat': Supreme Court vacancy provides Trump new rallying cry|website=[[Politico]]|last1=Kumar|first1=Anita|date=September 19, 2020|access-date=September 20, 2020|archive-date=September 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920053910/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/19/supreme-court-vacancy-provides-trump-new-rallying-cry-418663|url-status=live}}</ref> The president,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/09/23/trump-need-fill-supreme-court-seat-quickly-because-election/3501368001/|title=Trump says he wants to fill Supreme Court seat quickly in case justices need to settle election dispute|first=David Jackson and Joey|last=Garrison|website=[[USA Today]]|access-date=November 8, 2020|archive-date=September 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928213656/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/09/23/trump-need-fill-supreme-court-seat-quickly-because-election/3501368001/|url-status=live}}</ref> vice president,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/supreme-court-justice-pence-confirmation-trump-obligation/|title=Pence says Trump has an "obligation" to quickly name Supreme Court nominee|date=September 21, 2020|last1=Quinn|first1=Melissa|work=[[CBS News]]|access-date=November 8, 2020|archive-date=October 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007075023/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/supreme-court-justice-pence-confirmation-trump-obligation/|url-status=live}}</ref> and several Republican members of Congress said a full Supreme Court bench was needed to decide the upcoming election.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/517963-graham-vows-gop-will-accept-election-results-after-trump-comments|title=Graham vows GOP will accept election results after Trump comments|first=John|last=Bowden|date=September 24, 2020|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|access-date=November 8, 2020|archive-date=October 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028153201/https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/517963-graham-vows-gop-will-accept-election-results-after-trump-comments|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/518114-trump-dumbfounds-gop-with-latest-unforced-error|title=Trump dumbfounds GOP with latest unforced error|first=Ian|last=Swanson|date=September 25, 2020|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|access-date=November 8, 2020|archive-date=November 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201105055730/https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/518114-trump-dumbfounds-gop-with-latest-unforced-error|url-status=live}}</ref>

On September 26, the day after Justice Ginsburg's body lay in state at the [[United States Capitol|Capitol]], Trump held a Rose Garden ceremony at the White House to announce and introduce his candidate, [[Amy Coney Barrett]].<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Kim |first1=Seung Min |last2=Itkowitz |first2=Colby |date=September 26, 2020 |title=Trump announces Judge Amy Coney Barrett is his pick for the Supreme Court |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2020/09/26/supreme-court-trump-biden-live-updates/ |url-status=live |access-date=October 3, 2020 |archive-date=October 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003095158/https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2020/09/26/supreme-court-trump-biden-live-updates/}}</ref> After four days of confirmation hearings, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted the nomination out of committee on October 22,<ref>{{Cite news |title=Amy Coney Barrett Moves A Step Closer To Confirmation After Judiciary Committee Vote |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/10/22/926228121/amy-coney-barrett-moves-a-step-closer-to-confirmation-after-judiciary-committee-|first1=Alana|last1=Wise|last2=Naylor|first2=Brian|newspaper=[[NPR]]|date=October 22, 2020|access-date=October 22, 2020 |archive-date=October 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022184024/https://www.npr.org/2020/10/22/926228121/amy-coney-barrett-moves-a-step-closer-to-confirmation-after-judiciary-committee- |url-status=live}}</ref> and on October 26, Barrett was confirmed on a [[party-line vote]] of 52–48, with no Democrats voting for her confirmation.<ref name=Mascaro>{{Cite news|last1=Macaro|first1=Lisa|url=https://apnews.com/article/82a02a618343c98b80ca2b6bf9eafe07|work=[[Associated Press]]|title=Barrett confirmed as Supreme Court justice in partisan vote|date=October 26, 2020}}</ref> This was the closest Supreme Court confirmation ever to a presidential election, and the first Supreme Court nomination since 1869 with no supporting votes from the minority party.<ref name=Mascaro /> It was also one of the fastest timelines from nomination to confirmations in U.S. history.<ref name=fastest>{{Cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/senate-republicans-poised-move-barrett-nomination-final-vote/story?id=73738969|title=Senate Republicans move Barrett Supreme Court nomination toward final vote|last1=Pecorin|first1=Allison|last2=Turner|first2=Trish|date=October 22, 2020|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|access-date=October 24, 2020|archive-date=October 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023215445/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/senate-republicans-poised-move-barrett-nomination-final-vote/story?id=73738969|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/10/22/926228121/amy-coney-barrett-moves-a-step-closer-to-confirmation-after-judiciary-committee-|title=Amy Coney Barrett Moves A Step Closer To Confirmation After Judiciary Committee Vote|last=Wise|first=Alana|date=October 22, 2020|publisher=[[NPR]]|access-date=October 24, 2020|archive-date=October 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024065633/https://www.npr.org/2020/10/22/926228121/amy-coney-barrett-moves-a-step-closer-to-confirmation-after-judiciary-committee-|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Pre-election litigation ====
By September 2020, several hundred legal cases relating to the election had been filed.<ref name=NPRVoting>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/09/22/914431067/step-aside-election-2000-this-years-election-may-be-the-most-litigated-yet|title=Step Aside Election 2000: This Year's Election May Be The Most Litigated Yet|work=[[NPR]]|last1=Gringlas|first1=Sam|last2=Cornish|first2=Audie|last3=Dorning|first3=Courtney|date=September 22, 2020|access-date=October 22, 2020|archive-date=October 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021162325/https://www.npr.org/2020/09/22/914431067/step-aside-election-2000-this-years-election-may-be-the-most-litigated-yet|url-status=live}}</ref> About 250 of these had to do with the mechanics of voting in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name=NPRVoting /> The Supreme Court ruled on a number of these cases,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-state-courts-voting-pennsylvania-amy-coney-barrett-c13e057a7fd30c57fbf23c1e98a4be9c|title=Democrats: Justices' 4–4 tie in election case ominous sign|work=[[Associated Press]]|last1=Sherman|first1=Mark|date=October 22, 2020|access-date=October 22, 2020|archive-date=October 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021044244/https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-state-courts-voting-pennsylvania-amy-coney-barrett-c13e057a7fd30c57fbf23c1e98a4be9c|url-status=live}}</ref> primarily issuing emergency stays instead of going through the normal process due to the urgency.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stanforddaily.com/2020/10/21/covid-19-complicates-voting-drives-emergency-stay-applications-say-scotus-clinic-directors/|title=COVID-19 complicates voting, drives emergency stay applications, say SCOTUS clinic directors|website=[[The Stanford Daily]]|last1=Atwater|first1=Malaysia|date=October 21, 2020|access-date=October 22, 2020|archive-date=October 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028012202/https://www.stanforddaily.com/2020/10/21/covid-19-complicates-voting-drives-emergency-stay-applications-say-scotus-clinic-directors/|url-status=live}}</ref> In October 2020, there was speculation that the election might be decided through a Supreme Court case, as happened following the [[2000 United States presidential election|2000 election]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://time.com/5902389/election-2020-lawsuits-litigation/|title='A Litigation Arms Race.' Why The 2020 Election Could Come Down To The Courts|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|last1=Abramson|first1=Alaan|date=October 22, 2020|access-date=October 22, 2020|archive-date=October 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022035355/https://time.com/5902389/election-2020-lawsuits-litigation/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/10/23/election-nightmares-guide-430915|title=A Day-By-Day Guide to What Could Happen If This Election Goes Bad|website=[[Politico]]|last1=Graff|first1=Garrett M.|date=October 23, 2020|access-date=October 23, 2020|archive-date=October 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023144955/https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/10/23/election-nightmares-guide-430915|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Debates ===
{{Main|2020 United States presidential debates}}
{{Location map+
| USA
| width = 320
| caption = Sites of the 2020 general election presidential ([[File:Red pog.svg|8px]]) and vice presidential ([[File:Green pog.svg|8px]]) debates
| alt = Map of United States showing debate locations
| places =
 {{Location map~ | USA
 | label = '''[[Case Western Reserve University]]'''
 | label_size = 75
 | position = top
 | lat_deg = 41.5043
 | lon_deg = -81.6084
}}
 {{Location map~ | USA
 | label = '''[[University of Utah]]'''
 | mark = Green pog.svg
 | label_size = 75
 | position = bottom
 | lat_deg = 40.75
 | lon_deg = -111.883
}}
 {{Location map~ | USA
 | label = '''[[Belmont University]]'''
 | label_size = 75
 | position = right
 | lat_deg = 36.166667
 | lon_deg = -86.783333
}}
}}
On October 11, 2019, the [[Commission on Presidential Debates]] (CPD) announced that three general election debates would be held in the fall of 2020.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Goldmacher|first=Shane|date=October 11, 2019|title=2020 Presidential Debate Schedule Announced for General Election|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/11/us/politics/when-are-the-2020-presidential-debates.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191011174021/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/11/us/politics/when-are-the-2020-presidential-debates.html |archive-date=2019-10-11 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=January 7, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

The first, moderated by [[Chris Wallace]], took place on September 29, and was co-hosted by [[Case Western Reserve University]] and the [[Cleveland Clinic]] in [[Cleveland, Ohio]].<ref name="AxiosDebate">{{Cite web|url=https://www.axios.com/presidential-debate-notre-dame-cleveland-251e5724-a567-4f3f-b2b5-3da13539c243.html|title=First presidential debate moved from Notre Dame to Cleveland|website=[[Axios (website)|Axios]]|last1=McCammond|first1=Alexi|date=July 27, 2020|access-date=July 27, 2020|archive-date=July 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729044838/https://www.axios.com/presidential-debate-notre-dame-cleveland-251e5724-a567-4f3f-b2b5-3da13539c243.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The debate was originally to be hosted at the [[University of Notre Dame]] in [[Notre Dame, Indiana]], but the university decided against holding the debate as a result of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Indiana|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref name="AxiosDebate" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.southbendtribune.com/news/elections/after-michigan-pulls-out-notre-dame-wont-say-if-it-still-plans-to-host-trump/article_a6bd4276-b56e-11ea-a724-87dec40d2bd6.html|title=After Michigan pulls out, Notre Dame won't say if it still plans to host Trump-Biden debate|website=[[South Bend Tribune]]|last1=Parrott|first1=Jeff|date=June 24, 2020|access-date=June 29, 2020|archive-date=July 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200711090435/https://www.southbendtribune.com/news/elections/after-michigan-pulls-out-notre-dame-wont-say-if-it-still-plans-to-host-trump/article_a6bd4276-b56e-11ea-a724-87dec40d2bd6.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Biden was generally held to have won the first debate,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/29/presidential-debate-biden-trump-422953|title=Trump mayhem takes over first debate|website=[[Politico]]|last1=Siders|first1=David|date=September 29, 2020|access-date=September 30, 2020|archive-date=September 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930165230/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/29/presidential-debate-biden-trump-422953|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/09/29/politics/donald-trump-joe-biden-debate-poll/index.html|title=Post-debate CNN poll: Six in 10 say Biden won the debate|work=[[CNN]]|last1=Agiesta|first1=Jennifer|date=September 30, 2020|access-date=September 30, 2020|archive-date=September 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930104307/https://edition.cnn.com/2020/09/29/politics/donald-trump-joe-biden-debate-poll/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/2020/9/30/21494864/who-won-debate-trump-biden-polls|title=The first post-debate polls say Biden won|website=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|last1=Prokop|first1=Andrew|date=September 30, 2020|access-date=September 30, 2020|archive-date=September 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930174835/https://www.vox.com/2020/9/30/21494864/who-won-debate-trump-biden-polls|url-status=live}}</ref> with a significant minority of commentators deeming it a draw.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/first-presidential-debate-who-won-style-substance-doug-schoen|title=Doug Schoen: First Presidential Debate – Here's who won on style and substance|work=[[Fox News]]|last1=Schoen|first1=Doug|date=September 30, 2020|access-date=September 30, 2020|archive-date=September 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930133022/https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/first-presidential-debate-who-won-style-substance-doug-schoen|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/us/us-presidential-debate-who-won-was-it-any-good-were-there-any-surprises-1.4368274|title=US presidential debate: who won, was it any good, were there any surprises?|newspaper=The Irish Times|last1=Lynch|first1=Suzanne|last2=Dooley|first2=Chris|last3=McRedmond|first3=Finn|last4=Cullen|first4=Damian|last5=McKechnie|first5=David|date=September 30, 2020|access-date=September 30, 2020|archive-date=October 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028194330/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/us/us-presidential-debate-who-won-was-it-any-good-were-there-any-surprises-1.4368274|url-status=live}}</ref>

One exchange that was particularly noted was when Trump did not directly denounce the [[white supremacist]] and [[neo-fascist]] group [[Proud Boys]], instead responding that they should "stand back and stand by".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/09/30/918483794/from-debate-stage-trump-declines-to-denounce-white-supremacy|title=From Debate Stage, Trump Declines To Denounce White Supremacy|work=[[NPR]]|last1=McCammon|first1=Sarah|date=September 30, 2020|access-date=September 30, 2020|archive-date=September 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930124401/https://www.npr.org/2020/09/30/918483794/from-debate-stage-trump-declines-to-denounce-white-supremacy|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-denounce-white-supremacists-militias-debate/story?id=73330093|title=Trump doesn't denounce white supremacists and militias during debate|website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|last1=Pereira|first1=Ivan|date=September 30, 2020|access-date=September 30, 2020|archive-date=September 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930122456/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-denounce-white-supremacists-militias-debate/story?id=73330093|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-condemn-white-supremacists/|title=Did Trump "Refuse to Condemn" White Supremacists at Debate?|date=September 30, 2020|access-date=October 7, 2020|website=[[Snopes]]|first1=Dan|last1=MacGuill}}</ref> On the next day, Trump told reporters the group should "stand down" while also claiming that he was not aware of what the group was.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54359993|title=Trump now tells far right to "stand down" amid white supremacy row|website=[[BBC News]]|last1=Zurcher|first1=Anthony|date=October 1, 2020|access-date=October 1, 2020|archive-date=September 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930225726/https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54359993|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/world/trump-now-claims-hes-unfamiliar-with-proud-boys-says-they-should-stand-down|title=Trump now claims he's unfamiliar with Proud Boys, says they should 'stand down'|website=[[National Post]]|last1=Flatley|first1=Daniel|last2=Litvan|first2=Laura|last3=Jacobs|first3=Jennifer|date=September 30, 2020|access-date=October 1, 2020|via=Bloomberg News}}</ref> The debate was described as "chaotic and nearly incoherent" because of Trump's repeated interruptions, causing the CPD to consider adjustments to the format of the remaining debates.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/30/us/elections/presidential-debates-format.html|title=The Commission on Presidential Debates says it will change debate format, however, no decision yet on cutting off microphones.|last=Grynbaum|first=Michael M.|date=September 30, 2020|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=September 30, 2020|archive-date=September 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930185049/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/30/us/elections/presidential-debates-format.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The vice presidential debate was held on October 7, 2020, at the [[University of Utah]] in [[Salt Lake City]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2019/10/11/2020-presidential-debate-schedule-revealed-044525|title=General-election debate schedule revealed for 2020|website=[[Politico]]|last1=Montellaro|first1=Zach|last2=Shepard|first2=Steven|date=October 11, 2019|access-date=October 11, 2019|archive-date=December 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228040833/https://www.politico.com/news/2019/10/11/2020-presidential-debate-schedule-revealed-044525|url-status=live}}</ref> The debate was widely held to be subdued, with no clear victor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/07/politics/mike-pence-kamala-harris-vice-presidential-debate-poll/index.html|title=Post-debate CNN poll: Harris seen as winner in a contest that matched expectations|work=[[CNN]]|last1=Agiesta|first1=Jennifer|date=October 8, 2020|access-date=October 8, 2020|archive-date=October 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008070255/https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/07/politics/mike-pence-kamala-harris-vice-presidential-debate-poll/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/10/08/analysis-pence-vs-harris-won-debate/|title=Analysis: Mike Pence vs Kamala Harris – who won the vice-presidential debate?|website=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|last1=Allen|first1=Nick|date=October 8, 2020|access-date=October 8, 2020|archive-date=October 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008090722/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/10/08/analysis-pence-vs-harris-won-debate/|url-status=live}}</ref> One incident that was particularly commented on was when a [[fly]] landed on vice-president Pence's head, and remained there unbeknownst to him for two minutes.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/07/us/politics/the-fly-pence-head.html|title=A fly sat atop Mike Pence's head for two minutes during the V.P. debate.|work=[[The New York Times]]|last1=Epstein|first1=Reid J.|date=October 7, 2020|access-date=October 23, 2020|archive-date=October 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025014216/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/07/us/politics/the-fly-pence-head.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-08/fly-lands-on-mike-pence-head-during-kamala-harris-debate/12744718|title=Fly lands on Mike Pence's head during US election vice-presidential debate|work=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]|date=October 8, 2020|access-date=October 23, 2020|archive-date=October 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028112154/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-08/fly-lands-on-mike-pence-head-during-kamala-harris-debate/12744718|url-status=live}}</ref>

The second debate was initially set to be held at the [[University of Michigan]] in [[Ann Arbor, Michigan]], but the university withdrew in June 2020, over concerns regarding the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite news|first1=David|last1=Jesse|url=https://www.freep.com/story/news/education/2020/06/23/university-michigan-safety-presidential-debate-withdrawal/3240966001/|title=University of Michigan confirms it won't host presidential debate. Here's why|date=June 23, 2020|newspaper=Detroit Free Press}}</ref> The planned debate was rescheduled for October 15 at the [[Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts]] in [[Miami]]; due to Trump contracting COVID-19, the CPD announced on October{{spaces}}8 that the debate would be held virtually, in which the candidates would appear from separate locations. Trump refused to participate in a virtual debate, and the commission subsequently announced that the debate had been cancelled.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/08/second-presidential-debate-between-trump-and-biden-on-oct-15-will-be-virtual.html|title=Trump refuses to participate in virtual debate on Oct. 15: 'I'm not going to waste my time'|work=[[CNBC]]|last1=Wilkie|first1=Christina|date=October 8, 2020|access-date=October 8, 2020|archive-date=October 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008120414/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/08/second-presidential-debate-between-trump-and-biden-on-oct-15-will-be-virtual.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/09/politics/second-presidential-debate-canceled/index.html|title=Commission cancels second debate between Trump and Biden|work=[[CNN]]|last1=Merica|first1=Dan|last2=Bohn|first2=Kevin|date=October 9, 2020|access-date=October 10, 2020|archive-date=October 10, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201010000223/https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/09/politics/second-presidential-debate-canceled/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The third scheduled debate took place on October 22 at [[Belmont University]] in [[Nashville, Tennessee]], and was moderated by [[Kristen Welker]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/23/politics/second-presidential-debate-miami-michigan/index.html|title=Second presidential debate moved to Miami after original host pulls out due to coronavirus concerns|work=[[CNN]]|last1=Stracquarlursi|first1=Veronica|date=June 23, 2020|access-date=July 3, 2020|archive-date=July 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725011053/https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/23/politics/second-presidential-debate-miami-michigan/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2019/10/11/belmont-university-nashville-hosts-presidential-debate-2020/3941983002/|title=Belmont University awarded final 2020 presidential debate|website=The Tennessean|last1=Tamburin|first1=Adam|date=October 11, 2019|access-date=June 29, 2020|archive-date=October 12, 2019|archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20191012012759/https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2019/10/11/belmont-university-nashville-hosts-presidential-debate-2020/3941983002/|url-status=live}}</ref> The changes to the debate rules, which included the candidates' microphones being muted while the other was speaking,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hudak |first=John |date=2020-10-23 |title=The debate mute button was a gift to President Trump and all Americans |url=https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2020/10/22/the-debate-mute-button-was-a-gift-to-president-trump-and-all-americans/ |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=Brookings |language=en-US}}</ref> resulted in it being generally considered more civil than the first debate.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://time.com/5903061/presidential-debate-live-updates/|title=The Biggest Moments in the Final Presidential Debate|magazine=Time|last1=Elliot|first1=Phillip|last2=Abramson|first2=Alan|last3=Vesoulis|first3=Abby|date=October 22, 2020|access-date=October 23, 2020|archive-date=October 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023051735/https://time.com/5903061/presidential-debate-live-updates/|url-status=live}}</ref> Welker's performance as moderator was praised, with her being regarded as having done a good job preventing the candidates from interrupting each other.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/23/arts/television/debate-kristen-welker.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023130603/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/23/arts/television/debate-kristen-welker.html |archive-date=2020-10-23 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Moderation Returns to Politics. Or at Least to the Debate.|work=[[The New York Times]]|last1=Poniewozik|first1=James|date=October 23, 2020|access-date=November 9, 2020}}</ref> Biden was generally held to have won the debate, though it was considered unlikely to alter the race to any considerable degree.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election-2020/who-won-presidential-debate-winner-loser-trump-biden-b1236928.html|title=Who won the presidential debate?|website=The Independent|last1=Bennet|first1=John|last2=Boyle|first2=Louise|last3=Baxter|first3=Holly|last4=Gray|first4=Lucy|last5=Connolly|first5=Griffin|date=October 23, 2020|access-date=October 23, 2020|archive-date=October 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023110423/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election-2020/who-won-presidential-debate-winner-loser-trump-biden-b1236928.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/22/politics/cnn-poll-final-presidential-debate/index.html|title=CNN Poll: Biden wins final presidential debate|work=[[CNN]]|last1=Agiesta|first1=Jennifer|date=October 23, 2020|access-date=October 23, 2020|archive-date=October 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023052745/https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/22/politics/cnn-poll-final-presidential-debate/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/10/23/who-cares-about-debate-431559|title=This Was a Pretty Good Debate. Who Cares?|work=[[Politico]]|last1=Harris|first1=John F.|author-link=John F. Harris|date=October 23, 2020|access-date=October 23, 2020|archive-date=October 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023072157/https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/10/23/who-cares-about-debate-431559|url-status=live}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="white-space: nowrap; text-align: center;"
|+ Debates for the 2020 U.S. presidential election sponsored by the CPD
|- {{sup|†}}
|-
!No.|| Date || Time || Host || City || Moderator(s) || Participants
!Viewership<br />(millions)
|-
|P1
| September 29, 2020
| 9:00&nbsp;p.m. [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
| [[Case Western Reserve University]]
| [[Cleveland, Ohio]]
| [[Chris Wallace]]
|[[Donald Trump]]<br />[[Joe Biden]]
| 73.1<ref name="Viewership">{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/30/media/first-presidential-debate-tv-ratings/index.html|title=Trump-Biden clash was watched by at least 73 million viewers|work=[[CNN]]|last=Stelter|first=Brian|author-link=Brian Stelter|date=September 30, 2020|url-status=live|access-date=November 8, 2020|archive-date=November 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106191414/https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/30/media/first-presidential-debate-tv-ratings/index.html}}</ref>
|-
|VP
| October 7, 2020
| 7:00&nbsp;p.m. [[Mountain Daylight Time|MDT]]
| [[University of Utah]]
| [[Salt Lake City, Utah]]
| [[Susan Page]]
|[[Mike Pence]]<br />[[Kamala Harris]]
| 57.9<ref name="VP Viewership">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/08/business/media/pence-harris-debate-is-no-2-in-vice-presidential-ratings-with-58-million-tv-viewers.html|title=Pence-Harris Debate Is No. 2 in Vice-Presidential Ratings, With 58 Million TV Viewers|work=[[The New York Times]]|last1=Koblin|first1=John|date=October 8, 2020|url-status=live|access-date=November 8, 2020|archive-date=October 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030052955/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/08/business/media/pence-harris-debate-is-no-2-in-vice-presidential-ratings-with-58-million-tv-viewers.html}}</ref>
|- style="background:#ccc;"
|(P2){{efn|name="second debate"|Following the cancellation of the planned second debate on October 9, both candidates held separate but simultaneous televised [[Town hall meeting|town hall events]] on the intended date of October 15. Trump's was broadcast on NBC, moderated by [[Savannah Guthrie]], while Biden's was on ABC, moderated by [[George Stephanopoulos]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/15/politics/nbc-abc-dueling-town-halls/index.html |title=Stark contrast between Trump and Biden on display in dueling town halls |last=Reston |first=Maeve |date=October 16, 2020 |work=[[CNN]] |access-date=October 23, 2020 |archive-date=October 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021233645/https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/15/politics/nbc-abc-dueling-town-halls/index.html |url-status=live}}</ref>}}
| October 15, 2020
| 9:00&nbsp;p.m. EDT
| [[Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts|Arsht Center]] (planned)
| [[Miami, Florida]]
| [[Steve Scully]] (planned)
| [[Donald Trump]]<br />[[Joe Biden]]
| N/A
|-
|P2
| October 22, 2020
| 8:00&nbsp;p.m. [[Central Daylight Time|CDT]]
| [[Belmont University]]
| [[Nashville, Tennessee]]
| [[Kristen Welker]]
|[[Donald Trump]]<br />[[Joe Biden]]
| 63<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Thorne |first1=Will |title=TV Ratings: Final Trump-Biden Debate Down 10 Million Viewers From First |url=https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/trump-biden-final-presidential-tv-debate-ratings-1234814162/ |access-date=October 27, 2020 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=October 23, 2020 |archive-date=October 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026234732/https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/trump-biden-final-presidential-tv-debate-ratings-1234814162/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
|}

The [[Free & Equal Elections Foundation]] held two debates with various third party and independent candidates, one on October 8, 2020, in [[Denver]], [[Colorado]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Second Open Presidential Debate 2020|last1=Tobin|first1=Christina|url=https://freeandequal.org/second-presidential-debate-2020/|work=Free and Equal Elections Foundation|year=2020|access-date=October 9, 2020|archive-date=October 31, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031120413/https://freeandequal.org/second-presidential-debate-2020/|url-status=live}}</ref> and another on October 24, 2020, in [[Cheyenne, Wyoming]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Third Open Presidential Debate 2020|url=https://freeandequal.org/third-open-presidential-debate-2020/|work=Free and Equal Elections Foundation|access-date=October 25, 2020|archive-date=October 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023171457/https://freeandequal.org/third-open-presidential-debate-2020/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Polling ===
{{Main|Nationwide opinion polling for the 2020 United States presidential election|Statewide opinion polling for the 2020 United States presidential election}}

==== Two-way ====
{{#section-h:Nationwide opinion polling for the 2020 United States presidential election|Two-way}}

==== Four-way ====
{{#section-h:Nationwide opinion polling for the 2020 United States presidential election|Four-way}}

==== Swing states ====
{{#section-h:Statewide opinion polling for the 2020 United States presidential election|Polling aggregation in swing states}}
<!--Possible inclusion of two-way aggregate polling chart here, as provided on the main page. PLEASE DISCUSS ON TALK PAGE BEFORE ADDING ADDITIONAL INFO.-->

=== Endorsements ===
{{Main|List of Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign endorsements|List of Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign endorsements|List of Jo Jorgensen 2020 presidential campaign endorsements|List of Howie Hawkins 2020 presidential campaign endorsements}}

=== Total cost estimate ===
[[OpenSecrets]] estimated the total cost of the 2020 election nearly $14 billion, making it the most expensive election in history and twice as expensive as the previous presidential election cycle.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2020/10/cost-of-2020-election-14billion-update/ |title=2020 election to cost $14 billion, blowing away spending records | publisher=[[OpenSecrets]] |date=October 28, 2020}}</ref>

== Campaign issues ==
=== COVID-19 pandemic ===
{{further|COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|U.S. federal government response to the COVID-19 pandemic|Trump administration communication during the COVID-19 pandemic}}

The [[COVID-19 pandemic]] was a major issue of the campaign, with Trump's responses being heavily criticized. The president spread mixed messages on the value of wearing face masks as protection, including criticizing Biden and reporters for wearing them, but has also encouraged their use at times.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Victor|first1=Daniel|last2=Serviss|first2=Lew|last3=Paybarah|first3=Azi|date=October 2, 2020|title=In His Own Words, Trump on the Coronavirus and Masks|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-masks.html|access-date=November 3, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=November 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201102225946/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-masks.html|url-status=live}}</ref> During the campaign, Trump held many events across the country, including in COVID-19 hotspots, where attendees did not wear masks and were not socially distancing; at the same time, he mocked those who wore face masks.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Restuccia|first=Andrew|date=October 2, 2020|title=Trump and His Aides Have Long Played Down Importance of Face Masks, Distancing|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-and-his-aides-have-long-downplayed-importance-of-face-masks-distancing-11601655164|access-date=October 30, 2020|issn=0099-9660|archive-date=October 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030080545/https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-and-his-aides-have-long-downplayed-importance-of-face-masks-distancing-11601655164|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Mills|first1=Doug|last2=Schaff|first2=Erin|date=October 29, 2020|title=As Trump Exaggerates Virus Progress and Mocks Masks, Biden Vows to 'Let Science Drive Our Decisions'|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/10/28/us/trump-biden-election|access-date=October 30, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=October 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029141108/https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/10/28/us/trump-biden-election|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Vigdor|first=Neil|date=August 26, 2020|title=Masks and social distancing are mostly absent from Republican convention events.|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/26/us/politics/masks-and-social-distancing-are-mostly-absent-from-republican-convention-events.html|access-date=October 30, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=September 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200907181212/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/26/us/politics/masks-and-social-distancing-are-mostly-absent-from-republican-convention-events.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Biden advocated for the expansion of federal funding, including funding under the [[Defense Production Act]] for testing, personal protective equipment, and research.<ref name="moore-pandemic-plans">{{Cite news|last=Moore|first=Elena|title=Trump's And Biden's Plans On The Coronavirus Pandemic|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/10/16/919139204/trumps-and-biden-s-plans-on-the-coronavirus-pandemic|date=October 16, 2020|access-date=November 3, 2020|work=[[NPR]]|archive-date=November 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201102235513/https://www.npr.org/2020/10/16/919139204/trumps-and-biden-s-plans-on-the-coronavirus-pandemic|url-status=live}}</ref> Trump also invoked the Defense Production Act to control the distribution of masks and ventilators,<ref>{{Cite news|last=Welna|first=David|date=March 18, 2020|title=Trump Invokes A Cold War Relic, The Defense Production Act, For Coronavirus Shortages|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/03/18/818069722/trump-invokes-a-cold-war-relic-the-defense-production-act-for-coronavirus-shorta|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200319212323/https://www.npr.org/2020/03/18/818069722/trump-invokes-a-cold-war-relic-the-defense-production-act-for-coronavirus-shorta|archive-date=March 19, 2020|access-date=November 3, 2020|work=[[NPR]]}}</ref> but his response plan relied significantly on a vaccine being released by the end of 2020.<ref name="moore-pandemic-plans" /> At the second presidential debate, Trump claimed Biden had called him xenophobic for restricting entry from foreign nationals who had visited China, but Biden responded that he had not been referring to this decision.<ref>{{Cite web|author1=PolitiFact staff|author2=KHN staff|date=October 23, 2020|title=In Tamer Debate, Trump and Biden Clash (Again) on President's Pandemic Response|url=https://khn.org/news/in-tamer-debate-trump-and-biden-clash-again-on-presidents-pandemic-response/|access-date=November 3, 2020|website=Kaiser Health News|archive-date=November 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101135540/https://khn.org/news/in-tamer-debate-trump-and-biden-clash-again-on-presidents-pandemic-response/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Economy ===
[[File:Tax proposals of 2020 US presidential candidates.jpg|thumb|Proposed tax plan payment rates by income group as a percentage of income, including mandatory health insurance]]
{{Main|Economic policy of the Donald Trump administration|Political_positions_of_Joe_Biden#Economic_issues|l2 = Economic policies of Joe Biden}}
Trump claimed credit for the consistent economic expansion of his presidency's first three years, with the stock market at its longest growth period in history and unemployment at a fifty-year low. Additionally, he has touted the 2020 third-quarter rebound, in which GDP grew at an annualized rate of 33.1%, as evidence of the success of his economic policies.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Politi|first1=James|last2=Weaver|first2=Courtney|date=October 9, 2020|title=Trump and Biden spar over state of economy in final days of race|url=https://www.ft.com/content/dbe15063-8955-42e2-a757-b8d9b4bd9c60|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103042026/https://www.ft.com/content/dbe15063-8955-42e2-a757-b8d9b4bd9c60|archive-date=November 3, 2020|access-date=November 3, 2020|website=Financial Times}}</ref> Biden responded to Trump's claims by repeating that the strong economy under Trump's presidency was inherited from the Obama administration, and that Trump has aggravated the economic impact of the pandemic, including the need for 42 million Americans to file for unemployment.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Pager|first=Tyler|date=June 8, 2020|title=Biden Says Trump Squandered Economic Expansion Begun With Obama|work=[[Bloomberg News|Bloomberg]]|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-08/biden-says-trump-squandered-economic-expansion-begun-with-obama|access-date=November 3, 2020|archive-date=November 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201102192705/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-08/biden-says-trump-squandered-economic-expansion-begun-with-obama|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017]], which lowered [[Income tax in the United States|income taxes]] for many Americans and lowered the [[Corporate tax in the United States|corporate tax rate]] from 35% to 21%, were a major component of Trump's economic policy. Biden and the Democrats generally describe these cuts as unfairly benefiting the upper class. Biden plans to raise taxes on corporations and those making over $400,000 per year, while keeping the reduced taxes on lower-income brackets and raise [[capital gains tax]]es to a maximum bracket of 39.6%. In response, Trump said Biden's plans would destroy [[retirement]] accounts and the [[stock market]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Crawford|first=Shannon K.|title=Trump vs. Biden on the issues: Economy|date=September 29, 2020|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-biden-issues-economy/story?id=73150658|access-date=November 3, 2020|website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|archive-date=November 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103000009/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-biden-issues-economy/story?id=73150658|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Environment ===
{{Main|Environmental policy of the Donald Trump administration|Political_positions_of_Joe_Biden#Environment_and_climate_change|Climate change policy of the United States|l2 = Environmental policy of Joe Biden}}
Trump and Biden's views on environmental policy differ significantly. Trump stated that [[climate change]] is a hoax, although he also called it a serious subject.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Helier|first=Cheung|date=January 23, 2020|title=What does Trump actually believe on climate change?|work=[[BBC News]]|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51213003|access-date=November 3, 2020|archive-date=November 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103032420/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51213003|url-status=live}}</ref> Trump condemned the [[Paris Agreement]] on [[Climate change mitigation|greenhouse gas reduction]] and began [[United States withdrawal from the Paris Agreement|the withdrawal process]]. Biden planned to rejoin it and announced a $2{{spaces}}trillion plan to combat climate change. Biden had not fully accepted the [[Green New Deal]]. Biden did not plan to ban [[fracking]] but rather to outlaw new fracking on federal land. In a debate, Trump claimed Biden wanted to ban it altogether. Trump's other environmental policies included the removal of [[methane emissions|methane emission]] standards, and an expansion of mining.<ref>{{Cite web|last=McKeever|first=Amy|date=October 28, 2020|title=Latest: Trump's and Biden's environmental policy promises and actions|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/trackers/latest-trump-biden-environmental-policy-promises-actions/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101034202/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/trackers/latest-trump-biden-environmental-policy-promises-actions/|archive-date=November 1, 2020|access-date=November 3, 2020|website=Science}}</ref>

=== Health care ===
{{Main|Health care in the United States}}
Health care was a divisive issue in both the Democratic primary campaign and the general campaign. While Biden, as well as other candidates, promised protection of the [[Affordable Care Act]], progressives within the Democratic Party advocated to replace the private insurance industry with [[Medicare for All]]. Biden's plan involves adding a [[Public health insurance option|public option]] to the American healthcare system,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kerns|first=Christopher|title=It's (nearly) official: Biden vs. Trump. Here's our take.|url=http://www.advisory.com/research/health-care-advisory-board/blogs/at-the-helm/2020/04/2020-election-bernie-sanders|access-date=November 3, 2020|date=April 9, 2020|website=Advisory Board|archive-date=July 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728040846/https://www.advisory.com/research/health-care-advisory-board/blogs/at-the-helm/2020/04/2020-election-bernie-sanders|url-status=live}}</ref> and the restoration of the [[Health insurance mandate|individual mandate]] to buy health care, which was removed from the Affordable Care Act by the 2017 tax cut bill,<ref name="trump-dominate" /> as well as restoring funding for [[Planned Parenthood]]. Trump announced plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act, calling it "too expensive", but he did not say what would replace it.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Moore|first=Elena|date=October 16, 2020|title=Trump's And Biden's Plans For Health Care|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/10/16/921237845/trumps-and-biden-s-plans-for-health-care|access-date=November 3, 2020|work=[[NPR]]|archive-date=November 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201102235533/https://www.npr.org/2020/10/16/921237845/trumps-and-biden-s-plans-for-health-care|url-status=live}}</ref> At the time of the election, the Trump administration and Republican officials from 18 states had a lawsuit before the Supreme Court, asking the court to repeal the Affordable Care Act.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Stolberg|first=Sheryl Gay|date=September 24, 2020|title=Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Strike Down Affordable Care Act|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/26/us/politics/obamacare-trump-administration-supreme-court.html|access-date=November 3, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=November 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103045141/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/26/us/politics/obamacare-trump-administration-supreme-court.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Racial unrest ===
{{Main|2020–2021 United States racial unrest}}
[[File:Protest against police violence - Justice for George Floyd, May 26, 2020 08.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|[[George Floyd protests]] in [[Minneapolis]] on May 26]]
As a result of the [[murder of George Floyd]] and other incidents of [[police brutality]] against African Americans, combined with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, a series of [[George Floyd protests|protests]] and a wider [[2020–2021 United States racial unrest|period of racial unrest]] erupted in mid-2020. This was followed by the [[Black Lives Matter]] movement, which protested [[police brutality]] against [[black people]], and became a central point of the 2020 presidential campaign.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Healy|first1=Jack|last2=Searcey|first2=Dionne|date=June 4, 2020|title=Two Crises Convulse a Nation: A Pandemic and Police Violence|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/31/us/george-floyd-protests-coronavirus.html|access-date=November 3, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=October 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019222014/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/31/us/george-floyd-protests-coronavirus.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Protests were mostly peaceful; fewer than 4% involved property damage or violence (with most of the latter directed at BLM protesters themselves).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/10/16/this-summers-black-lives-matter-protesters-were-overwhelming-peaceful-our-research-finds/|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|first1=Erica|last1=Chenoweth|first2=Jeremy|last2=Pressman|title=This summer's Black Lives Matter protesters were overwhelmingly peaceful, our research finds|date=October 16, 2021|quote=The overall levels of violence and property destruction were low, and most of the violence that did take place was, in fact, directed against the BLM protesters. [...] In short, our data suggest that 96.3 percent of events involved no property damage or police injuries, and in 97.7 percent of events, no injuries were reported among participants, bystanders or police.}}</ref> According to a September 2020 estimate, arson, vandalism, and looting caused about $1–2{{nbsp}}billion in insured damage between May 26 and June 8, making this initial phase of the [[George Floyd protests]] the civil disorder event with the highest recorded damage in United States history.<ref name="Riot damage">{{Cite web|title=Vandalism, looting after Floyd's death sparks at least $1 billion in damages:report|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/news/516742-vandalism-looting-after-floyd-death-sparks-at-least-1-billion-in-damages-report|work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|date=September 17, 2020|access-date=October 9, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Kingson|first=Jennifer A.|date=September 16, 2020|title=Exclusive: $1 billion-plus riot damage is most expensive in insurance history|url=https://www.axios.com/riots-cost-property-damage-276c9bcc-a455-4067-b06a-66f9db4cea9c.html|access-date=October 10, 2020|website=[[Axios (website)|Axios]]|language=en}}</ref>

In response, Trump and the Republicans suggested sending in the military to counter the protests, which was criticized, especially by Democrats, as heavy-handed and potentially illegal.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52893540|title=Does Trump have the right to send in federal forces?|work=[[BBC News]]|last1=Horton|first1=Jake|date=September 2, 2020|access-date=November 3, 2020|archive-date=November 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103205013/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52893540|url-status=live}}</ref> Trump referred to Black Lives Matter protesters confronting diners in a restaurant as "thugs",<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-nation/2020/09/08/Trump-tweet-reaction-viral-video-pittsburgh-protesters-diners/stories/202009080069|work=Post Gazette|first=Julian|last=Routh|title=Trump calls protesters who confronted Pittsburgh diners 'Thugs!'|date=September 8, 2020}}</ref> and called a street painting of the slogan a "symbol of hate".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/01/trump-black-lives-matter-347051|work=[[Politico]]|first=Max|last=Cohen|title=Trump: Black Lives Matter is a 'symbol of hate'|date=July 1, 2020}}</ref> Particularly controversial was [[Donald Trump photo op at St. John's Church|a photo-op Trump took in front of St. John's Church in Washington, D.C.]], before which military police had forcefully cleared peaceful protestors from the area.<ref name="trump-dominate">{{Cite web|last1=Mosk|first1=Matthew|last2=Faulders|first2=Katherine|title=Trump's quest to "dominate" amid George Floyd protests sparks new concerns about presidential powers|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/trumps-quest-dominate-amid-george-floyd-protests-sparks/story?id=71126346|access-date=November 3, 2020|date=June 8, 2020|website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|archive-date=October 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001155859/https://abcnews.go.com/US/trumps-quest-dominate-amid-george-floyd-protests-sparks/story?id=71126346|url-status=live}}</ref> Biden condemned Trump for his actions against protestors; he described George Floyd's words "[[I can't breathe]]" as a "wake-up call for our nation". He also promised he would create a police oversight commission in his first 100 days as president, and establish a uniform use of force standard, as well as other police reform measures.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Detrow|first1=Scott|last2=Sprunt|date=June 2, 2020|first2=Barbara|title='He Thinks Division Helps Him': Biden Condemns Trump's Protest Response|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/06/02/867671792/biden-to-condemn-trumps-protest-response-in-speech|access-date=November 3, 2020|work=[[NPR]]|archive-date=November 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103000611/https://www.npr.org/2020/06/02/867671792/biden-to-condemn-trumps-protest-response-in-speech|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Predictions ===
{{Main|2020 United States presidential election predictions}}

{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center; line-height:1.2"
|-
! Publisher
! Date
! Prediction
|-
| [[2016 United States presidential election|2016 result]]
| Nov 8, 2016
| {{Party shading/Republican}} | D: 232, '''R: 306'''
|-
| [[#Results by state|2020 result]]
| Nov 3, 2020
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | '''D: 306''', R: 232
|-
| [[Cook Political Report]]
| Oct 28, 2020<ref>{{Cite web|title=2020 Electoral College Ratings|url=https://cookpolitical.com/sites/default/files/2020-10/EC%20Ratings.102820.pdf|website=[[The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter|The Cook Political Report]]|access-date=October 28, 2020|archive-date=October 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028200154/https://cookpolitical.com/sites/default/files/2020-10/EC%20Ratings.102820.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | D: '''290''', R: 125, Tossup: 123
|-
| [[Inside Elections]]
|Oct 28, 2020<ref>{{Cite web |title=Presidential Ratings |url=https://insideelections.com/ratings/president |work=[[Inside Elections]] |date=April 3, 2020 |access-date=April 14, 2020}}</ref>
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | D: '''350''', R: 125, Tossup: 63
|-
| [[Sabato's Crystal Ball]]
| Nov 2, 2020<ref>{{Cite web |title=2020 President |url=http://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/2020-president/ |work=[[Sabato's Crystal Ball]] |date=July 14, 2020 |access-date=July 14, 2020}}</ref>
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | D: '''321''', R: 217, Tossup: 0
|-
| [[Politico]]
| Nov 2, 2020<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.politico.com/2020-election/race-forecasts-and-predictions/president/ |title=2020 Election Forecast |work=[[Politico]] |date=November 19, 2019 |last1=Shepard |first1=Steven |last2=Vestal |first2=Allan James |last3=Jin |first3=Beatrice |last4=Briz |first4=Andrew |last5=Bland |first5=Scott |last6=Mihalik |first6=Lily |last7=Mahtesian |first7=Charlie |last8=McGill |first8=Andrew |last9=Zapler |first9=Mike |last10=Goodwin |first10=Andy |last11=Sagar |first11=Sushant |last12=Robin |first12=Turner |display-authors=1|access-date=November 19, 2019}}</ref>
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | D: '''279''', R: 163, Tossup: 96
|-
| [[RealClearPolitics]]
| Oct 29, 2020<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/2020_elections_electoral_college_map.html|title=Battle for White House|date=April 19, 2019|work=[[RealClearPolitics]]|access-date=November 8, 2020|archive-date=May 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503201848/https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/2020_elections_electoral_college_map.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
| {{Party shading/None}} | D: 216, R: 125, Tossup: 197
|-
| [[CNN]]
| Nov 2, 2020<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/02/politics/electoral-college-outlook/index.html|title=CNN's final 2020 Electoral College outlook: A remarkably stable race comes to an end|work=[[CNN]]|date=November 2, 2020|access-date=November 3, 2020|archive-date=November 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103012728/https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/02/politics/electoral-college-outlook/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
<!--CNN-->| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | D: '''279''', R: 163, Tossup: 96
|-
| [[The Economist]]
| Nov 3, 2020<ref>{{Cite news |title=Forecasting the US elections |url=https://projects.economist.com/us-2020-forecast/president |newspaper=[[The Economist]] |access-date=November 3, 2020 |archive-date=July 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705184025/https://projects.economist.com/us-2020-forecast/president |url-status=live}}</ref>
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | D: '''334''', R: 164, Tossup: 40
|-
| [[CBS News]]
| Nov 1, 2020<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/2020-us-election-battleground-tracker/|title=2020 Election Battleground Tracker|work=[[CBS News]]|date=July 12, 2020|access-date=November 3, 2020|archive-date=July 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200712224038/https://www.cbsnews.com/2020-us-election-battleground-tracker/|url-status=live}}</ref>
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | D: '''279''', R: 163, Tossup: 96
|-
| [[270toWin]]
| Nov 3, 2020<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.270towin.com/maps/consensus-2020-electoral-map-forecast|title=2020 Presidential Election Interactive Map|website=270 to Win|access-date=November 3, 2020|archive-date=November 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103022938/https://www.270towin.com/maps/consensus-2020-electoral-map-forecast|url-status=live}}</ref>
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | D: '''279''', R: 163, Tossup: 96
|-
| [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]
| Nov 2, 2020<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/2020-Electoral-Interactive-Map?basemap=71662160|title=ABC News Race Ratings|website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|date=July 24, 2020|access-date=November 3, 2020|archive-date=November 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103225601/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/2020-Electoral-Interactive-Map?basemap=71662160|url-status=live}}</ref>
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | D: '''321''', R: 125, Tossup: 92
|-
| [[NPR]]
| Oct 30, 2020<ref>{{Cite news|last=Montanaro|first=Domenico|title=Final NPR Electoral Map: Biden Has The Edge, But Trump Retains Narrow Path|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/10/30/929077049/final-npr-electoral-map-biden-has-the-edge-but-trump-retains-narrow-path|date=October 30, 2020|access-date=November 3, 2020|work=[[NPR]]|archive-date=November 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103054128/https://www.npr.org/2020/10/30/929077049/final-npr-electoral-map-biden-has-the-edge-but-trump-retains-narrow-path|url-status=live}}</ref>
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | D: '''279''', R: 125, Tossup: 134
|-
| [[NBC News]]
| Oct 27, 2020<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Todd |first1=Chuck |last2=Murray |first2=Mark |last3=Dann |first3=Carrie |last4=Holzberg |first4=Melissa |date=October 27, 2020 |title=Biden continues to lead in our latest battleground map |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/biden-continues-lead-our-latest-battleground-map-n1244906 |work=[[NBC News]] |location=[[Washington, D.C.]] |access-date=October 28, 2020 |archive-date=October 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027213743/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/biden-continues-lead-our-latest-battleground-map-n1244906 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | D: '''279''', R: 125, Tossup: 134
|-
| [[Decision Desk HQ]]
| Nov 3, 2020<ref>{{Cite web |title=2020 Presidential Election Model |publisher=[[Decision Desk HQ]] |work=Øptimus Consulting |date=November 3, 2020 |access-date=July 31, 2022 |url=https://forecast2020.decisiondeskhq.com/president}}</ref>
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | D: '''308''', R: 163, Tossup: 67
|-
| [[FiveThirtyEight]]
| Nov 2, 2020<ref>{{Cite web|title=2020 Election Forecast|url=https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-election-forecast/|year=2020|website=[[FiveThirtyEight]]|access-date=November 2, 2020|archive-date=September 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200911151821/https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-election-forecast/|url-status=live}}</ref>
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | D: '''334''', R: 169, Tossup: 35{{efn|Tossup: 50%–59%, Lean: 60%–74%, Likely: 75%–94%, Solid: 95%–100%}}
|}

== Results ==
[[File:2020 Oct 16 Cuy BOE vote line (2).jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Early voting in [[Cleveland]], [[Ohio]]]]
{{See also|Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election}}

=== Statistics ===
More than 158 million votes were cast in the election.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cookpolitical.com/2020-national-popular-vote-tracker|title=2020 National Popular Vote Tracker|work=[[The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter|The Cook Political Report]]|access-date=30 November 2020}}</ref> More than 100 million of them were cast before Election Day by [[early voting]] or [[Postal voting|mail ballot]], due to the ongoing [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/11/03/voter-turnout-2020-early-voting-tops-100-million/6133004002/|title=Voter turnout 2020: Early voting tops 100 million ballots cast|last=Garrison|first=Joey|date=November 3, 2020|work=[[USA Today]]|access-date=29 November 2020}}</ref> The election saw the highest [[Voter turnout in United States presidential elections|voter turnout]] as a percentage of eligible voters since [[1900 United States presidential election|1900]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/elections/voter-turnout/|title=2020 turnout is the highest in over a century|date=November 30, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|last1=Schaul|first1=Kevin|last2=Rabinowitz|first2=Kate|last3=Mellnik|first3=Ted|access-date=30 November 2020}}</ref> with each of the two main tickets receiving more than 74 million votes, surpassing [[Barack Obama]]'s record of 69.5 million votes from [[2008 United States presidential election|2008]].<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last1=Park |first1=Andrea |date=November 5, 2020 |title=2020 Voter Turnout Was the Highest the U.S. Has Seen in Over a Century |url=https://www.marieclaire.com/politics/a34589422/voter-turnout-2020/ |website=Marie Claire}}</ref> The Biden–Harris ticket received more than 81 million votes, the most votes ever in a [[List of United States presidential candidates by number of votes received|U.S. presidential election]].<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":8" /> It was also the ninth consecutive presidential election where the victorious [[Two-party system#United States|major party]] nominee did not receive a [[List of United States presidential elections by popular vote margin|popular vote majority by a double-digit margin]] over the losing major party nominee(s), continuing the longest sequence of such presidential elections in U.S. history, which began in [[1988 United States presidential election|1988]] and in [[2016 United States presidential election|2016]] eclipsed the previous longest sequence, that from [[1876 United States presidential election|1876]] through [[1900 United States presidential election|1900]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Chinni|first=Dante|title=Are close presidential elections the new normal?|date=December 6, 2020|work=[[NBC News]]|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/are-close-presidential-elections-new-normal-n1250147|access-date=December 21, 2020}}</ref><ref group=note>In every presidential election from [[1788–89 United States presidential election|1788–89]] through [[1828 United States presidential election|1828]], multiple state legislatures selected their presidential electors by discretionary appointment rather than upon the results of a poll, while the [[South Carolina General Assembly]] did so in [[United States presidential elections in South Carolina|every presidential election]] through [[1860 United States presidential election|1860]] and the [[Colorado General Assembly]] selected its [[1876 United States presidential election in Colorado|state's electors]] by discretionary appointment in the [[1876 United States presidential election|1876 election]].</ref><ref name="Williams 2012 pp. 1539–1570">{{Cite journal|last=Williams|first=Norman R.|title=Why the National Popular Vote Compact is Unconstitutional|year=2012|journal=[[BYU Law Review]]|publisher=[[J. Reuben Clark Law School]]|volume=2012|issue=5|pages=1539–1570|url=https://digitalcommons.law.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2686&context=lawreview|access-date=October 14, 2020}}</ref> In 2020, 58 percent of U.S. voters lived in [[Red states and blue states#Polarization|landslide counties]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bishop|first=Bill|author-link=Bill Bishop (author)|date=December 17, 2020|title=For Most Americans, the Local Presidential Vote Was a Landslide|website=[[Bill Bishop (author)|Daily Yonder]]|url=https://dailyyonder.com/for-most-americans-the-local-presidential-vote-was-a-landslide/2020/12/17/|access-date=August 3, 2021}}</ref> a decline from 61 percent in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/purple-america-has-all-but-disappeared/|last=Wasserman|first=David|title=Purple America Has All But Disappeared|work=[[FiveThirtyEight]]|date=March 8, 2017|access-date=December 28, 2017}}</ref>

Trump became the eleventh incumbent in the country's history, and the first since [[1992 United States presidential election|1992]], to lose a bid for a second term. Biden's 51.3% of the popular vote was the highest for a challenger to an incumbent president since [[1932 United States presidential election|1932]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|last=Haltiwanger|first=John|date=November 7, 2020|title=Trump is the first president in nearly 3 decades to lose a reelection|work=Business Insider|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-join-10-presidents-who-didnt-win-reelection-2020-10#george-hw-bush-1989-1993-10}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite news|last=Herndon|first=Astead W.|date=November 14, 2020|title=Biden Asked Republicans to Give Him a Chance. They're Not Interested.|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/14/us/politics/biden-trump-republicans.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114162453/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/14/us/politics/biden-trump-republicans.html |archive-date=2020-11-14 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite news|last=Hohmann|first=James|date=November 11, 2020|title=The Daily 202: Biden won with the weakest coattails in 60 years. That could make him dependent on GOP senators.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/11/11/daily-202-biden-won-with-weakest-coattails-60-years-that-could-make-him-dependent-gop-senators/|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>{{efn|Although [[Ronald Reagan]] in [[1980 United States presidential election|1980]] and [[Bill Clinton]] in [[1992 United States presidential election|1992]] defeated their incumbent opponents by wider popular-vote margins than Biden's, their shares of the vote were kept lower by substantial [[Third party (United States)|third-party]] voting.}} Biden is the sixth vice president to become president without [[United States presidential line of succession|succeeding to the office]] on the death or resignation of a previous president.<ref name="Azari">{{Cite news |last=Azari |first=Julia |date=August 20, 2020 |title=Biden Had To Fight For The Presidential Nomination. But Most VPs Have To. |work=[[FiveThirtyEight]] |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/biden-had-to-fight-for-the-presidential-nomination-but-most-vps-have-to/ |access-date=August 25, 2020 |archive-date=November 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117190453/https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/biden-had-to-fight-for-the-presidential-nomination-but-most-vps-have-to/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Additionally, Trump's loss marked the third time an elected president lost the popular vote twice, the first being [[John Quincy Adams]] in the 1820s and Benjamin Harrison in the 1880s and 1890s.<ref name=CNN.Led>{{Cite news |last=Enten |first=Harry |date=January 10, 2021 |title=How Trump led Republicans to historic losses |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/10/politics/trump-losses-analysis/index.html |work=[[CNN]] |access-date=February 3, 2021}}</ref> This was the first time since 1980, and the first for Republicans since 1892 that a party was voted out after a single four-year term. This was the second election in American history in which the incumbent president lost re-election despite winning a greater share of the popular vote than he did in the previous election, after 1828.  It is also the third election in which the two candidates that received electoral votes carried the same number of states. This also happened in [[1880 United States presidential election|1880]] and [[1848 United States presidential election|1848]].

Biden won 25 states, the District of Columbia, and one congressional district in Nebraska, totaling 306 electoral votes. Trump won 25 states and one congressional district in Maine, totaling 232 electoral votes. This result was exactly the reverse of Trump's victory, 306 to 232, in [[2016 United States presidential election|2016]] (excluding [[faithless elector]]s).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/presidential-election-results-2020-electoral-college-same-2016/|title=2020 election ends at same electoral vote as 2016 – 306 to 232, with Trump losing this time|last=Silverstein|first=Jason|date=November 13, 2020|work=[[CBS News]]|access-date=29 November 2020}}</ref> Biden became the first Democrat to win the presidential election in [[United States presidential elections in Georgia|Georgia]] since [[1992 United States presidential election|1992]] and in [[2020 United States presidential election in Arizona|Arizona]] since [[1996 United States presidential election|1996]],<ref name="autogenerated1" /> and the first candidate to win nationally without [[2020 United States presidential election in Florida|Florida]] since 1992 and [[2020 United States presidential election in Ohio|Ohio]] since [[1960 United States presidential election|1960]], casting doubt on Ohio's continued status as a [[bellwether state]].<ref name="cincinnati1960">{{Cite news |url=https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/11/08/bellwether-no-more-ohio-misses-presidential-pick-first-time-since-1960/6207745002/ |title=Bellwether no more? Ohio misses presidential pick for first time since 1960 |work=Cincinnati Enquirer |date=November 8, 2020}}</ref> Biden carried five states won by Trump in 2016: [[2020 United States presidential election in Arizona|Arizona]], [[2020 United States presidential election in Georgia|Georgia]], [[2020 United States presidential election in Michigan|Michigan]], [[2020 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], and [[2020 United States presidential election in Wisconsin|Wisconsin]]. He also became the first Democrat since [[2008 United States presidential election in Nebraska|2008]] to carry [[2020 United States presidential election in Nebraska|Nebraska]]'s [[Nebraska's 2nd congressional district|2nd congressional district]], winning one electoral vote from the state. Trump did not win any states won by Clinton in 2016. Biden's three gains in the [[Rust Belt]]—Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin—were widely characterized as a rebuilding of the [[blue wall (U.S. politics)|blue wall]], a term widely used in the press for the states consistently won by Democrats from 1992 to 2012, broken by Trump in 2016 when he flipped those three Rust Belt states.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/08/us/politics/joe-biden-voters.html |title=Biden Voters Rebuild a "Blue Wall" That Trump Smashed |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=2021-01-20 |access-date=2022-05-05}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/blog/2020-11-07-trump-biden-election-results-n1246882/ncrd1246915#blogHeader |title=NBC News Exit Poll: How Biden rebuilt the Democrats' "blue wall" |publisher=[[NBCNews.com]] |date= November 7, 2020|accessdate=2022-05-05}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://thesuffolkjournal.com/31852/politics/race-to-270-rebuilding-the-blue-wall-proved-key-in-bidens-win/ |title=Race to 270: Rebuilding the "Blue Wall" proved key in Biden's win |first=Jamie |last=Taris |date=November 18, 2020 |newspaper=[[The Suffolk Journal]] |place=Boston}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/11/07/joe-biden-blue-wall/6203445002/ |title=Joe Biden wins Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, takes back blue wall |publisher=Freep.com |date= |access-date=2022-05-05}}</ref> Nevertheless, amidst Trump's national and electoral defeat, his scoring decisive victories in Ohio, Iowa, and Florida for the second time, after their having backed Obama twice, has led many commentators to conclude they have shifted from perennial [[swing state]]s to reliable [[Red states and blue states|red states]].<ref>{{Cite web|first1=Elena|last1=Mejía|first2=Geoffrey|last2=Skelley|url=https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-swing-states/ |title=How The 2020 Election Changed The Electoral Map {{pipe}} FiveThirtyEight |publisher=Projects.fivethirtyeight.com |date=2020-12-08 |accessdate=2022-05-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Chinni |first=Dante |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/vote-2020-shows-changing-battleground-map-n1247861 |title=Vote in 2020 shows changing battleground map |publisher=[[NBCNews.com]] |date= November 15, 2020|accessdate=2022-05-07}}</ref>

In light of the attempts to contest the election results, an important question is how many votes would have had to change in particular states in order to produce a different Electoral College outcome. If Biden's three narrowest state victories—Wisconsin, Georgia, and Arizona, all of which he won by less than a percentage point—had gone to Trump, there would have been a tie of 269 electors for each candidate,<ref name="tippingpointstate" /><ref name=Skelley-538 /> causing a [[contingent election]] to be decided by the House of Representatives, where Trump had the advantage. (Even though Democrats controlled the House, contingent elections are determined by state delegations in which each state receives just one vote, and since a slight majority of states in 2020 contained more Republican than Democratic representatives, Republicans would have had more votes in such an election.) This scenario would have required a popular-vote shift of 0.63% or less in each of these three states, a total of about 43,000 votes, 0.03% of votes cast nationally.  A similar situation occurred in 2016, when a shift of 0.77% or less in each of the three most closely contested states (Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania), or about 77,000 votes, would have resulted in the popular-vote winner Hillary Clinton also winning in the Electoral College.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Lozada |first1=Carlos |title=Joe Biden won the presidency by making the most of his lucky breaks |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/02/28/lucky-biden-book/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=June 4, 2021 |date=February 28, 2021}}</ref>

Almost all counties previously considered reliable indicators of eventual success in presidential elections voted for Trump instead of Biden, meaning that they did not continue their streaks as [[List of election bellwether counties in the United States|bellwether counties]]. This was attributed to increasing political polarization throughout the country and to the urban–rural divide.<ref name="wiped">{{Cite web|last=McCormick|first=John|author-link=John D. McCormick|date=November 13, 2020|title=Bellwether Counties Nearly Wiped Out by 2020 Election|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/bellwether-counties-nearly-wiped-out-by-2020-election-11605272400|url-access=subscription|access-date=November 17, 2020|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]}}</ref>

While Trump still dominated rural America as a whole, there were rural areas that he lost. Biden won 50.5% of the rural counties that each had mostly non-white voters, particularly in the South and the West.<ref name=":14">{{Cite web|date=2020-11-17|title=Rural America is not all Trump country: A closer look at the rural counties that Biden won|url=https://eig.org/news/rural-america-is-not-all-trump-country|access-date=2021-07-18|website=Economic Innovation Group|language=en-US}}</ref> Rural counties in the South won by Biden had greater economic distress than those won by Trump; in the Northeast, the opposite was true.<ref name=":14" /> In the West, Biden did especially well in rural counties that had high shares of workers employed in leisure and hospitality.<ref name=":14" /> Such counties likewise had large constituencies of immigration from other states.<ref name=":14" /> Every state won by Biden was won by more votes than those by which Hillary Clinton won the state. The combined vote margin of these states was equal to Biden's gain over Hillary Clinton.<ref name="more_votes">{{Cite web|date=January 14, 2021|url=https://twitter.com/BlexasMovement/status/1349831961435582467|title=Combined vote margin|work=[[Twitter]]}}</ref> Biden became the oldest president ever elected, besting Ronald Reagan's record in 1984, and the oldest non-incumbent ever, besting Trump in 2016.

=== Election calls ===
[[File:USA electoral votes 2020 hex cartogram.svg|thumb|Hexagonal cartogram of the number of electoral college votes. States with opposite outcomes from [[2016 United States presidential election|2016]] are [[hatching|hatched]].]]
Major news organizations project a state for a candidate when there is high mathematical confidence that the outstanding vote would be unlikely to prevent the projected winner from ultimately winning the state. Election projections are made by decision teams of political scientists and data scientists.<ref name="math" />

[[File:Biden victory celebration at Black Lives Matter plaza, Washington, D.C..jpg|thumb|People celebrate in the streets [[Black Lives Matter Plaza|near the White House]] after the major networks projected Biden the winner of the election on November 7.]]
[[File:Chuck Schumer in Times Square.jpg|thumb|Senator [[Chuck Schumer]] addresses a crowd celebrating in [[Times Square]], [[New York City]] shortly after the election was called for Biden.]]

On the morning of November 7 at approximately 11:30{{spaces}}a.m. EST, roughly three and a half days after polls had closed, [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]], [[NBC News]], [[CBS News]], the [[Associated Press]], [[CNN]], and [[Fox News]] all called the election for Biden, based on projections of votes in Pennsylvania showing him leading outside of the recount threshold (0.5% in that state).<ref>{{Cite news|title=Joe Biden elected president|url=https://edition.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-biden-election-results-11-07-20/index.html|last1=Wagner|first1=Meg|display-authors=et al|date=November 7, 2020|access-date=November 7, 2020|work=[[CNN]]|archive-date=November 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107163554/https://edition.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-biden-election-results-11-07-20/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Joe Biden apparent winner of presidency|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/joe-biden-apparent-winner-presidency/story?id=73981165&cid=clicksource_4380645_9_heads_hero_live_hero_hed|first1=Libby|last1=Cathey|access-date=November 7, 2020|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|archive-date=November 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108023852/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/joe-biden-apparent-winner-presidency/story?id=73981165 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Biden wins presidency, Trump denied second term in White House, Fox News projects|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-wins-presidency-trump-fox-news-projects|date=November 7, 2020|access-date=November 7, 2020|work=[[Fox News]][[Fox News]]|last1=Steinhauser|first1=Paul|last2=Singman|first2=Brooke|archive-date=November 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107164300/https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-wins-presidency-trump-fox-news-projects|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Biden wins White House, vowing new direction for divided US|last1=Lemire|first1=Jonathan|last2=Miller|first2=Zeke|last3=Weissert|first3=Will|date=November 8, 2020|url=https://apnews.com/article/Biden-Trump-US-election-2020-results-fd58df73aa677acb74fce2a69adb71f9|access-date=November 7, 2020|work=[[Associated Press]]|archive-date=November 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107135716/https://apnews.com/article/Biden-Trump-US-election-2020-results-fd58df73aa677acb74fce2a69adb71f9/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/biden-defeats-trump-win-white-house-nbc-news-projects-n1246912|title=Biden defeats Trump to win White House, NBC News projects|first1=Adam|last1=Edelman|work=[[NBC News]]|date=November 7, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/2020-election-live-updates-2020-11-07/|title=Biden wins White House after taking Pennsylvania|work=[[CBS News]]|last1=Becket|first1=Stefan|display-authors=et al|date=November 7, 2020}}</ref> That evening, Biden and Harris gave victory speeches in Wilmington, Delaware.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Nagourney|first=Adam|date=November 8, 2020|title=Five Takeaways From President-Elect Biden's Victory Speech|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/08/us/politics/biden-victory-speech-takeaways.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108063026/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/08/us/politics/biden-victory-speech-takeaways.html |archive-date=2020-11-08 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=November 18, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

=== OSCE election monitoring ===
On the invitation of the U.S. State Department, the [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]]'s (OSCE) [[Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights]] (ODIHR), which has been monitoring U.S. elections since 2002 (as it does for major elections in all other OSCE member countries), sent 102 observers from 39 countries.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web|last=Rahman|first=Rema|date=November 3, 2020|title=Election observers on the ground in the US|url=https://thehill.com/policy/international/524080-election-observers-on-the-ground-in-the-us|access-date=November 6, 2020|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|archive-date=November 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106022650/https://thehill.com/policy/international/524080-election-observers-on-the-ground-in-the-us|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite web|date=November 5, 2020|title=Election observer says no evidence for Trump's fraud claims|url=https://apnews.com/article/election-observer-no-evidence-fraud-b30f3424736014a6b7405df71e32e36f|access-date=November 6, 2020|website=[[Associated Press]]|archive-date=November 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201105222506/https://apnews.com/article/election-observer-no-evidence-fraud-b30f3424736014a6b7405df71e32e36f|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news|last=Morello|first=Carol|date=November 4, 2020|title=European election observers decry Trump's "baseless allegations" of voter fraud|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/election-observers-trump-allegations/2020/11/04/4a538500-1ee0-11eb-9ec3-3a81e23c4b5e_story.html|url-status=live|access-date=November 6, 2020|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=November 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201105161029/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/election-observers-trump-allegations/2020/11/04/4a538500-1ee0-11eb-9ec3-3a81e23c4b5e_story.html}}</ref> The task force consisted of long-term observers from the ODIHR office (led by former Polish diplomat [[Urszula Gacek]]) deployed to 28 states from September on and covering 15 states on election day, and a group of European lawmakers acting as short-term observers (led by German parliamentarian [[Michael Georg Link]]), reporting from Maryland, Virginia, California, Nevada, Michigan, Missouri, Wisconsin, and D.C.<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":2" /> Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was scaled down to a "limited election observation mission" from the originally planned 100 long-term observers and 400 short-term observers.<ref name=":02" />

An interim report published by the OSCE shortly before the election noted that many ODIHR interlocutors "expressed grave concerns about the risk of legitimacy of the elections being questioned due to the incumbent President's repeated allegations of a fraudulent election process, and postal vote in particular."<ref name=":02" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=October 22, 2020|title=United States of America, General Elections, 3 November 2020: Interim Report|url=https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/4/b/467964_0.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101064137/https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/4/b/467964_0.pdf|archive-date=November 1, 2020|access-date=November 6, 2020|work=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe|page=2}}</ref> On the day after the election, the task force published preliminary findings,<ref name=":12" /> with part of the summary stating:
{{blockquote|The 3 November general elections were competitive and well managed despite legal uncertainties and logistical challenges. In a highly polarized political environment, harsh campaign rhetoric fuelled tensions. Measures intended to secure the elections during the pandemic triggered protracted litigation driven by partisan interests. The uncertainty caused by late legal challenges and evidence-deficient claims about election fraud created confusion and concern among election officials and voters. Voter registration and identification rules in some states are unduly restrictive for certain groups of citizens. The media, although sharply polarized, provided comprehensive coverage of the campaign and made efforts to provide accurate information on the organization of elections.<ref>{{Cite web|date=November 4, 2020|title=United States of America, General Elections, 3 November 2020: Statement of Preliminary Findings and Conclusions|url=https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/9/6/469437.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201105212346/https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/9/6/469437.pdf|archive-date=November 5, 2020|access-date=November 6, 2020|work=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe|page=1}}</ref>}}

Link said that "on the election day itself, we couldn't see any violations" at the polling places visited by the observers.<ref name=":12" /> The task force also found "nothing untoward" while observing the handling of mail-in ballots at post offices, with Gacek being quoted as saying: "We feel that allegations of systemic wrongdoing in these elections have no solid ground. The system has held up well."<ref name=":2" /> The OSCE's election monitoring branch published a more comprehensive report in early 2021.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite report|title=UNITED STATES OF AMERICA GENERAL ELECTIONS 3 November 2020: ODIHR Limited Election Observation Mission Final Report|date=|url=https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/7/7/477823_2.pdf|publisher=OSCE and [[Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights]] (ODIHR)|publication-date=2021-02-09}}</ref>

=== Electoral results ===
{{See also|Third party and independent candidates for the 2020 United States presidential election}}
Candidates are listed individually below if they received more than 0.1% of the popular vote. Popular vote totals are from the [[Federal Election Commission]] report.<ref name=FEC>{{Cite web |title=Federal Elections 2020 |url=https://www.fec.gov/documents/4227/federalelections2020.pdf |publisher=[[Federal Election Commission]] |date=October 2022}}</ref>

{{start U.S. presidential ticket box|pv_footnote=|ev_footnote=}}
{{U.S. presidential ticket box row|name=[[Joe Biden]]|party=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]|state=[[Delaware]]|pv=81,283,501|pv_pct=51.31%|ev=306|vp_name=[[Kamala Harris]]|vp_state=[[California]]}}
{{U.S. presidential ticket box row|name=[[Donald Trump]]<br />(incumbent)|party=[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]|state=[[Florida]]|pv=74,223,975|pv_pct=46.85%|ev=232|vp_name=[[Mike Pence]]<br />(incumbent)|vp_state=[[Indiana]]}}
{{U.S. presidential ticket box row|name=[[Jo Jorgensen]]|party=[[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian]]|state=[[South Carolina]]|pv=1,865,535|pv_pct=1.18%|ev=0|vp_name=[[Spike Cohen]]|vp_state=[[South Carolina]]}}
{{U.S. presidential ticket box row|name=[[Howie Hawkins]]|party=[[Green Party (United States)|Green]]|state=[[New York (state)|New York]]|pv=407,068|pv_pct=0.26%|ev=0|vp_name=[[Angela Nicole Walker]]|vp_state=[[South Carolina]]}}
{{U.S. presidential ticket box other|footnote=|pv=649,552|pv_pct=0.41%}}
{{end U.S. presidential ticket box|pv=158,429,631|pv_pct=100.00%|ev=538|to_win=270}}

=== Results by state ===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%; line-height:1.2"
|+ style=line-height:1.5|Legend
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| colspan="2" | States won by [[Joe Biden|Biden]]/[[Kamala Harris|Harris]]
|- {{Party shading/Republican}}
| colspan="2" | States won by [[Donald Trump|Trump]]/[[Mike Pence|Pence]]
|-
| EV || Electoral votes
|-
| † || At-large results (for Maine and Nebraska, which both split electoral votes)
|}
<div style="overflow:auto">
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right;font-size:90%;line-height:1.2"
|+style=line-height:1.5|Results by state<ref name=FEC /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Maine Official Election Results|url=https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/results/results20.html|access-date=November 24, 2020|website=Maine Secretary of State}}</ref><ref>[https://sos.nebraska.gov/sites/sos.nebraska.gov/files/doc/elections/2020/2020-General-Canvass-Book.pdf Official Report of the Nebraska Board of State Canvassers, General Election, November 3, 2020], Nebraska Secretary of State.</ref>
!rowspan=2 {{verth|stp=1|State or<br />district}}
! colspan="3" | Biden/Harris<br />Democratic
! colspan="3" | Trump/Pence<br />Republican
! colspan="3" | Jorgensen/Cohen<br />Libertarian
! colspan="3" | Hawkins/Walker<br />Green
! colspan="3" | Others
! colspan="2" | Margin
! Margin<br />swing{{Efn|Percentage point difference in margin from the [[2016 United States presidential election|2016 election]]}}
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="number" | Total<br />votes
|-
! data-sort-type="number" style="padding-left:0.2em" | Votes
! data-sort-type="number" | %
!data-sort-type="number" {{verth|stp=1|va=middle|{{abbr|EV|Electoral votes}}}}
! data-sort-type="number" style="padding-left:0.2em" | Votes
! data-sort-type="number" | %
!data-sort-type="number" {{verth|stp=1|va=middle|{{abbr|EV|Electoral votes}}}}
! data-sort-type="number" style="padding-left:0.2em" | Votes
! data-sort-type="number" | %
!data-sort-type="number" {{verth|stp=1|va=middle|{{abbr|EV|Electoral votes}}}}
! data-sort-type="number" style="padding-left:0.2em" | Votes
! data-sort-type="number" | %
!data-sort-type="number" {{verth|stp=1|va=middle|{{abbr|EV|Electoral votes}}}}
! data-sort-type="number" style="padding-left:0.2em" | Votes
! data-sort-type="number" | %
!data-sort-type="number" {{verth|stp=1|va=middle|{{abbr|EV|Electoral votes}}}}
! data-sort-type="number" style="padding-left:0.2em" | Votes
! data-sort-type="number" | %
! data-sort-type="number" | %
|- {{Party shading/Republican}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Alabama|{{abbr|Alab.|Alabama}}]] ||849,624||36.57%||–||1,441,170||62.03%||9||25,176||1.08%||–||{{efn|name=write-in|These candidates may have received write-in votes, which were not reported individually and are included in ''others''.}}||{{efn|name=write-in}}||–||7,312||0.31%||–||−591,546||−25.46%||2.27%||2,323,282
|- {{Party shading/Republican}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Alaska|Alaska]] ||153,778||42.77%||–||189,951||52.83%||3||8,897||2.47%||–||{{efn|name=AK|Votes for [[Jesse Ventura]] and [[Cynthia McKinney]], who were nominated to the ballot by the [[Green Party of Alaska]] instead of the national candidates,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mustreadalaska.com/green-party-of-alaska-nominates-jesse-ventura-for-president/|title=Green Party of Alaska nominates Jesse Ventura for president|website=Must Read Alaska|last1=Downing|first1=Suzanne|date=September 1, 2020|access-date=December 1, 2020}}</ref> are included in ''others''. Hawkins/Walker may have received write-in votes, which were not reported individually and are also included in ''others''.}}||{{efn|name=AK}}||–||6,904||1.92%||–||−36,173||−10.06%||4.67%||359,530
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Arizona|Arizona]] ||1,672,143||49.36%||11||1,661,686||49.06%||–||51,465||1.52%||–||1,557||0.05%||–||475||0.01%||–||10,457||0.31%||3.81%||3,387,326
|- {{Party shading/Republican}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Arkansas|{{abbr|Ark.|Arkansas}}]] ||423,932||34.78%||–||760,647||62.40%||6||13,133||1.08%||–||2,980||0.24%||–||18,377||1.51%||–||−336,715||−27.62%||−0.70%||1,219,069
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in California|{{abbr|Calif.|California}}]] ||11,110,639||63.48%||55||6,006,518||34.32%||–||187,910||1.07%||–||81,032||0.46%||–||115,281||0.66%||–||5,104,121||29.16%||−0.95%||17,501,380
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Colorado|{{abbr|Colo.|Colorado}}]] ||1,804,352||55.40%||9||1,364,607||41.90%||–||52,460||1.61%||–||8,986||0.28%||–||26,575||0.82%||–||439,745||13.50%||8.59%||3,256,980
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Connecticut|{{abbr|Conn.|Connecticut}}]] ||1,080,831||59.26%||7||714,717||39.19%||–||20,230||1.11%||–||7,538||0.41%||–||541||0.03%||–||366,114||20.07%||6.43%||1,823,857
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Delaware|{{abbr|Del.|Delaware}}]] ||296,268||58.74%||3||200,603||39.77%||–||5,000||0.99%||–||2,139||0.42%||–||336||0.07%||–||95,665||18.97%||7.60%||504,346
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in the District of Columbia|{{abbr|D.C.|District of Columbia}}]] ||317,323||92.15%||3||18,586||5.40%||–||2,036||0.59%||–||1,726||0.50%||–||4,685||1.36%||–||298,737||86.75%||−0.02%||344,356
|- {{Party shading/Republican}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Florida|Florida]] ||5,297,045||47.86%||–||5,668,731||51.22%||29||70,324||0.64%||–||14,721||0.13%||–||16,635||0.15%||–||−371,686||−3.36%||−2.16%||11,067,456
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Georgia|Georgia]] ||2,473,633||49.47%||16||2,461,854||49.24%||–||62,229||1.24%||–||1,013||0.02%||–||1,231||0.02%||–||11,779||0.24%||5.37%||4,999,960
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Hawaii|Hawaii]] ||366,130||63.73%||4||196,864||34.27%||–||5,539||0.96%||–||3,822||0.67%||–||2,114||0.37%||–||169,266||29.46%||−2.72%||574,469
|- {{Party shading/Republican}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Idaho|Idaho]] ||287,021||33.07%||–||554,119||63.84%||4||16,404||1.89%||–||407||0.05%||–||9,983||1.15%||–||−267,098||−30.77%||1.00%||867,934
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Illinois|Illinois]] ||3,471,915||57.54%||20||2,446,891||40.55%||–||66,544||1.10%||–||30,494||0.51%||–||17,900||0.30%||–||1,025,024||16.99%||−0.08%||6,033,744
|- {{Party shading/Republican}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Indiana|Indiana]] ||1,242,498||40.96%||–||1,729,857||57.03%||11||58,901||1.94%||–||989||0.03%||–||965||0.03%||–||−487,359||−16.07%||3.10%||3,033,210
|- {{Party shading/Republican}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Iowa|Iowa]] ||759,061||44.89%||–||897,672||53.09%||6||19,637||1.16%||–||3,075||0.18%||–||11,426||0.68%||–||−138,611||−8.20%||1.21%||1,690,871
|- {{Party shading/Republican}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Kansas|Kansas]] ||570,323||41.51%||–||771,406||56.14%||6||30,574||2.23%||–||669||0.05%||–||1,014||0.07%||–||−201,083||−14.64%||5.96%||1,373,986
|- {{Party shading/Republican}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Kentucky|{{abbr|Ky.|Kentucky}}]] ||772,474||36.15%||–||1,326,646||62.09%||8||26,234||1.23%||–||716||0.03%||–||10,698||0.50%||–||−554,172||−25.94%||3.90%||2,136,768
|- {{Party shading/Republican}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Louisiana|{{abbr|La.|Louisiana}}]] ||856,034||39.85%||–||1,255,776||58.46%||8||21,645||1.01%||–||–||–||–||14,607||0.68%||–||−399,742||−18.61%||1.03%||2,148,062
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| style=text-align:center class=nowrap | [[2020 United States presidential election in Maine|Maine]] † ||435,072||53.09%||2||360,737||44.02%||–||14,152||1.73%||–||8,230||1.00%||–||1,270||0.15%||–||74,335||9.07%||6.11%||819,461
|- style="background:{{Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading}}; font-style:italic"
| style=text-align:center | {{abbrlink|ME-1|Maine's 1st congressional district}} ||266,376||60.11%||1||164,045||37.02%||–||7,343||1.66%||–||4,654||1.05%||–||694||0.16%||–||102,331||23.09%||8.28%||443,112
|- style="background:{{Republican Party (US)/meta/shading}}; font-style:italic"
| style=text-align:center | {{abbrlink|ME-2|Maine's 2nd congressional district}} ||168,696||44.82%||–||196,692||52.26%||1||6,809||1.81%||–||3,576||0.95%||–||576||0.15%||–||−27,996||−7.44%||2.85%||376,349
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Maryland|{{abbr|Md.|Maryland}}]] ||1,985,023||65.36%||10||976,414||32.15%||–||33,488||1.10%||–||15,799||0.52%||–||26,306||0.87% ||–||1,008,609||33.21%||6.79%||3,037,030
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|{{abbr|Mass.|Massachusetts}}]] ||2,382,202||65.60%||11||1,167,202||32.14%||–||47,013||1.29%||–||18,658||0.51%||–||16,327||0.45%||–||1,215,000||33.46%||6.26%||3,631,402
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Michigan|{{abbr|Mich.|Michigan}}]] ||2,804,040||50.62%||16||2,649,852||47.84%||–||60,381||1.09%||–||13,718||0.25%||–||11,311||0.20%||–||154,188||2.78%||3.01%||5,539,302
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Minnesota|{{abbr|Minn.|Minnesota}}]] ||1,717,077||52.40%||10||1,484,065||45.28%||–||34,976||1.07%||–||10,033||0.31%||–||31,020||0.95%||–||233,012||7.11%||5.59%||3,277,171
|- {{Party shading/Republican}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Mississippi|{{abbr|Miss.|Mississippi}}]] ||539,398||41.06%||–||756,764||57.60%||6||8,026||0.61%||–||1,498||0.11%||–||8,073||0.61%||–||−217,366||−16.55%||1.28%||1,313,759
|- {{Party shading/Republican}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Missouri|{{abbr|Mo.|Missouri}}]]
||1,253,014||41.41%||–||1,718,736||56.80%||10||41,205||1.36%||–||8,283||0.27%||–||4,724||0.16%||–||−465,722||−15.39%||3.25%||3,025,962
|- {{Party shading/Republican}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Montana|{{abbr|Mont.|Montana}}]] ||244,786||40.55%||–||343,602||56.92%||3||15,252||2.53%||–||–||–||–||34||0.01%||–||−98,816||−16.37%||4.05%||603,674
|- {{Party shading/Republican}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Nebraska|{{abbr|Neb.|Nebraska}}]] † ||374,583||39.17%||–||556,846||58.22%||2||20,283||2.12%||–||{{efn|name=write-in}}||{{efn|name=write-in}}||–||4,671||0.49%||–||−182,263||−19.06%||5.99%||956,383
|- style="background:{{Republican Party (US)/meta/shading}}; font-style:italic"
| style=text-align:center | {{abbrlink|NE-1|Nebraska's 1st congressional district}} ||132,261||41.09%||–||180,290||56.01%||1||7,495||2.33%||–||{{efn|name=write-in}}||{{efn|name=write-in}}||–||1,840||0.57%||–||−48,029||−14.92%||5.80%||321,886
|- style="background:{{Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading}}; font-style:italic"
| style=text-align:center | {{abbrlink|NE-2|Nebraska's 2nd congressional district}} ||176,468||51.95%||1||154,377||45.45%||–||6,909||2.03%||–||{{efn|name=write-in}}||{{efn|name=write-in}}||–||1,912||0.56%||–||22,091||6.50%||8.74%||339,666
|- style="background:{{Republican Party (US)/meta/shading}}; font-style:italic"
| style=text-align:center | {{abbrlink|NE-3|Nebraska's 3rd congressional district}} ||65,854||22.34%||–||222,179||75.36%||1||5,879||1.99%||–||{{efn|name=write-in}}||{{efn|name=write-in}}||–||919||0.31%||–||−156,325||−53.02%||1.17%||294,831
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Nevada|{{abbr|Nev.|Nevada}}]]{{efn|''Others'' and ''total votes'' include votes for the ballot option "none of these candidates", which are counted as valid votes by the [[Nevada Secretary of State]].}}
||703,486||50.06%||6||669,890||47.67%||–||14,783||1.05%||–||–||–||–||17,217||1.23%||–||33,596||2.39%||−0.03%||1,405,376
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in New Hampshire|{{abbr|N.H.|New Hampshire}}]] ||424,937||52.71%||4||365,660||45.36%||–||13,236||1.64%||–||217||0.03%||–||2,155||0.27%||–||59,277||7.35%||6.98%||806,205
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in New Jersey|{{abbr|N.J.|New Jersey}}]]{{efn|Additional candidates may have received write-in votes, which were not reported and are not included in ''others'', ''total votes'' or percentages.}} ||2,608,400||57.33%||14||1,883,313||41.40%||–||31,677||0.70%||–||14,202||0.31%||–||11,865||0.26%||–||725,087||15.94%||1.84%||4,549,457
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in New Mexico|{{abbr|N.M.|New Mexico}}]] ||501,614||54.29%||5||401,894||43.50%||–||12,585||1.36%||–||4,426||0.48%||–||3,446||0.37%||–||99,720||10.79%||2.58%||923,965
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in New York|{{abbr|N.Y.|New York}}]] ||5,244,886||60.87%||29||3,251,997||37.74%||–||60,383||0.70%||–||32,832||0.38%||–||26,763||0.31%||–||1,992,889||23.13%||0.64%||8,616,861
|- {{Party shading/Republican}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in North Carolina|{{abbr|N.C.|North Carolina}}]] ||2,684,292||48.59%||–||2,758,775||49.93%||15||48,678||0.88%||–||12,195||0.22%||–||20,864||0.38%||–||−74,483||−1.35%||2.31%||5,524,804
|- {{Party shading/Republican}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in North Dakota|{{abbr|N.D.|North Dakota}}]] ||115,042||31.78%||–||235,751||65.12%||3||9,371||2.59%||–||{{efn|name=write-in}}||{{efn|name=write-in}}||–||1,860||0.51%||–||−120,709||−33.34%||2.39%||362,024
|- {{Party shading/Republican}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Ohio|Ohio]] ||2,679,165||45.24%||–||3,154,834||53.27%||18||67,569||1.14%||–||18,812||0.32%||–||1,822||0.03%||–||−475,669||−8.03%||0.10%||5,922,202
|- {{Party shading/Republican}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Oklahoma|{{abbr|Okla.|Oklahoma}}]] ||503,890||32.29%||–||1,020,280||65.37%||7||24,731||1.58%||–||–||–||–||11,798||0.76%||–||−516,390||−33.09%||3.99%||1,560,699
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Oregon|Oregon]] ||1,340,383||56.45%||7||958,448||40.37%||–||41,582||1.75%||–||11,831||0.50%||–||22,077||0.93% ||–||381,935||16.08%||5.10%||2,374,321
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania|{{abbr|Pa.|Pennsylvania}}]] ||3,458,229||50.02%||20||3,377,674||48.69%||–||79,380||1.14%||–||1,282||0.02%||–||20,411||0.29%||–||80,555||1.16%||1.88%||6,936,976
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Rhode Island|{{abbr|R.I.|Rhode Island}}]] ||307,486||59.39%||4||199,922||38.61%||–||5,053||0.98%||–||{{efn|name=write-in}}||{{efn|name=write-in}}||–||5,296||1.02%||–||107,564||20.77%||5.26%||517,757
|- {{Party shading/Republican}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in South Carolina|{{abbr|S.C.|South Carolina}}]] ||1,091,541||43.43%||–||1,385,103||55.11%||9||27,916||1.11%||–||6,907||0.27%||–||1,862||0.07%||–||−293,562||−11.68%||2.59%||2,513,329
|- {{Party shading/Republican}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in South Dakota|{{abbr|S.D.|South Dakota}}]] ||150,471||35.61%||–||261,043||61.77%||3||11,095||2.63%||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||−110,572||−26.16%||3.63%||422,609
|- {{Party shading/Republican}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Tennessee|{{abbr|Tenn.|Tennessee}}]] ||1,143,711||37.45%||–||1,852,475||60.66%||11||29,877||0.98%||–||4,545||0.15%||–||23,243||0.76%||–||−708,764||−23.21%||2.80%||3,053,851
|- {{Party shading/Republican}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Texas|Texas]]{{efn|This table reflects the results certified by the state, which recorded some write-in votes differently from those reported by some counties.<ref>[https://www.bexar.org/DocumentCenter/View/28532/November-3-2020-General-Election-Media-Report Certified Summary Results Report], Bexar County, Texas.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Write-in Letter.pdf|url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/1j4zkTFDF6fajklhNo-BLqIvVkQ-tVrVB/view?usp=embed_facebook|access-date=2022-11-14|website=Google Docs}}</ref>}} ||5,259,126||46.48%||–||5,890,347||52.06%||38||126,243||1.12%||–||33,396||0.30%||–||5,944||0.05%||–||−631,221||−5.58%||3.41%||11,315,056
|- {{Party shading/Republican}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Utah|Utah]] ||560,282||37.65%||–||865,140||58.13%||6||38,447||2.58%||–||5,053||0.34%||–||19,367||1.30%||–||−304,858||−20.48%||−2.40%||1,488,289
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Vermont|{{abbr|Vt.|Vermont}}]] ||242,820||66.09%||3||112,704||30.67%||–||3,608||0.98%||–||1,310||0.36%||–||6,986||1.90%||–||130,116||35.41%||9.00%||367,428
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Virginia|{{abbr|Va.|Virginia}}]] ||2,413,568||54.11%||13||1,962,430||44.00%||–||64,761||1.45%||–||{{efn|name=write-in}}||{{efn|name=write-in}}||–||19,765||0.44%||–||451,138||10.11%||4.79%||4,460,524
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Washington (state)|{{abbr|Wash.|Washington}}]] ||2,369,612||57.97%||12||1,584,651||38.77%||–||80,500||1.97%||–||18,289||0.45%||–||34,579||0.85%||–||784,961||19.20%||3.49%||4,087,631
|- {{Party shading/Republican}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in West Virginia|{{abbr|W.Va.|West Virginia}}]] ||235,984||29.69%||–||545,382||68.62%||5||10,687||1.34%||–||2,599||0.33%||–||79||0.01%||–||−309,398||−38.93%||3.14%||794,731
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Wisconsin|{{abbr|Wis.|Wisconsin}}]] ||1,630,866||49.45%||10||1,610,184||48.82%||–||38,491||1.17%||–||1,089||0.03%||–||17,411||0.53%||–||20,682||0.63%||1.40%||3,298,041
|- {{Party shading/Republican}}
| style=text-align:center | [[2020 United States presidential election in Wyoming|{{abbr|Wyo.|Wyoming}}]] ||73,491||26.55%||–||193,559||69.94%||3||5,768||2.08%||–||{{efn|name=write-in}}||{{efn|name=write-in}}||–||3,947||1.43%||–||−120,068||−43.38%||2.92%||276,765
|-
!Total||style=padding:0|81,283,501||{{right}}51.31%||style=padding:0|306||style=padding:0|74,223,975||{{right}}46.85%||style=padding:0|232||style=padding:0|1,865,535||{{right}}1.18%||{{right}}–||style=padding:0|407,068||{{right}}0.26%||{{right}}–||style=padding:0|649,552||{{right}}0.41%||{{right}}–||style=padding:0|7,059,526||{{right}}4.46%||{{right}}2.36%||style=padding:0|158,429,631

|-
!
! colspan="3" | Biden/Harris<br />Democratic
! colspan="3" | Trump/Pence<br />Republican
! colspan="3" | Jorgensen/Cohen<br />Libertarian
! colspan="3" | Hawkins/Walker<br />Green
! colspan="3" | Others
! colspan="2" | Margin
! Margin<br />swing
! Total<br />votes
|}
</div>
Two states, Maine and Nebraska, allow their electoral votes to be split between candidates by congressional districts. The winner of each congressional district gets one electoral vote for the district. The winner of the statewide vote gets two additional electoral votes.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Title 21-A, §&nbsp;802: Representation|url=https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/21-A/title21-Asec802.html|access-date=2022-11-14|website=legislature.maine.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Nebraska Legislature|url=https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=32-1038|access-date=2022-11-14|website=nebraskalegislature.gov}}</ref>

=== Close states ===
States where the margin of victory was under 1% (37 electoral votes; all won by Biden):
# <span style="color:darkblue;">'''Georgia, 0.23% (11,779 votes) – 16 electoral votes'''</span>
# <span style="color:darkblue;">'''Arizona, 0.31% (10,457 votes) – 11 electoral votes'''</span>
# <span style="color:darkblue;">'''Wisconsin, 0.63% (20,682 votes) – 10 electoral votes'''</span> ([[tipping-point state]] for Biden victory)<ref name="tippingpointstate">{{Cite news |url=https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/wisconsin-decisive-again-in-2020/ |title=Wisconsin: Decisive Again In 2020 |last=Coleman |first=J. Miles|date=19 November 2020 |work=Center For Politics |access-date=9 December 2020 |language=en-US}}</ref>

States where the margin of victory was between 1% and 5% (86 electoral votes; 42 won by Biden, 44 by Trump):
# '''<span style="color:darkblue;">Pennsylvania, 1.16% (80,555 votes) – 20 electoral votes</span> (tipping-point state for Trump victory)<ref name="Skelley-538">{{Cite web |last1=Skelley |first1=Geoffrey |title=Even Though Biden Won, Republicans Enjoyed The Largest Electoral College Edge In 70 Years. Will That Last? |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/even-though-biden-won-republicans-enjoyed-the-largest-electoral-college-edge-in-70-years-will-that-last/ |website=[[FiveThirtyEight]] |access-date=June 5, 2021 |date=January 19, 2021 |quote=We can see just how large this advantage was if we average the margins in the two "tipping-point" states of Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, or the states that delivered (or would have delivered) the decisive 270th electoral vote Biden and Trump needed to win, respectively. (Biden's tipping-point state was Wisconsin, while Trump's would have been Pennsylvania, provided he also won Georgia, Arizona and Wisconsin.)}}</ref>'''
# <span style="color:darkred;">'''North Carolina, 1.35% (74,483 votes) – 15 electoral votes'''</span>
# <span style="color:darkblue;">'''Nevada, 2.39% (33,596 votes) – 6 electoral votes'''</span>
# <span style="color:darkblue;">'''Michigan, 2.78% (154,188 votes) – 16 electoral votes'''</span>
# <span style="color:darkred;">'''Florida, 3.36% (371,686 votes) – 29 electoral votes'''</span>

States/districts where the margin of victory was between 5% and 10% (80 electoral votes; 17 won by Biden, 63 by Trump):
# <span style="color:darkred;">'''Texas, 5.58% (631,221 votes) – 38 electoral votes'''</span>
# <span style="color:darkblue;">'''Nebraska's 2nd congressional district, 6.50% (22,091 votes) – 1 electoral vote'''</span>
# <span style="color:darkblue;">'''Minnesota, 7.11% (233,012 votes) – 10 electoral votes'''</span>
# <span style="color:darkblue;">'''New Hampshire, 7.35% (59,267 votes) – 4 electoral votes'''</span>
# <span style="color:darkred;">'''Maine's 2nd congressional district, 7.44% (27,996 votes) – 1 electoral vote'''</span>
# <span style="color:darkred;">'''Ohio, 8.03% (475,669 votes) – 18 electoral votes'''</span>
# <span style="color:darkred;">'''Iowa, 8.20% (138,611 votes) – 6 electoral votes'''</span>
# <span style="color:darkblue;">'''Maine, 9.07% (74,335 votes) – 2 electoral votes'''</span>

<span style="color:darkblue;">Blue</span> denotes states or congressional districts won by Democrat Joe Biden; <span style="color:darkred;">red</span> denotes those won by Republican Donald Trump.

=== County statistics ===
Counties with highest percentage of Democratic vote:<ref>{{Cite web |title=2020 Presidential Election Statistics |url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/stats.php?year=2020&f=0&off=0&elect=0 |website=uselectionatlas.org |access-date=January 30, 2021}}</ref>
# '''<span style="color:blue;">[[Kalawao County, Hawaii]] – 95.8%</span><ref>{{Cite web |title=Statewide Precinct Detail |url=https://elections.hawaii.gov/wp-content/results/precinct.pdf |website=State of Hawaii Office of Elections |publisher=State of Hawaii |access-date=January 30, 2021 |page=155 |date=January 19, 2020}}</ref>'''
# <span style="color:blue;">'''[[Washington, D.C.]] – 92.15%'''</span>
# <span style="color:blue;">'''[[Prince George's County, Maryland]] – 89.26%'''</span>
# <span style="color:blue;">'''[[Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota]] – 88.41%'''</span>
# <span style="color:blue;">'''[[Petersburg, Virginia]] – 87.75%'''</span>

Counties with highest percentage of Republican vote:
# <span style="color:red;">'''[[Roberts County, Texas]] – 96.18%'''</span>
# <span style="color:red;">'''[[Borden County, Texas]] – 95.43%'''</span>
# <span style="color:red;">'''[[King County, Texas]] – 94.97%'''</span>
# <span style="color:red;">'''[[Garfield County, Montana]] – 93.97%'''</span>
# <span style="color:red;">'''[[Glasscock County, Texas]] – 93.57%'''</span>

=== Maps ===
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
File:Results by state, shaded according to winning candidate's percentage of the vote 2020.svg|Results by state, shaded according to winning candidate's percentage of the vote
File:2020 Presidential Election by County.svg|Results by county
File:2020 United States presidential election results map by county.svg|Results by county, shaded according to winning candidate's percentage of the vote
File:2020 Scaled election map with Nebraska and Maine's differing votes.svg|A discontinuous [[cartogram]] of the 2020 United States presidential election
File:Results by county of the 2020 United States presidential election with counties scaled by number of votes cast.png|A continuous county-level [[cartogram]] of the 2020 United States presidential election
File:U.S. 2016 to 2020 presidential election swing.svg|County swing from 2016 to 2020
File:2020 presidential election, results by congressional district (popular vote margin).svg|Election results by congressional district
File:2020 Presidential Election by County (Red-Blue-Purple View).svg|Shaded election results by county (red-purple-blue scale)
File:2020 U.S. presidential election margins.svg|States shaded by margin of victory
File:2020 US presidential margins by county.svg|Counties shaded by margin of victory
</gallery>

== Voter demographics ==
Voter demographic data for 2020 were collected by Edison Research for the [[National Election Pool]], a consortium of [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]], [[CBS News]], [[MSNBC]], [[CNN]], [[Fox News]], and the [[Associated Press]]. The voter survey is based on [[exit poll]]s completed by 15,590 voters in person as well as by phone.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2020-11-03|title=National Exit Polls: How Different Groups Voted|language=en-US|last1=Andre|first1=Michael|display-authors=et al|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/exit-polls-president.html|access-date=2020-12-05|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:90%; line-height:1.2"
|+ 2020 presidential election voter demographics (Edison)<ref>{{Cite news|title=National Results 2020 President exit polls.|url=https://www.cnn.com/election/2020/exit-polls/president/national-results|access-date=2020-12-04|work=[[CNN]]|language=en}}</ref>
|-
! Demographic subgroup
! {{party shading/Democratic}} |Biden
! {{party shading/Republican}} |Trump
! % of<br />total vote
|-
| Total vote
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 51
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 47
| style="text-align:right;" | 100
|-
! colspan="4" |Ideology
|-
| [[Modern liberalism in the United States|Liberals]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 89
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 10
| style="text-align:right;" | 24
|-
| [[Moderates]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 64
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 34
| style="text-align:right;" | 38
|-
| [[Conservatism in the United States|Conservatives]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 14
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 85
| style="text-align:right;" | 38
|-
! colspan="4" |Party
|-
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 94
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 6
| style="text-align:right;" | 37
|-
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 6
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 94
| style="text-align:right;" | 36
|-
| [[Independent (voter)|Independents]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 54
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 41
| style="text-align:right;" |26
|-
! colspan="4" |Gender
|-
| Men
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 45
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 53
| style="text-align:right;" |48
|-
| Women
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" |57
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" |42
| style="text-align:right;" |52
|-
! colspan="4" |Marital status
|-
| Married
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 45
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 53
| style="text-align:right;" | 56
|-
| Unmarried
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 58
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 40
| style="text-align:right;" | 44
|-
! colspan="4" |Gender by marital status
|-
| Married men
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 43
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 55
| style="text-align:right;" | 30
|-
| Married women
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 48
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 51
| style="text-align:right;" | 26
|-
| Unmarried men
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 52
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 45
| style="text-align:right;" | 20
|-
| Unmarried women
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 62
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 36
| style="text-align:right;" | 23
|-
! colspan="4" |Race/ethnicity
|-
| [[White American|White]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 41
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" |58
| style="text-align:right;" | 67
|-
| [[African American|Black]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 87
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" |12
| style="text-align:right;" | 13
|-
| [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Latino]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 65
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 33
| style="text-align:right;" | 13
|-
| [[Asian American|Asian]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 63
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" |36
| style="text-align:right;" | 4
|-
| Other
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 55
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 41
| style="text-align:right;" | 4
|-
! colspan="4" | Gender by race/ethnicity
|-
| White men
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 38
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 61
| style="text-align:right;" | 35
|-
| White women
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 44
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 55
| style="text-align:right;" | 32
|-
| Black men
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 79
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 19
| style="text-align:right;" | 4
|-
| Black women
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 90
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 9
| style="text-align:right;" | 8
|-
| Latino men
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 59
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 36
| style="text-align:right;" | 5
|-
| Latino women
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 69
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 30
| style="text-align:right;" | 8
|-
| Other
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 58
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 38
| style="text-align:right;" | 8
|-
! colspan="4" |Religion
|-
| [[Protestantism|Protestant]]/Other [[Christians|Christian]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 39
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 60
| style="text-align:right;" | 43
|-
| [[Catholic Church in the United States|Catholic]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 52
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 47
| style="text-align:right;" | 25
|-
| [[American Jews|Jewish]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 76
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 22
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
|-
| Other religion
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 68
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 29
| style="text-align:right;" | 8
|-
| [[Irreligion|None]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 65
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 31
| style="text-align:right;" | 22
|-
! colspan="4" |White evangelical or born-again Christian
|-
| Yes
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 24
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 76
| style="text-align:right;" | 28
|-
| No
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 62
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 36
| style="text-align:right;" | 72
|-
! colspan="4" |Age
|-
| 18–24 years old
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 65
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 31
| style="text-align:right;" | 9
|-
| 25–29 years old
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 54
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 43
| style="text-align:right;" | 7
|-
| 30–39 years old
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 51
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 46
| style="text-align:right;" | 16
|-
| 40–49 years old
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 54
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 44
| style="text-align:right;" | 16
|-
| 50–64 years old
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 47
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 52
| style="text-align:right;" | 30
|-
| 65 and older
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 47
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 52
| style="text-align:right;" | 22
|-
! colspan="4" |Age by race
|-
| White 18–29 years old
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 44
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 53
| style="text-align:right;" | 8
|-
| White 30–44 years old
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 41
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 57
| style="text-align:right;" | 14
|-
| White 45–59 years old
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 38
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 61
| style="text-align:right;" | 19
|-
| White 60 and older
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 42
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 57
| style="text-align:right;" | 26
|-
| Black 18–29 years old
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 88
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 10
| style="text-align:right;" | 3
|-
| Black 30–44 years old
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 78
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 19
| style="text-align:right;" | 4
|-
| Black 45–59 years old
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 89
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 10
| style="text-align:right;" | 3
|-
| Black 60 and older
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 92
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 7
| style="text-align:right;" | 3
|-
| Latino 18–29 years old
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 69
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 28
| style="text-align:right;" | 4
|-
| Latino 30–44 years old
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 62
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 35
| style="text-align:right;" | 4
|-
| Latino 45–59 years old
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 68
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 30
| style="text-align:right;" | 3
|-
| Latino 60 and older
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 58
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 40
| style="text-align:right;" | 2
|-
| Others
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 59
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 38
| style="text-align:right;" | 8
|-
! colspan="4" |Sexual orientation
|-
| [[LGBT]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 67
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 30
| style="text-align:right;" | 7
|-
| Non-LGBT
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 50
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 48
| style="text-align:right;" | 93
|-
! colspan="4" |First time voter
|-
| Yes
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 64
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 32
| style="text-align:right;" | 14
|-
| No
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 49
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 49
| style="text-align:right;" | 86
|-
! colspan="4" |Education
|-
| [[Secondary education in the United States|High school]] or less
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 46
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 54
| style="text-align:right;" | 19
|-
| Some [[Higher education in the United States|college]] education
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 51
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 47
| style="text-align:right;" | 23
|-
| [[Associate degree]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff" | 47
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6" | 50
| style="text-align:right;" | 16
|-
| [[Bachelor's degree]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 51
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 47
| style="text-align:right;" | 27
|-
| [[Postgraduate education|Postgraduate]] degree
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 62
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 37
| style="text-align:right;" | 15
|-
! colspan="4" |Education by race
|-
| White college graduates
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 51
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 48
| style="text-align:right;" | 32
|-
| White no college degree
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 32
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 67
| style="text-align:right;" | 35
|-
| Non-white college graduates
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 70
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 27
| style="text-align:right;" | 10
|-
| Non-white no college degree
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 72
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 26
| style="text-align:right;" | 24
|-
! colspan="4" |Education by race/gender
|-
| White women with college degrees
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 54
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 45
| style="text-align:right;" | 14
|-
| White women without college degrees
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 36
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 63
| style="text-align:right;" | 17
|-
| White men with college degrees
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 48
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 51
| style="text-align:right;" | 17
|-
| White men without college degrees
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 28
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 70
| style="text-align:right;" | 18
|-
| Non-White
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 71
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 26
| style="text-align:right;" | 33
|-
! colspan="4" |Income
|-
| Under $30,000
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 54
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 46
| style="text-align:right;" | 15
|-
| $30,000–49,999
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 56
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 44
| style="text-align:right;" | 20
|-
| $50,000–99,999
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 56
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 42
| style="text-align:right;" |39
|-
| $100,000–199,999
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 41
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 57
| style="text-align:right;" | 20
|-
| Over $200,000
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 48
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 48
| style="text-align:right;" | 7
|-
! colspan="4" |Union households
|-
| Yes
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 56
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 41
| style="text-align:right;" | 20
|-
| No
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 50
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 49
| style="text-align:right;" | 80
|-
! colspan="4" |Military service
|-
| [[Veteran#United States|Veterans]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 44
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 54
| style="text-align:right;" | 15
|-
| Non-veterans
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 53
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 45
| style="text-align:right;" | 85
|-
! colspan="4" |Issue regarded as most important
|-
| [[Racial inequality in the United States|Racial inequality]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 92
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 7
| style="text-align:right;" | 20
|-
| [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|COVID-19 pandemic]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff" | 81
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3" | 16
| style="text-align:right;" | 17
|-
| [[Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|Economy]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff" | 16
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 82
| style="text-align:right;" | 35
|-
| [[Crime in the United States|Crime and safety]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 27
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 71
| style="text-align:right;" | 11
|-
| [[Health care in the United States|Health care]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 62
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 37
| style="text-align:right;" | 11
|-
! colspan="4" |Region
|-
| [[Northeastern United States|East]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 58
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 40
| style="text-align:right;" | 20
|-
| [[Midwestern United States|Midwest]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 47
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 51
| style="text-align:right;" | 23
|-
| [[Southern United States|South]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 46
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 53
| style="text-align:right;" | 35
|-
| [[Western United States|West]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 57
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 41
| style="text-align:right;" | 22
|-
! colspan="4" |Area type
|-
| [[Urban area|Urban]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 60
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 38
| style="text-align:right;" | 29
|-
| [[Suburb]]an
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 50
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 48
| style="text-align:right;" | 51
|-
| [[Rural area|Rural]]
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 42
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 57
| style="text-align:right;" | 19
|-
! colspan="4" |Family's financial situation today
|-
| Better than four years ago
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 26
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 72
| style="text-align:right;" | 41
|-
| Worse than four years ago
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff" | 77
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3" | 20
| style="text-align:right;" | 20
|-
| About the same
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 65
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 34
| style="text-align:right;" | 39
|-
! colspan="4" |Abortion should be
|-
| Legal in all/most cases
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 74
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 24
| style="text-align:right;" | 55
|-
| Illegal in all/most cases
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 23
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 76
| style="text-align:right;" | 45
|-
! colspan="4" |Climate change is a serious problem
|-
| Yes
| style="text-align:right; background:#b0ceff;" | 69
| style="text-align:right; background:#fff3f3;" | 29
| style="text-align:right;" | 67
|-
| No
| style="text-align:right; background:#f0f0ff;" | 15
| style="text-align:right; background:#ffb6b6;" | 84
| style="text-align:right;" | 30
|}

The [[Brookings Institution]] released a report entitled "Exit polls show both familiar and new voting blocs sealed Biden's win" on November 12, 2020. In it, author [[William H. Frey]] attributes Obama's 2008 win to young people, people of color, and the college-educated. Frey contends Trump won in 2016 thanks to older White without college degrees.<ref name="frey">{{Cite web |last1=Frey |first1=William H. |title=Exit polls show both familiar and new voting blocs sealed Biden's win |url=https://www.brookings.edu/research/2020-exit-polls-show-a-scrambling-of-democrats-and-republicans-traditional-bases/ |website=The Brookings Institution|access-date=November 22, 2020 |date=November 5, 2020}}</ref> Frey says the same coalitions largely held in 2008 and 2016, although in key battleground states Biden increased his vote among some of the 2016 Trump groups, particularly among White and older Americans.<ref name="frey" /> Trump won the white vote in 2016 by 20% but in 2020 by only 16%. The Democratic Party won black voters by 75%, the lowest margin since [[1980 United States presidential election|1980]]. Democrats won the Latino vote by 32%, which is the smallest margin since 2004, and they won the Asian American vote by 27%, the lowest figure since 2008.<ref name="frey" /> Biden reduced the Republican margin of white men without college educations from 48% to 42%, and the Democrats made a slight improvement of 2% among white, college-educated women. People age 18 to 29 registered a rise in Democratic support between 2016 and 2020, with the Democratic margin of victory among that demographic increasing from 19% to 24%.<ref name="frey" />

Post-election analysis using verified voter data found the [[Associated Press]]'s Votecast was more accurate than the exit polls.<ref>{{Cite web|title=What Happened in 2020 National Analysis|url=https://catalist.us/wh-national/|access-date=2021-05-17|website=Catalist|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Cohn|first=Nate|author-link=Nate Cohn|date=May 14, 2021|title=Tweet by Nate Cohn|url=https://twitter.com/Nate_Cohn/status/1393259395363049479}}</ref>

=== Voting patterns by ethnicity ===
==== Hispanic and Latino voters ====
Biden won 65% of the Latino vote according to [[Edison Research]], and 63% according to the [[Associated Press]]. [[Voto Latino]] reported that the Latino vote was crucial to the Biden victory in [[2020 United States presidential election in Arizona|Arizona]]. 40% of Latino voters who voted in 2020 did not vote in 2016, and 73% of those Latino voters voted for Biden (438,000 voters).<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Gorden |first1=Max |title=Latino key to turning Arizona blue in 2020 presidential election, group says |url=https://www.azfamily.com/news/politics/arizona_politics/Latino-key-to-turning-arizona-blue-in-2020-presidential-election-group-says/article_c4606504-22ee-11eb-8983-0b7a452ea5cb.html |website=AZFamily |access-date=November 22, 2020 |language=en |date=November 9, 2020}}</ref> [[2020 United States presidential election in Florida|Florida]] and [[2020 United States presidential election in Texas|Texas]], which have large Latino populations, were carried by Trump. In Florida, Trump won a majority of [[Cuban American]] voters in [[Miami-Dade County, Florida]].<ref name="latino">{{Cite news |last1=Aguilera |first1=Jasmine |title=The Complexities of the 2020 "Latino Vote" Were Overlooked, Again |url=https://time.com/5907525/latino-vote-2020-election/ |magazine=Time |access-date=November 22, 2020 |language=en |date=November 10, 2020}}</ref> The Latino vote was still crucial to enable Biden to carry states such as Nevada.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Polls show how Latino voters helped drive Biden win in Nevada, though Trump gained ground since 2016|url=https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/polls-show-how-latino-voters-helped-drive-biden-win-in-nevada-though-trump-gained-ground-since-2016|access-date=November 26, 2020|website=The Nevada Independent|last1=Strott|first1=Savannah|last2=Mueller|first2=Tabitha|date=November 16, 2020}}</ref> Latino voters were targeted by a major Spanish-language [[disinformation]] campaign in the final weeks of the election, with various falsehoods and conspiracy theories being pushed out by [[WhatsApp]] and [[Social media in the 2020 United States presidential election|viral social media posts]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=False News Targeting Latinos Trails the Election|first1=Patricia|last1=Mazzei|first2=Nicole|last2=Perlroth|date=November 4, 2020|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/04/us/spanish-language-misinformation-latinos.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201105001436/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/04/us/spanish-language-misinformation-latinos.html |archive-date=2020-11-05 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/oct/22/latinos-targets-election-disinformation|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=October 22, 2020|title=Latinos the targets of election disinformation – but activists are fighting back|first1=Amy|last1=Yee}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Misinformation targeted Latino voters in the 2020 election|date=November 21, 2020|publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/latino-voters-misinformation-targets-election-2020/story?id=74189342|first1=Catherine|last1=Sanz}}</ref>

Demographic patterns emerged having to do with [[country of origin]] and candidate preference. Pre- and post-election surveys showed Biden winning Latinos of [[Mexican Americans|Mexican]], [[Puerto Ricans|Puerto Rican]], [[Dominican Americans|Dominican]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=November 2, 2020|title=American Election Eve Poll 2020|url=https://electioneve2020.com/poll/#/en/demographics/latino/|website=The American Election Eve Poll|access-date=November 26, 2020|archive-date=January 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115160731/https://electioneve2020.com/poll/#/en/demographics/latino/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and [[Spanish Americans|Spanish]] heritage,<ref>{{Cite news|date=November 3, 2020|title=New Mexico Voter Surveys: How Different Groups Voted|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/ap-polls-new-mexico.html|access-date=November 26, 2020|last1=Andre|first1=Michael|display-authors=et al|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> while Trump carried Latinos of Cuban heritage. Data from Florida showed Biden holding a narrow edge among [[South America]]ns.<ref>{{Cite news|date=November 3, 2020|title=Florida Voter Surveys: How Different Groups Voted|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/ap-polls-florida.html|last1=Andre|first1=Michael|display-authors=et al|access-date=November 26, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

==== Black voters ====
Biden won 87% of the Black vote, while Trump won 12%.<ref name="exit" /> Biden's advantage among Black voters was crucial in the large cities of [[2020 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]] and [[2020 United States presidential election in Michigan|Michigan]]; the increase in the Democratic vote in [[Milwaukee County]] of about 28,000 votes was more than the 20,000-vote lead Biden had in the state of [[2020 United States presidential election in Wisconsin|Wisconsin]]. Almost half Biden's gains [[2020 United States presidential election in Georgia|in Georgia]] came from the four largest counties{{snd}}Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, and Cobb{{snd}}all in the Atlanta metro area with large Black populations.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Stafford |first1=Kat |last2=Morrison |first2=Aaron |last3=Kastanis |first3=Angeleki |title='This is proof': Biden's win reveals power of Black voters |url=https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-race-and-ethnicity-virus-outbreak-georgia-7a843bbce00713cfde6c3fdbc2e31eb7 |website=[[Associated Press]] |access-date=November 22, 2020 |date=November 9, 2020 |quote=[The] African American community stood up again for me.}}</ref> Trump improved his overall share of the Black vote from 2016 by 4% and doubled the Black vote that Mitt Romney received in 2012.<ref>{{Cite news|title=President Exit Polls|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/elections/2012/results/president/exit-polls.html|access-date=2021-01-24|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Huang|first1=Jon|last2=Jacoby|first2=Samuel|last3=Strickland|first3=Michael|last4=Lai|first4=K. K. Rebecca|date=2016-11-08|title=Election 2016: Exit Polls (Published 2016)|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/11/08/us/politics/election-exit-polls.html|access-date=2021-01-24|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name="exit">{{Cite news|date=2021-01-05|title=National Exit Polls: How Different Groups Voted|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/exit-polls-president.html|access-date=2021-01-24|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

==== Asian American and Pacific Island voters ====
Polls showed that 68% of Asian American and Pacific Island (AAPI) voters supported Biden/Harris, while 28% supported Trump/Pence. [[Karthick Ramakrishnan]], a political science professor at the University of California Riverside and founder of AAPI Data, said Asian Americans supported Biden over Trump by about a 2:1 margin. [[Korean Americans]], [[Japanese Americans]], [[Indian Americans]], and [[Chinese Americans]] favored Biden by higher margins overall compared to [[Vietnamese Americans]] and [[Filipino Americans]].<ref name=":13">{{Cite web|last=Mehta|first=Dhrumil|date=2020-09-18|title=How Asian Americans Are Thinking About The 2020 Election|url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-asian-americans-are-thinking-about-the-2020-election/|access-date=2021-01-27|website=[[FiveThirtyEight]]|language=en-US}}</ref> Many voters were turned off by Trump's language some of which was widely considered racist such as ("China virus" and "kung flu") but, according to [[Vox (website)|Vox]] reporter Terry Nguyen, many Vietnamese voters (and especially elderly, South Vietnamese migrants who populated coastal centers in the 1970s) appreciated his strong anti-China stance.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Nguyen|first=Terry|date=2020-10-30|title=48% of Vietnamese Americans say they're voting for Trump. Here's why.|url=https://www.vox.com/first-person/2020/10/30/21540263/vietnamese-american-support-trump-2020|access-date=2021-01-29|website=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|language=en}}</ref>

==== Indian American Voters ====
Data from [[FiveThirtyEight]] indicated 65% of Indian American voters backed Joe Biden, and 28% supported Donald Trump.<ref name=":13" /> Some Indian Americans self-identified with Kamala Harris, but others approved of Donald Trump's support of Indian Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Zhou |first1=Li |title=What we know about who Asian American voters supported in the election |url=https://www.vox.com/21561408/asian-american-voters-presidential-election |website=[[Vox (website)|Vox]] |access-date=November 22, 2020 |language=en |date=November 14, 2020 |quote=With strong turnout this year and more voters joining the electorate, it's evident that AAPI voters are a key base that can't be neglected. The upcoming races in Georgia, too, are yet another opportunity for such outreach.}}</ref> In a speech given to 50,000 Indian-Americans during his [[Howdy Modi|2019 visit to the US]], Modi praised Trump with remarks that were interpreted as an indirect endorsement of his candidacy.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Desai|first1=Suyash|title=Donald Trump endorsement: India's calculated move|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/donald-trump-endorsement-indias-calculated-move-764118.html|access-date=11 February 2021|website=[[Deccan Herald]]|date=September 26, 2019|publisher=DH}}</ref> Indian right-wing organizations like the [[Hindu Sena]] had performed special [[havan]]s and [[Puja (Hinduism)|pujas]] for Trump's electoral victory.<ref>{{Cite web|title=US election result 2020: Hindu Sena performs "havan", "puja" for Donald Trump's victory|url=https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/trends/us-election-result-2020-hindu-sena-performs-havan-puja-for-donald-trump-victory/story/420915.html|access-date=9 January 2021|website=[[Business Today (India)|Business Today]]|date=November 4, 2020 |publisher=BT}}</ref>

During the [[2021 storming of the United States Capitol]], a group of Trump supporters held an [[flag of India|Indian flag]] quite prominently. It was held by a [[Citizenship of the United States|US citizen]] of [[India]]n origin hailing from [[Kochi]] in [[Southern India]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Indian flag waved in the middle of mob at the attack on US Capitol building|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/indian-flag-waved-middle-mob-attack-us-capitol-building-141004|access-date=9 January 2021|website=[[The News Minute]]|date=January 7, 2021|publisher=TNM}}</ref> [[Varun Gandhi]], a senior parliamentarian from India's ruling [[BJP]], expressed surprise and disapproval of the prominent display of the Indian flag by some of the protestors in one of his [[Tweet (Twitter)|tweets]]; opposition [[Indian National Congress]] leader [[Shashi Tharoor]] equated the mentality of some Indians with that of Trump supporters.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Tharoor and Varun spat on Twitter over tricolour at Capitol|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/tharoor-and-varun-spar-on-twitter-over-tricolour-at-capitol/articleshow/80163277.cms|access-date=9 January 2021|website=[[Times of India]]|date=January 8, 2021 |publisher=ToI}}</ref>

==== American Indian and Alaska Native voters ====
Pre-election voter surveys by [[Indian Country Today]] found 68% of [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|American Indian]] and [[Alaska Native]] voters supporting Democratic nominee Joe Biden.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Native News Online Staff|title=SURVEY: Indian Country overwhelmingly supports Joe Biden|url=https://nativenewsonline.net/currents/survey-indian-country-overwhelmingly-supports-joe-biden-for-president|access-date=November 26, 2020|website=Native News Online|date=October 21, 2020|language=en-GB}}</ref> In particular, the [[Navajo Nation|Navajo Reservation]], which spans a large quadrant of eastern Arizona and western New Mexico, delivered up to 97% of their votes per precinct to Biden,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Caldera|first=Camille|date=November 12, 2020|title=Fact check: There was strong Navajo support for Biden, but numbers cited in claim have changed|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/11/11/fact-check-navajo-voters-backed-biden-but-not-broadly-claimed/6223660002/|access-date=November 26, 2020|website=[[USA Today]]|language=en-US}}</ref> while overall support for Biden was between 60 and 90% on the Reservation.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Native American voters critical to Biden's success in Arizona|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/native-american-voters-critical-to-bidens-success-in-arizona/|access-date=November 26, 2020|website=[[CBS News]]|last1=Segers|first1=Grace|date=November 20, 2020 |language=en-US}}</ref> Biden also posted large turnout among [[Havasupai]], [[Hopi Reservation|Hopi]], and [[Tohono Oʼodham Nation|Tohono O'odham]] peoples,<ref>{{Cite web|date=November 19, 2020|title=Native American votes helped secure Biden's win in Arizona|last1=Fonseca|first1=Felicia|last2=Kastanis|first2=Angeliki|url=https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-flagstaff-arizona-voting-rights-fa452fbd546fa00535679d78ac40b890|access-date=November 26, 2020|website=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> delivering a large win in New Mexico and flipping Arizona.

In Montana, while the state went for Trump overall, Biden won counties overlapping reservations of the [[Blackfeet Nation|Blackfeet]], [[Fort Belknap Indian Reservation|Fort Belknap]], [[Crow people|Crow]] and [[Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation|Northern Cheyenne]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|first=Anna V.|last=Smith|date=November 6, 2020|title=How Indigenous voters swung the 2020 election|url=https://www.hcn.org/articles/indigenous-affairs-how-indigenous-voters-swung-the-2020-election|access-date=November 26, 2020|website=High Country News|language=en-us}}</ref> The same pattern held in South Dakota, with most of the counties overlapping the lands of the [[Standing Rock Indian Reservation|Standing Rock Sioux]], [[Cheyenne River Indian Reservation|Cheyenne River Sioux]], [[Oglala]] Sioux, [[Rosebud Indian Reservation|Rosebud Sioux]] and [[Crow Creek Indian Reservation|Crow Creek]] tribes going for Biden. For example, in [[Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota|Oglala Lakota County]], which overlaps with the [[Pine Ridge Indian Reservation]], Biden won 88% of the vote.<ref name=":0" />

Trump's strongest performance among Native tribes was with the [[Lumbee]] Tribe of North Carolina, where he won a strong majority in [[Robeson County, North Carolina|Robeson County]] and flipped [[Scotland County, North Carolina|Scotland County]] from blue to red.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Fordham|first=Evie|date=November 6, 2020|title=Trump investment in North Carolina's Native American Lumbee Tribe pays off|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-north-carolina-lumbee-robeson-native-american|access-date=November 26, 2020|website=[[Fox News]]|language=en-US}}</ref> Trump had campaigned in [[Lumberton, North Carolina|Lumberton]], in Robeson County, and had promised the [[Lumbee]]s [[List of federally recognized tribes in the United States|federal recognition]].<ref name=":1" />

=== Polling accuracy ===
Although polls generally predicted the Biden victory, the national polls overestimated him by three to four points, and some state polling was even further from the actual result and greater than 2016's error (one or two points).<ref name=":10" /> The numbers represented the highest level of error since the [[1980 United States presidential election|1980 presidential election]].<ref name=CNN.Happened>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/13/politics/2020-polling-error-research/index.html|title=Here's what pollsters think happened with 2020 election surveys|work=[[CNN]]|last=Edwards-Levy|first=Ariel|date=May 13, 2021|accessdate=May 13, 2021}}</ref> This polling overestimation also applied in several Senate races, where the Democrats underperformed by about five points relative to the polls,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Matthews|first=Dylan|date=November 10, 2020|title=One pollster's explanation for why the polls got it wrong|url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/11/10/21551766/election-polls-results-wrong-david-shor|access-date=November 12, 2020|website=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]}}</ref> as well as the House elections, where Republicans gained seats instead of losing as polls predicted. Most pollsters underestimated support for Trump in several key battleground states, including Florida, Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Texas, and Wisconsin. The discrepancy between poll predictions and the actual result persisted from the 2016 election despite pollsters' attempts to fix problems with polling in 2016, in which they underestimated the Republican vote in several states. The imprecise polls led to changes in campaigning and fundraising decisions for both Democrats and Republicans.<ref name=":10">{{Cite news|last=Leonhardt|first=David|date=2020-11-12|title='A Black Eye': Why Political Polling Missed the Mark. Again.|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/12/us/politics/election-polls-trump-biden.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112201033/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/12/us/politics/election-polls-trump-biden.html |archive-date=2020-11-12 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=2020-11-29|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

According to ''[[The New York Times]]'', polling misses have been attributed to, among other issues, reduced average response to polling; the relative difficulty to poll certain types of voters; and pandemic-related problems, such as a theory which suggests Democrats were less willing to vote in person on Election Day than Republicans for fear of contracting COVID-19.<ref name=":10" /> According to [[CNN]], research presented to the [[American Association for Public Opinion Research]] indicated one of the primary problems was an inability by pollsters to include a certain segment of Trump supporters, either due to inaccessibility or lack of participation.<ref name=CNN.Happened /> ''[[New Statesman]]'' data journalist Ben Walker pointed to Hispanics as a historically difficult group to poll accurately, leading to pollsters underestimating the level of Trump support within the demographic group.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Walker|first=Ben|date=November 5, 2020|title=How accurate were the US presidential election polls?|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/world/2020/11/how-accurate-were-us-presidential-election-polls|access-date=2020-11-29|website=New Statesman|language=en}}</ref> Election analyst [[Nate Silver]] of ''[[FiveThirtyEight]]'' wrote that the polling error was completely normal by historical standards and disputes the narrative that polls were wrong.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Silver |first=Nate |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-polls-werent-great-but-thats-pretty-normal/ |title=The Polls Weren't Great. But That's Pretty Normal. |work=[[FiveThirtyEight]]|date=November 11, 2020 |access-date=December 15, 2020}}</ref>

== Aftermath ==
{{See also|Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election}}

=== Election night ===
[[File:Election Day 2020 (50564518207).jpg|thumb|Voters cast ballots at [[Roosevelt High School (Iowa)|Roosevelt High School]] in [[Des Moines, Iowa]]]]
Election night, November 3, ended without a clear winner, as many state results were too close to call and millions of votes remained uncounted, including in the battleground states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada.<ref>{{Cite news|last=O'Donnell|first=Noreen|date=November 4, 2020|title=As Ballots Are Counted, No Clear Winner on Election Night|work=NBC Bay Area|url=https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/politics/decision-2020/as-ballots-are-counted-no-clear-winner-on-election-night/2391210/|url-status=live|access-date=November 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104233811/https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/politics/decision-2020/as-ballots-are-counted-no-clear-winner-on-election-night/2391210/|archive-date=November 4, 2020}}</ref> Results were delayed in these states due to local rules on counting mail-in ballots.<ref name="BrenannCenter">{{cite web |last1=Norden |first1=Lawrence |last2=Tisler |first2=Derek |title=Why Does It Take So Long to Count Mail Ballots in Key States? Blame Legislatures {{!}} Brennan Center for Justice |url=https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/why-does-it-take-so-long-count-mail-ballots-key-states-blame-legislatures |website=[[Brennan Center for Justice]] |access-date=26 April 2023 |language=en}}</ref> In a victory declared after midnight, Trump won the swing state of Florida by over three percentage points, an increase from his 1.2 percentage point margin in 2016, having seen significant gains in support among the Latino community in [[Miami-Dade County, Florida|Miami-Dade County]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Leary|first=Alex|date=November 4, 2020|title=Trump's Florida Election Win Hinged on Big Gains in Miami-Dade|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/trumps-florida-election-win-hinged-on-big-gains-in-miami-dade-11604518272|url-status=live|access-date=November 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104234037/https://www.wsj.com/articles/trumps-florida-election-win-hinged-on-big-gains-in-miami-dade-11604518272|archive-date=November 4, 2020|issn=0099-9660}}</ref>

Shortly after 12:30{{spaces}}a.m.{{spaces}}EST, Biden made a short speech in which he urged his supporters to be patient while the votes are counted, and said he believed he was "on track to win this election".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Sullivan|first=Sean|date=November 4, 2020|title=Biden says he is confident of victory but asks supporters to have patience as votes are counted|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/biden-campaign-election-day/2020/11/03/91da2a22-1e00-11eb-b532-05c751cd5dc2_story.html|url-status=live|access-date=November 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104111837/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/biden-campaign-election-day/2020/11/03/91da2a22-1e00-11eb-b532-05c751cd5dc2_story.html|archive-date=November 4, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Goldmacher|first1=Shane|last2=Nagourney|first2=Adam|date=November 4, 2020|title=Biden and Trump Are Locked in Tight Race as Uncounted Votes Remain|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/11/03/us/trump-biden-election|url-status=live|access-date=November 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104001144/https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/11/03/us/trump-biden-election|archive-date=November 4, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Shortly before 2:30{{spaces}}a.m.{{spaces}}EST, Trump made a speech to a roomful of supporters, falsely asserting that he had won the election and calling for a stop to all vote counting, saying that continued counting was "a fraud on the American people" and "we will be going to the U.S. Supreme Court."<ref>{{Cite news|last=Wilkie|first=Christina|date=November 4, 2020|title=Trump tries to claim victory even as ballots are being counted in several states – NBC has not made a call|work=[[CNBC]]|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/04/trump-tries-to-claim-victory-even-as-ballots-are-being-counted-in-several-states-nbc-has-not-made-a-call.html|url-status=live|access-date=November 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104073218/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/04/trump-tries-to-claim-victory-even-as-ballots-are-being-counted-in-several-states-nbc-has-not-made-a-call.html|archive-date=November 4, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Burns|first1=Alexander|last2=Martin|first2=Jonathan|date=November 4, 2020|title=As America Awaits a Winner, Trump Falsely Claims He Prevailed|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/04/us/politics/election-trump-biden-recap.html|url-status=live|access-date=November 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104063229/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/04/us/politics/election-trump-biden-recap.html|archive-date=November 4, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The Biden campaign denounced these attempts, claiming the Trump campaign was engaging in a "naked effort to take away the democratic rights of American citizens".<ref>{{Cite web|date=November 4, 2020|title=Joe Biden's Campaign Denounces Trump's Bid to Shut Down Counting|url=https://www.albawaba.com/news/usele-joe-bidens-campaign-denounces-trumps-bid-shut-down-counting-1390785|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104100735/https://www.albawaba.com/news/usele-joe-bidens-campaign-denounces-trumps-bid-shut-down-counting-1390785|archive-date=November 4, 2020|access-date=November 4, 2020|work=[[Al Bawaba]]}}</ref>

=== Late counting ===
In Pennsylvania, where the counting of mail-in ballots began on election night, Trump declared victory on November{{spaces}}4 with a lead of 675,000 votes, despite more than a million ballots remaining uncounted. Trump also declared victory in North Carolina and Georgia, despite many ballots being uncounted.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Slodyosko|first1=Brian|date=November 5, 2020|title=Explainer: States still in play and what makes them that way|url=https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-elections-courts-b3bb806485b150d32faec4dfa12c7b08|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201105061830/https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-elections-courts-b3bb806485b150d32faec4dfa12c7b08|archive-date=November 5, 2020|access-date=November 5, 2020|website=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> At 11:20{{spaces}}p.m.{{spaces}}EST on election night, Fox News projected Biden would win Arizona, with the Associated Press making the same call at 2:50{{spaces}}a.m.{{spaces}}EST on November 4;<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Slodyosko|first1=Brian|date=November 4, 2020|title=Explainer: Why AP called Arizona for Biden|url=https://apnews.com/article/ap-explains-arizona-joe-biden-bb16f91b04456b2513f40436248eb62d|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201105002411/https://apnews.com/article/ap-explains-arizona-joe-biden-bb16f91b04456b2513f40436248eb62d|archive-date=November 5, 2020|access-date=November 5, 2020|website=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Karni|first1=Annie|last2=Haberman|first2=Maggie|date=November 4, 2020|title=Fox's Arizona Call for Biden Flipped the Mood at Trump Headquarters|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/04/us/politics/trump-fox-news-arizona.html|url-status=live|access-date=November 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104235726/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/04/us/politics/trump-fox-news-arizona.html|archive-date=November 4, 2020}}</ref> several other media outlets concluded the state was too close to call.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Romero|first=Simon|date=November 4, 2020|title=With Arizona too close to call, Trump supporters gather at a vote-counting site in Phoenix.|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/04/us/politics/trump-supporters-protest-arizona.html|url-status=live|access-date=November 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201105070022/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/04/us/politics/trump-supporters-protest-arizona.html|archive-date=November 5, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Izadi|first=Elahe|date=November 4, 2020|title=Who won Arizona? Why the call differs by media organization.|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2020/11/04/fox-ap-arizona-biden/|url-status=live|access-date=November 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201105014055/https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2020/11/04/fox-ap-arizona-biden/|archive-date=November 5, 2020|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> By the evening of November 4, the Associated Press reported that Biden had secured 264 electoral votes by winning Michigan and Wisconsin, with Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, and Nevada remaining uncalled.<ref name="apwins">{{Cite web|last1=Lemire|first1=Jonathan|last2=Miller|first2=Zeke|last3=Colvin|first3=Jill|last4=Jaffe|first4=Alexandra|date=November 4, 2020|title=Biden wins Michigan, Wisconsin, now on brink of White House|url=https://apnews.com/article/84ba06c8d2dd3c16434f0b9a852a5d17|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104174646/https://apnews.com/article/84ba06c8d2dd3c16434f0b9a852a5d17|archive-date=November 4, 2020|access-date=November 5, 2020|website=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> Biden had a 1% lead in Nevada<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Andre|first1=Michael|display-authors=et al|date=November 5, 2020|title=Nevada Presidential Election Results|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/results-nevada-president.html|url-status=live|access-date=November 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104235321/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/results-nevada-president.html|archive-date=November 4, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> and maintained a 2.3% lead in Arizona by November 5,<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Andre|first1=Michael|display-authors=et al|date=November 5, 2020|title=Arizona Presidential Election Results|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/results-arizona-president.html|url-status=live|access-date=November 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201105023711/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/results-arizona-president.html|archive-date=November 5, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> needing only to win Nevada and Arizona or to win Pennsylvania to obtain the necessary 270 electoral votes.<ref name=apwins />

Some Trump supporters expressed concerns of possible fraud after seeing the president leading in some states on Election Night, only to see Biden take the lead in subsequent days. Election experts<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-13 |title=WATCH: Fox News editor says early indications of Trump victory a 'red mirage' |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-fox-news-editor-says-early-indications-of-trump-victory-a-red-mirage |access-date=2023-05-09 |website=PBS NewsHour |language=en-us}}</ref> attributed this to several factors, including a "[[Blue shift (politics)|red mirage]]" of early results being counted in relatively thinly populated rural areas that favored Trump, which are quicker to count, followed later by results from more heavily populated urban areas that favored Biden, which take longer to count. In some states like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, Republican-controlled legislatures prohibited mail-in ballots from being counted before Election Day, and once those ballots were counted they generally favored Biden, at least in part because Trump had for months raised concerns about mail-in ballots, encouraging his supporters instead to vote in person. By contrast, in states such as Florida, which allowed counting of mail-in ballots for weeks prior to Election Day, an early [[Blue shift (politics)|blue shift]] giving the appearance of a Biden lead was later overcome by in-person voting that favored Trump, resulting in the state being called for the president on Election Night.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Wasserman|first1=David|date=November 3, 2020|title=Beware the "blue mirage" and the "red mirage" on election night|work=[[NBC News]]|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/beware-blue-mirage-red-mirage-election-night-n1245925}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Blake|first1=Aaron|date=November 5, 2020|title=Trump blames Democrats for late-counted mail ballots. He should blame the GOP.|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/11/05/trump-blames-democrats-late-counted-mail-ballots-he-should-blame-gop/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Herndon|first1=Astead|date=November 15, 2020|title=Biden asked Republicans to give him a chance. They're not interested|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://gulfnews.com/amp/world/americas/biden-asked-republicans-to-give-him-a-chance-theyre-not-interested-1.75290863|via=Gulf News}}</ref>

On November 5, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by the Trump campaign to stop vote-counting in Pennsylvania. The Trump campaign had alleged that its observers were not given access to observe the vote, but its lawyers admitted during the hearing that its observers were already present in the vote-counting room.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Shubber|first1=Kadhim|date=November 6, 2020|title=Trump Pennsylvania litigation getting tepid response from federal judge|work=[[Financial Times]]|url=https://www.ft.com/content/7ab94949-f654-3574-b710-14e415284551|url-status=live|access-date=November 6, 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20201106010742/https://www.ft.com/content/7ab94949-f654-3574-b710-14e415284551|archive-date=November 6, 2020}}</ref> Also that day, a state judge dismissed another lawsuit by the Trump campaign which alleged that in Georgia, late-arriving ballots were counted. The judge ruled no evidence had been produced that the ballots were late.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Schrade|first1=Brad|date=November 6, 2020|title=Georgia judge dismisses Trump campaign case in Chatham ballot dispute|work=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]]|url=https://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-judge-dismisses-trump-campaign-case-in-chatham-ballot-dispute/YKBA6IYQKBB4JCSQEIJBQQT6QI/|url-status=live|access-date=November 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106061804/https://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-judge-dismisses-trump-campaign-case-in-chatham-ballot-dispute/YKBA6IYQKBB4JCSQEIJBQQT6QI/|archive-date=November 6, 2020}}</ref> Meanwhile, a state judge in Michigan dismissed the Trump campaign's lawsuit requesting a pause in vote-counting to allow access to observers, as the judge noted that vote-counting had already finished in Michigan.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Egan|first1=Paul|date=November 5, 2020|title=Judge throws out Trump lawsuit over counting of Michigan ballots|work=[[Detroit Free Press]]|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/11/05/poll-watcher-challenger-ballot-counting-detroit-tcf-center/6172210002/|url-status=live|access-date=November 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108023843/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/11/05/poll-watcher-challenger-ballot-counting-detroit-tcf-center/6172210002/|archive-date=November 8, 2020}}</ref> That judge also noted the official complaint did not state "why", "when, where, or by whom" an election observer was allegedly blocked from observing ballot-counting in Michigan.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Herb|first1=Jeremy|last2=Polantz|first2=Katelyn|date=November 7, 2020|title='Democracy plain and simple': How the 2020 election defied fraud claims and pandemic fears|work=[[CNN]]|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/06/politics/us-election-process-success/index.html|access-date=November 9, 2020}}</ref>

On November 6, Biden assumed leads in Pennsylvania and Georgia as the states continued to count ballots, and absentee votes in those states heavily favored Biden.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Martin|first1=Jonathan|last2=Glueck|first2=Katie|date=November 5, 2020|title=Biden Pulls Ahead in Key States as Anxious Nation Awaits Winner|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/05/us/politics/biden-georgia-pennsylvania.html|url-status=live|access-date=November 7, 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20201107104659/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/05/us/politics/biden-georgia-pennsylvania.html|archive-date=November 7, 2020}}</ref> Due to the slim margin between Biden and Trump in the state, [[Georgia Secretary of State]] [[Brad Raffensperger]] announced on November{{spaces}}6 that a recount would be held in Georgia. At that point, Georgia had not seen "any widespread irregularities" in this election, according to the voting system manager of the state, [[Gabriel Sterling]].<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Montellaro|first1=Zach|date=November 6, 2020|title=Georgia heading to recount, top election official says|work=[[Politico]]|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/06/georgia-election-official-recount-434703|url-status=live|access-date=November 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107001237/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/06/georgia-election-official-recount-434703|archive-date=November 7, 2020}}</ref>

Also, on November 6, U.S. Supreme Court Justice [[Samuel Alito]] issued an order requiring officials in Pennsylvania to segregate late-arriving ballots, amid a dispute as to whether the state's Supreme Court validly ordered a 3-day extension of the deadline for mail-in ballots to arrive.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gerstein|first=Josh|date=November 6, 2020|title=Pennsylvania Republicans win Supreme Court order to enforce separation of late-arriving ballots|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/06/pennsylvania-republicans-supreme-court-mail-ballots-434744|access-date=November 10, 2020|website=[[Politico]]}}</ref> Several Republican attorneys general filed amicus briefs before the U.S. Supreme Court in subsequent days agreeing with the Pennsylvania Republican Party's view that only the state legislature could change the voting deadline.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Montellaro|first=Zach|date=November 9, 2020|title=GOP-led states back Trump's legal drive to challenge election|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/09/gop-states-back-trump-election-challenge-435437|access-date=November 10, 2020|website=[[Politico]]}}</ref>

By November 7, several prominent Republicans had [[Republican reactions to Donald Trump's claims of 2020 election fraud#Denounced election fraud claims|publicly denounced Trump's claims of electoral fraud]], saying they were unsubstantiated, baseless or without evidence, damaging to the election process, undermining democracy and dangerous to political stability while others [[Republican reactions to Donald Trump's claims of 2020 election fraud#Supported Donald Trump's claims of election fraud|supported]] his demand of transparency.<ref>* {{Cite news|last1=Perkins|first1=Tom|date=November 6, 2020|title=Donald Trump's baseless vote fraud claim opens cracks in Republican ranks|work=[[The Guardian]]n|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/06/republicans-break-ranks-with-donald-trump-over-baseless-vote-claim|url-status=live|access-date=November 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106152002/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/06/republicans-break-ranks-with-donald-trump-over-baseless-vote-claim|archive-date=November 6, 2020 |ref=none}}
* {{Cite news|last1=Daly|first1=Matthew|date=November 6, 2020|title=GOP divided over Trump's baseless claims of election fraud|work=[[Associated Press]]|url=https://apnews.com/article/pat-toomey-no-evidence-vote-fraud-0ac291da7ab09f6336d24290ef81f53b|url-status=live|access-date=November 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106153600/https://apnews.com/article/pat-toomey-no-evidence-vote-fraud-0ac291da7ab09f6336d24290ef81f53b|archive-date=November 6, 2020 |ref=none}}
* {{Cite news|last1=Hayes|first1=Christal|date=November 5, 2020|title='This is getting insane': Republicans say Trump's attacks on election integrity are dangerous|work=[[USA Today]]|url=https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/11/05/republicans-condemn-trump-after-baseless-claim-election-fraud/6182613002/|url-status=live|access-date=November 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106023719/https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/11/05/republicans-condemn-trump-after-baseless-claim-election-fraud/6182613002/|archive-date=November 6, 2020 |ref=none}}
* {{Cite news|last1=Everett|first1=Burgess|last2=Zanona|first2=Melanie|date=November 6, 2020|title=GOP begins pushing back against Trump's false election claims|work=[[Politico]]|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/06/gop-pushes-back-trump-false-election-claims-434653|url-status=live|access-date=November 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106141222/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/06/gop-pushes-back-trump-false-election-claims-434653|archive-date=November 6, 2020 |ref=none}}
* {{Cite news|last1=Gregorian|first1=Dareh|date=November 6, 2020|title='This is getting insane': Republicans push back against Trump's false election claims|work=[[NBC News]]|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/getting-insane-republicans-push-back-against-trump-s-false-election-n1246700|url-status=live|access-date=November 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106020649/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/getting-insane-republicans-push-back-against-trump-s-false-election-n1246700|archive-date=November 6, 2020 |ref=none}}
* {{Cite news|last1=Barrett|first1=Ted|date=November 6, 2020|title=Top Republicans defend Trump on baseless voter fraud claims as concerns grow in the ranks|work=[[CNN]]|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/05/politics/election-2020-congressional-republicans-trump-election-fraud/index.html |ref=none}}</ref> According to [[CNN]], people close to Donald Trump, such as his son-in-law and senior adviser [[Jared Kushner]] and his wife [[Melania Trump]], urged him to accept his defeat. While Donald Trump privately acknowledged the outcome of the presidential election, he nonetheless encouraged his legal team to continue pursuing legal challenges.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Liptak|first1=Kevin|display-authors=et al|date=November 8, 2020|title=Inside Trump's loss: A culmination of self-destructive decisions|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/08/politics/donald-trump-loss-election-2020/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108175038/https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/08/politics/donald-trump-loss-election-2020/index.html|archive-date=November 8, 2020|access-date=November 8, 2020|work=[[CNN]]}}</ref> Trump expected to win the election in Arizona, but when Fox News declared Biden the victor of the state, Trump became furious and claimed the result was due to fraud.<ref name="WP20201128RuckerParker">{{Cite news|last1=Rucker|first1=Philip|display-authors=et al|date=November 28, 2020|title=20 days of fantasy and failure: Inside Trump's quest to overturn the election|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-election-overturn/2020/11/28/34f45226-2f47-11eb-96c2-aac3f162215d_story.html|access-date=December 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201206163715/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-election-overturn/2020/11/28/34f45226-2f47-11eb-96c2-aac3f162215d_story.html|archive-date=December 6, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Trump and his allies suffered approximately 50 legal losses in four weeks after starting their litigation.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Viebeck|first1=Elise|last2=Brown|first2=Emma|last3=Helderman|first3=Rosalind S.|date=December 4, 2020|title=Judges turn back claims by Trump and his allies in six states as the president's legal effort founders|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/nevada-trump-lawsuit-dismissed/2020/12/04/844d420a-3682-11eb-a997-1f4c53d2a747_story.html|access-date=December 7, 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20201207132339/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/nevada-trump-lawsuit-dismissed/2020/12/04/844d420a-3682-11eb-a997-1f4c53d2a747_story.html|archive-date=December 7, 2020}}</ref> In view of these legal defeats, Trump began to employ "a public pressure campaign on state and local Republican officials to manipulate the electoral system on his behalf".<ref name="WP20201128RuckerParker" /><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Rucker|first1=Philip|last2=Gardner|first2=Amy|last3=Dawsey|first3=Josh|date=November 20, 2020|title=Trump uses power of presidency to try to overturn the election and stay in office|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-uses-power-of-presidency-to-try-to-overturn-the-election-and-stay-in-office/2020/11/19/bc89caa6-2a9f-11eb-8fa2-06e7cbb145c0_story.html|access-date=December 7, 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20201207133949/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-uses-power-of-presidency-to-try-to-overturn-the-election-and-stay-in-office/2020/11/19/bc89caa6-2a9f-11eb-8fa2-06e7cbb145c0_story.html|archive-date=December 7, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Martina|first1=Michael|last2=Freifeld|first2=Karen|last3=Renshaw|first3=Jarrett|date=November 19, 2020|title=Trump's election power play: Persuade Republican legislators to do what U.S. voters did not|work=[[Reuters]]|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-strategy/trumps-election-power-play-persuade-republican-legislators-to-do-what-u-%20%20s-voters-did-not-idUSKBN27Z30G|access-date=December 8, 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20201208184640/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-strategy/trumps-election-power-play-persuade-republican-legislators-to-do-what-u-%20%20s-voters-did-not-idUSKBN27Z30G|archive-date=December 8, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Knowles|first1=David|date=November 21, 2020|title=Michigan lawmakers pledge to "follow the law" on picking electors after meeting with Trump|work=[[Yahoo! News]]|url=https://news.yahoo.com/michigan-lawmakers-pledge-to-follow-the-law-on-picking-electors-after-meeting-with-trump-000640411.html|access-date=December 8, 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210823212012/https://news.yahoo.com/michigan-lawmakers-pledge-to-follow-the-law-on-picking-electors-after-meeting-with-trump-000640411.html|archive-date=August 23, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:07 Nov 2020 Douglass Circle election result ad hoc celebration 20.jpg|thumb|Spontaneous celebration of Trump's loss at [[Frederick Douglass Circle]] in New York City on November 7, 2020]]

=== Election protests ===
{{further|Demonstrations in support of Donald Trump}}
Protests against Trump's challenges to the election results occurred in Minneapolis, Portland, New York, and other cities. Police in Minneapolis arrested more than 600 demonstrators for blocking traffic on an interstate highway. In Portland, the National Guard was called out after some protesters smashed windows and threw objects at police.<ref name = Bellisle /> At the same time, groups of Trump supporters gathered outside of election centers in Phoenix, Detroit, and Philadelphia, shouting objections to counts that showed Biden leading or gaining ground.<ref name = Bellisle>{{Cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-backers-converge-michigan-arizona-0b5711044a940703045953fe7833d6aa|title=More than a dozen arrested as protesters demand vote count|last1=Bellisle|first1=Martha|last2=Geller|first2=Adam|date=November 6, 2020|work=[[Associated Press]]|access-date=November 5, 2020|archive-date=November 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201105160108/https://apnews.com/article/trump-backers-converge-michigan-arizona-0b5711044a940703045953fe7833d6aa|url-status=live}}</ref> In Arizona, where Biden's lead was shrinking as more results were reported, the pro-Trump protesters mostly demanded that all remaining votes be counted, while in Michigan and Pennsylvania, where Trump's lead shrank and disappeared altogether as more results were reported, they called for the count to be stopped.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/05/arizona-trump-supporters-protest-at-voting-centre-over-early-election-call|title=Trump supporters protest at Arizona vote counting centre|last=Beaumont|first=Peter|date=November 5, 2020|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=November 5, 2020|archive-date=November 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201105111132/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/05/arizona-trump-supporters-protest-at-voting-centre-over-early-election-call|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== False claims of fraud<span class="anchor" id="Fraud claims"></span><span class="anchor" id="Claims of fraud"></span> ===
{{See also|Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election|Republican reactions to Donald Trump's claims of 2020 election fraud|Big lie#Donald Trump's false claims of a stolen election}}
[[File:Trump tweet - I won this election.png|thumb|right|Screenshot of a tweet from Trump's Twitter account where he repeatedly and falsely claimed he had won.<ref>{{Cite tweet|user=realDonaldTrump|title=I Won This Election, By a Lot! |number=1325099845045071873 |access-date=November 8, 2020 |date=November 7, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109004550/https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1325099845045071873|archive-date=November 9, 2020}}</ref><ref name="BakerHaberman">{{Cite news |last1=Baker |first1=Peter |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |title=In Torrent of Falsehoods, Trump Claims Election Is Being Stolen |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/05/us/politics/trump-presidency.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106042945/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/05/us/politics/trump-presidency.html |archive-date=2020-11-06 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=November 8, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 7, 2020}}</ref>]]
Trump and a variety of his surrogates and supporters made a series of observably false claims that the election was fraudulent. Claims that substantial fraud was committed have been repeatedly debunked.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Seitz|first1=Amanda|last2=Klepper|first2=David|last3=Ortutay|first3=Barbara|date=November 10, 2020|title=False claims of voting fraud, pushed by Trump, thrive online|url=https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-politics-media-1bf96bf3910bdcbe0f125958357c8f1a|access-date=November 11, 2020|work=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Kessler|first1=Glenn|last2=Rizzo|first2=Salvador|date=November 6, 2020|title=President Trump's false claims of vote fraud: A chronology|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/11/05/president-trumps-false-claims-vote-fraud-chronology/|access-date=November 11, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> On November 9{{spaces}}and 10, ''[[The New York Times]]'' called the offices of top election officials in every state; all 45 of those who responded said there was no evidence of fraud. Some described the election as remarkably successful considering the coronavirus pandemic, the record turnout, and the unprecedented number of [[Postal voting|mailed ballots]].<ref name="NY Times Officials" /> On November 12, the [[Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency]] (CISA) issued a statement calling the 2020 election "the most secure in American history" and noting "[t]here is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised."<ref name=Statement>{{Cite web|title=Joint Statement from Elections Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council & the Election Infrastructure Sector Coordinating Executive Committees|url=https://www.cisa.gov/news/2020/11/12/joint-statement-elections-infrastructure-government-coordinating-council-election|work=Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency|access-date=November 13, 2020 |date=November 12, 2020}}</ref> Five days later, Trump fired the director of CISA, whom he had appointed in 2018.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/11/17/936003057/cisa-director-chris-krebs-fired-after-trying-to-correct-voter-fraud-disinformati|title = Trump Fires Election Security Director Who Corrected Voter Fraud Disinformation|newspaper = [[NPR]]|date = November 17, 2020|last1 = Wise|first1 = Alana}}</ref>

As ballots were still being counted two days after Election Day, Trump falsely asserted that there was "tremendous corruption and fraud going on", adding: "If you count the legal votes, I easily win. If you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us."<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Dale|first1=Daniel|date=November 5, 2020|title=Fact check: Trump delivers most dishonest speech of his presidency as Biden closes in on victory|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/05/politics/fact-check-trump-speech-thursday-election-rigged-stolen/index.html|work=[[CNN]]}}</ref> Trump has repeatedly claimed as suspicious that mail-in ballots showed significantly more support for Biden.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Boehm|first1=Eric|date=November 5, 2020|title=Trump Says Mail-in Votes Are Suspicious Because They Overwhelmingly Favor Joe Biden. He's Wrong.|url=https://reason.com/2020/11/05/trump-says-mail-in-votes-are-suspicious-because-they-overwhelmingly-favor-joe-biden-hes-wrong/|access-date=November 11, 2020|work=Reason}}</ref> This [[Blue shift (politics)|blue shift]] phenomenon is believed to occur because more Democrats than Republicans tend to vote by mail, and mail ballots are counted after Election Day in many states. Leading up to the 2020 election, the effect was predicted to be even greater than usual, as Trump's attacks on mail-in voting may have deterred Republicans from casting mail ballots.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Wasserman|first1=Dave|date=November 4, 2020|title=Beware the "blue mirage" and the "red mirage" on election night|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/beware-blue-mirage-red-mirage-election-night-n1245925|access-date=November 11, 2020|work=[[NBC News]]}}</ref>

In early January 2021, Trump falsely proclaimed that he had by rights won all 50 states in the presidential election and a 535 to 3 electoral college victory. On January 2, during his phone call to [[Brad Raffensperger]], the [[Georgia Secretary of State]], Trump said, "As you know, every single state. We won every state; we won every statehouse in the country... But we won every single statehouse."<ref>{{Cite news|title=Full transcript: Trump's audio call with Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffesperger|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/03/politics/trump-brad-raffensperger-phone-call-transcript/index.html|date=January 3, 2021|publisher=[[CNN]]|accessdate=December 27, 2021}}</ref> Two days later, on January 4, Trump appeared at a campaign rally in [[Dalton, Georgia]] supporting Republican Senators [[David Perdue]] and [[Kelly Loeffler]]. During his speech at the rally, Trump again asserted that he won "every single state", and "We win every state, and they're going to have this guy [Biden] be President?"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thehill.com/video/campaign/532545-watch-live-trump-holds-rally-in-georgia-ahead-of-senate-runoffs|title=Watch live: Trump holds rally in Georgia ahead of Senate runoffs|date=January 5, 2021|newspaper=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|accessdate=December 27, 2021}}</ref>

Many claims of purported voter fraud were discovered to be false or misleading. In Fulton County, Georgia, the number of votes affected was 342, with no breakdown of which candidates they were for.<ref>{{Cite web|date=November 7, 2020|title=Update: Fulton County ballot scanning issue affected just 342 votes|url=https://www.wsbtv.com/news/politics/update-fulton-county-ballot-scanning-issue-affected-just-342-votes/W5OF32LWFRFFXGOHQ365UVQAOA/|access-date=November 11, 2020|work=WSBTV}}</ref> A [[viral video]] of a Pennsylvania poll worker filling out a ballot was found to be a case of a damaged ballot being replicated to ensure proper counting, while a video claiming to show a man taking ballots illegally to a [[Detroit]] counting center was found to show a photographer transporting his equipment.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Iati|first1=Marisa|last2=Usero|first2=Adriana|title=A viral video implied a man was illegally moving ballots. It was a photographer and his equipment.|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=November 5, 2020|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/11/05/video-claiming-detroit-ballot-fraud-debunked/|access-date=November 11, 2020|issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Pennsylvania poll worker was copying information from a damaged ballot, to ensure it was counted|url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/nov/06/facebook-posts/pennsylvania-poll-worker-was-copying-information-d/|access-date=November 11, 2020|date=November 6, 2020|last1=O'Rourke|first1=Clara|website=[[Politifact]]}}</ref> Another video of a poll watcher being turned away in [[Philadelphia]] was found to be real, but the poll watcher had subsequently been allowed inside after a misunderstanding had been resolved.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Fauzia|first=Miriam|title=Fact check: Poll watcher turned away at Philadelphia polling station in misunderstanding|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/11/03/fact-check-philadelphia-poll-watcher-turned-away-mistake/6144601002/|access-date=November 11, 2020|date=November 3, 2020|website=[[USA Today]]}}</ref> A viral tweet claimed 14,000 votes in [[Wayne County, Michigan]], were cast by dead people, but the list of names included was found to be incorrect.<ref>{{Cite web|title=List does not show over 14,000 dead people cast ballots in Michigan's Wayne County|url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/nov/07/tweets/list-does-not-show-over-14000-dead-people-cast-bal/|access-date=November 11, 2020|date=November 6, 2020|last1=Hendrickson|first1=Clara|website=[[Politifact]]}}</ref> The Trump campaign and Fox News commentator [[Tucker Carlson]] also claimed a man named James Blalock had voted in Georgia despite having died in 2006, but in fact his 94-year-old widow had registered and voted as Mrs. James Blalock.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Keefe |first1=Brendan |title=Two accused "dead" Georgia voters very much alive despite claims – and they voted legally|url=https://www.11alive.com/article/news/politics/elections/2-georgians-accused-of-being-dead-and-voting-are-alive/85-88dff3c1-8e78-4ac2-ae9c-96838e5b02a8 |work=11Alive News|location=Atlanta, Georgia|date=November 13, 2020}}</ref> In [[Erie, Pennsylvania]], a postal worker who claimed the postmaster had instructed postal workers to backdate ballots mailed after Election Day later admitted he had fabricated the claim. Prior to this recantation, Republican senator [[Lindsey Graham]] cited the claim in a letter to the Justice Department calling for an investigation, and a [[GoFundMe]] page created for the postal worker "patriot" raised $136,000.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Boburg|first1=Shawn|last2=Bogage|first2=Jacob|title=Postal worker recanted allegations of ballot tampering, officials say|date=November 10, 2020|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/postal-worker-fabricated-ballot-pennsylvania/2020/11/10/99269a7c-2364-11eb-8599-406466ad1b8e_story.html|access-date=November 11, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>

Days after Biden had been declared the winner, White House press secretary [[Kayleigh McEnany]] asserted without evidence that the Democratic Party was welcoming fraud and illegal voting.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Izadi|first1=Elahe|last2=Ellison|first2=Sarah|date=November 9, 2020|title=Fox News cuts away from Kayleigh McEnany news conference after she alleges vote fraud with no evidence|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2020/11/09/fox-news-kayleigh-mcenany-cut-away-fraud/|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> Republican former speaker of the House [[Newt Gingrich]] stated on Fox News, "I think that it is a corrupt, stolen election."<ref>{{Cite news|last=Broadwater|first=Luke|date=November 8, 2020|title=As Biden Plans Transition, Republicans Decline to Recognize His Election|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/08/us/politics/republicans-trump-concede-election.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108200317/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/08/us/politics/republicans-trump-concede-election.html |archive-date=2020-11-08 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> Appearing at a [[Four Seasons Total Landscaping press conference|press conference outside a Philadelphia landscaping business]] as Biden was being declared the winner, Trump's personal attorney [[Rudy Giuliani]] asserted without evidence that hundreds of thousands of ballots were questionable.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Shannon|first1=Joel|last2=Ciavaglia|first2=Jo|last3=McGinnis|first3=James|date=November 8, 2020|title=Giuliani holds press conference at landscaping business, prompting confusion|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/11/07/giuliani-holds-press-conference-four-seasons-total-landscaping/6209235002/|website=[[USA Today]]}}</ref> Responding to Giuliani, a spokesperson for Pennsylvania Attorney General [[Josh Shapiro]] said: "Many of the claims against the commonwealth have already been dismissed, and repeating these false attacks is reckless. No active lawsuit even alleges, and no evidence presented so far has shown, widespread problems."<ref name="NY Times Officials" />

One week after the election, Republican [[Philadelphia City Commissioners|Philadelphia city commissioner]] Al Schmidt said he had not seen any evidence of widespread fraud, stating, "I have seen the most fantastical things on [[Social media in the 2020 United States presidential election|social media]], making completely ridiculous allegations that have no basis in fact at all and see them spread." He added that his office had examined a list of dead people who purportedly voted in Philadelphia but "not a single one of them voted in Philadelphia after they died." Trump derided Schmidt, tweeting, "He refuses to look at a mountain of corruption & dishonesty. We win!"<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Stracqualursi|first1=Veronica|date=November 11, 2020|title=Republican election official in Philadelphia says he's seen no evidence of widespread fraud|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/11/politics/philadelphia-city-commissioner-2020-election-cnntv/index.html|work=[[CNN]]}}</ref>

Attorneys who brought accusations of voting fraud or irregularities before judges could not produce valid evidence to support the allegations. In one instance, a Trump attorney sought to have ballot counting halted in Detroit on the basis of a Republican poll watcher's claim that an unidentified person had said ballots were being backdated; [[Michigan Court of Appeals]] judge [[Cynthia Stephens]] dismissed the argument as "inadmissible hearsay within hearsay".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Blake|first=Aaron|date=November 12, 2020|title=Trump lawyers suffer embarrassing rebukes from judges over voter fraud claims|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/11/11/trump-lawyers-suffer-embarrassing-rebukes-judges-over-voter-fraud-claims/|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last1=Klasfield|first1=Adam|date=November 5, 2020|title='Come on Now': Michigan Judge Scoffs at and Tosses Trump Campaign Lawsuit Backed by "Hearsay" Evidence|url=https://lawandcrime.com/2020-election/come-on-now-michigan-judge-scoffs-at-and-tosses-trump-campaign-lawsuit-backed-by-hearsay-evidence/|website=Law & Crime}}</ref> Some senior attorneys at law firms working for Trump, notably [[Jones Day]], expressed concerns that they were undermining the integrity of American elections by advancing arguments without evidence.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Silver-Greenberg|first1=Jessica|last2=Abrams|first2=Rachel|last3=Enrich|first3=David|date=November 9, 2020|title=Growing Discomfort at Law Firms Representing Trump in Election Lawsuits|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/09/business/jones-day-trump-election-lawsuits.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109225441/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/09/business/jones-day-trump-election-lawsuits.html |archive-date=2020-11-09 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>
Trump and his lawyers Giuliani and [[Sidney Powell]] repeatedly made the false claim that the [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]]-based firm [[Dominion Voting Systems]], which had supplied voting machines for 27 states, was a "[[communist]]" organization controlled by billionaire [[George Soros]], former Venezuelan president [[Hugo Chávez]] (who died in 2013), or the [[Chinese Communist Party]], and that the machines had "stolen" hundreds of thousands of votes from Trump. Defamatory rumors about the company circulated on social media, amplified by more than a dozen tweets or retweets by Trump. The [[disinformation]] campaign prompted threats and harassment against Dominion employees.<ref>* {{Cite web|url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/11/trumps-dominion-vote-fraud-election-conspiracy-theory-crazy.html|title=Trump's New Vote Fraud Theory Is So Much Crazier Than You Realize|work=[[New York (magazine)|New York Intelligencer]]|last1=Chait|first1=Jonathan|date=November 16, 2020 |ref=none}}
* {{Cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-trump-legal-team-false-claims-5abd64917ef8be9e9e2078180973e8b3|title=AP Fact Check: Trump legal team's batch of false vote claims|work=[[Associated Press]]|last1=Swenson|first1=Ali|date=November 19, 2020 |ref=none}}
* {{Cite news|first1=Olivia|last1=Rubin|first2=Lucien|last2=Bruggeman|first3=Matthew|last3=Mosk|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/dominion-employees-latest-face-threats-harassment-wake-trump/story?id=74288442|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|title=Dominion employees latest to face threats, harassment in wake of Trump conspiracy|date=November 19, 2020 |ref=none}}
* {{Cite news|title=Dominion Voting CEO says Antrim County report part of 'reckless disinformation campaign'|url=https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/12/15/dominion-voting-ceo-antrim-county/3906017001/|newspaper=Detroit Free Press|first1=Paul|last1=Egan|date=December 15, 2020 |ref=none}}
* {{Cite news|first1=Lori|last1=Robertson|first2=Eugene|last2=Kiely|first3=Jessica|last3=McDonald|first4=D'Angelo|last4=Gore|title=Trump Repeats Baseless, False Claims About the Election|url=https://www.factcheck.org/2020/11/trump-repeats-baseless-false-claims-about-the-election/|work=FactCheck.org|date=December 1, 2020 |ref=none}}</ref>

A December 2020 poll showed 77% of Republicans believed widespread fraud occurred during the election, along with 35% of independent voters.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.yahoo.com/quinnipiac-poll-77-republicans-believe-204100654.html |title=Quinnipiac Poll: 77% of Republicans believe there was widespread fraud in the presidential election; 60% overall consider Joe Biden's victory legitimate |work=[[Yahoo! News]]|last1=Keating|first1=Christopher|via=Hartford Courant |date=December 10, 2020 |access-date=December 15, 2020}}</ref> Overall, 60% of Americans believed Biden's win was legitimate, 34% did not, and 6% were unsure. Another poll taken in late December showed a similar result, with 62% of Americans polled believing Biden was the legitimate winner of the election, while 37% did not.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/12/24/donald-trump-failed-president-50-usa-today-poll-say/3926190001/|title=Exclusive: As Trump leaves office, 50% of Americans say he'll be seen as "failed" president|last1=Page|first1=Susan|last2=Elbeshbishi|first2=Sarah|date=December 24, 2020|website=[[USA Today]]}}</ref> This split in popular opinion remained largely stable, with a January 10, 2021, poll commissioned by ABC News showing 68% of Americans believed Biden's win was legitimate and 32% did not.<ref>{{Cite web|date=January 10, 2021|title=ABC News/Ipsos Poll Jan 10|url=https://www.scribd.com/document/490283649/ABC-News-Ipsos-Poll-Jan-10|access-date=January 11, 2021|website=Scribd|publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]}}</ref> These numbers remained largely stagnant, with a June 2021 poll from Monmouth showing 61% believed Biden won fair and square, 32% believed he won due to fraud, and 7% were unsure.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.monmouth.edu/polling-institute/reports/monmouthpoll_us_062121/|title=Public Supports Both Early Voting And Requiring Photo ID to Vote|date=June 21, 2021 |publisher=Monmouth University}}</ref> More than a year later, public opinion on the matter still remained stagnant, with a poll commissioned by ABC News finding that 65% of Americans believed Biden's win was legitimate, 33% believed it was not legitimate, and 2% were unsure. The same poll also found that 72% of Americans thought the people involved in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, were attacking democracy, while 25% thought they were protecting democracy, and 3% were unsure.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scribd.com/document/550570372/ABC-News-Ipsos-Poll-December-27-29-2021 |title=ABC News / Ipsos Poll December 27-29, 2021 {{pipe}} PDF {{pipe}} Race And Ethnicity In The United States Census {{pipe}} Survey Methodology |publisher=Scribd.com |date= |accessdate=2022-01-09}}</ref> A March 2022 poll commissioned by the conservative [[Rasmussen Reports]] found that 52% of voters think that it is likely that cheating "affected the outcome of the 2020 presidential election." while 40% of voters believe that it is unlikely. 33% say that cheating was very likely, 19% say it was somewhat likely, 13% say it was somewhat unlikely, and 27% say it was very unlikely.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-15 |title=Rasmussen Reports Survey: Most voters think that cheating affected the outcome of the 2020 presidential election |url=https://crimeresearch.org/2022/03/rasmussen-reports-survey-most-voters-think-that-cheating-affected-the-outcome-of-the-2020-presidential-election/ |access-date=2022-03-29 |website=Crime Prevention Research Center |language=en-US}}</ref>

Motivated by the myth of widespread fraud, Republican state lawmakers initiated a [[Republican efforts to restrict voting following the 2020 presidential election|push to make voting laws more restrictive]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Wines|first=Michael|date=27 February 2021|title=In Statehouses, Stolen-Election Myth Fuels a G.O.P. Drive to Rewrite Rules|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/27/us/republican-voter-suppression.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/27/us/republican-voter-suppression.html |archive-date=2021-12-28 |url-access=limited|website=[[The New York Times]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

=== Lawsuits ===
{{Main|Pre-election lawsuits related to the 2020 United States presidential election|Post-election lawsuits related to the 2020 United States presidential election}}
After the election, the [[Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign|Trump campaign]] filed lawsuits in multiple states, including Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, and Pennsylvania.<ref name="bloomberg-law-davis-list">{{Cite web|last1=Davis|first1=Tina|date=November 7, 2020|title=Trump's Election Lawsuits: Where the Fights Are Playing Out|url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/trumps-election-lawsuits-where-the-fights-are-playing-out|access-date=November 10, 2020|work=Bloomberg Law}}</ref> Lawyers and other observers noted the suits were unlikely to affect the outcome. [[Loyola Law School]] professor Justin Levitt said, "There's literally nothing that I've seen yet with the meaningful potential to affect the final result."<ref name="Time">{{Cite news|last1=Abramson|first1=Alana|last2=Abrams|first2=Abigail|date=November 9, 2020|title=Here Are All the Lawsuits the Trump Campaign Has Filed Since Election Day – And Why Most Are Unlikely to Go Anywhere|url=https://time.com/5908505/trump-lawsuits-biden-wins/|access-date=November 10, 2020|magazine=Time}}</ref>
Some law firms moved to drop their representation in lawsuits challenging results of the election.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/13/law-firm-drops-trump-campaign-436418|title=Another law firm bails out on Trump campaign|work=[[Politico]]|date=November 13, 2020|access-date=November 13, 2020|last1=Gerstein|first1=Josh}}</ref>

Trump unsuccessfully sought to overturn Biden's win in Georgia through litigation; suits by the Trump campaign and allies were rejected by both the [[Supreme Court of Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia Supreme Court]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ajc.com/politics/election/georgia-supreme-court-rejects-trump-appeal/BBXM726DABF55GO4A262RNPDJ4/|title=Georgia Supreme Court rejects Trump appeal|newspaper=Atlanta Journal-Constitution|first1=David|last1=Wickert|date=December 13, 2020}}</ref> and by federal courts.<ref name=Duster /><ref>{{Cite news|first1=Josh|last1=Gerstein|title=Federal judge rejects Trump ally's bid to block election certification in Georgia|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/19/federal-judge-rejects-trump-allys-bid-block-election-certification-georgia-438563|newspaper=[[Politico]]|date=November 19, 2020}}</ref> Trump also sought to overturn Biden's win by pressuring Kemp to call a special session of the [[Georgia General Assembly]] so state legislators could override the Georgia election results and appoint a pro-Trump slate of electors, an entreaty rebuffed by Kemp.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-kemp-call-georgia/2020/12/05/fd8d677c-3721-11eb-8d38-6aea1adb3839_story.html|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=December 5, 2020|title=Trump calls Georgia governor to pressure him for help overturning Biden's win in the state|first1=Amy|last1=Gardner|first2=Colby|last2=Itkowitz|first3=Josh|last3=Dawsey}}</ref>

On December 20, Giuliani filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court, asking them to overturn the results of the Pennsylvania election and direct the state legislature to appoint electors. The Supreme Court was regarded as very unlikely to grant this petition, and in any case Biden would still have a majority of Electoral College votes without Pennsylvania.<ref name="YH-20201220">{{Cite news |last1=Colvin |first1=Jill |last2=Levy |first2=Marc |title=Trump wants Supreme Court to overturn Pa. election results |url=https://news.yahoo.com/trump-wants-supreme-court-overturn-215117642.html |date=December 20, 2020 |work=[[Yahoo! News]] |access-date=December 20, 2020}}</ref> The Court set the deadline for reply briefs from the respondents for January 22, 2021, two days after [[Inauguration of Joe Biden|President Elect Biden's inauguration]].<ref name="foxnews">{{Cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/supreme-court-trump-campaign-case-no-hurry|title=Supreme Court in no hurry to hear Trump campaign case, sets response deadline two days after inauguration|date=2020-12-24|access-date=2020-12-27|website=[[Fox News]]|last1=Olson|first1=Tyler|last2=Bream|first2=Shannon|last3=Mears|first3=Bill|archive-date=December 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201230063005/https://www.foxnews.com/politics/supreme-court-trump-campaign-case-no-hurry|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== ''Texas v. Pennsylvania'' ====
{{Main|Texas v. Pennsylvania}}
On December 9, [[Ken Paxton]], the Attorney General of Texas, filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court, asking the court to overturn the results in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Georgia. Attorneys general of seventeen other states also signed onto the lawsuit.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ludicrous Texas anti-election lawsuit jolts Republican politics|url=https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/ludicrous-texas-anti-election-lawsuit-jolts-republican-politics-n1250681|access-date=2020-12-12|website=[[MSNBC]]|last1=Benen|first1=Steve|author-link1=Steve Benen|date=December 11, 2020|language=en}}</ref><ref name="SFC-20201210">{{Cite news|author=Editorial Board|date=December 10, 2020|title=Editorial: The enduring cost of Trump's attempted coup|work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/Editorial-The-enduring-cost-of-Trump-s-15789752.php|access-date=December 10, 2020}}</ref><ref name="NYT-20201210">{{Cite news|last=Louis|first=Errol|date=December 10, 2020|title=Trump's meddling was a failed coup|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-oped-trumps-meddling-was-a-failed-coup-20201210-zy7baii7unbbde2yczg5wtfqcm-story.html|access-date=December 10, 2020}}</ref> 126 Republicans in the House of Representatives, more than two-thirds of the Republican caucus, signed an [[amicus brief]] in support of the lawsuit.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Solender|first=Andrew|title=126 House Republicans Now Support Lawsuit To Overturn Election In Updated Brief|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2020/12/11/126-house-republicans-now-support-lawsuit-to-overturn-election-in-updated-brief/|access-date=2020-12-12|website=[[Forbes]]|date=December 11, 2020|language=en}}</ref> The suit was rejected by the Supreme Court on December 11.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Gerstein|first1=Josh|last2=Cheney|first2=Kyle|date=December 11, 2020|title=Supreme Court rejects Texas-led effort to overturn Biden's victory|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/11/supreme-court-rejects-texas-led-effort-to-overturn-bidens-victory-444638|access-date=December 11, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=D'Angelo|first=Bob |title=U.S. Supreme Court rejects Texas lawsuit|url=https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/trending/us-supreme-court-rejects-texas-lawsuit/SRSJR7OXAJHMLKSSXHOATQ3LKQ/|access-date=2020-12-12|website=WHBQ|date=December 12, 2020|language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Trump's refusal to concede ===
{{see also|Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election#Refusal to accept 2020 electoral loss}}
[[File:20210609 Trump lies, statements after leaving office - horizontal bar chart.svg|thumb|upright=1.5| CNN fact checker [[Daniel Dale]] reported that through June 9, 2021, Trump had issued 132 written statements since leaving office, of which "a third have included lies about the election"—more than any other subject.<ref name=CNN_20210612>{{Cite news |last1=Dale |first1=Daniel |title=Trump is doing more lying about the election than talking about any other subject |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/12/politics/analysis-trump-election-lies-blog-post-presidency |work=[[CNN]] |date=June 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210616191647/https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/12/politics/analysis-trump-election-lies-blog-post-presidency |archive-date=June 16, 2021 |url-status=live}} Similar graphic in source attributed to Janie Boschma, CNN.</ref>]]
Early in the morning on November 4, with vote counts still going on in many states, Trump claimed he had won: "This is an embarrassment to our country. We were getting ready to win this election, frankly we did win this election."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/10-states-still-counting-millions-votes-trump-falsely-claims-he-n1246336|title=With states still counting, Trump falsely claims he won|last=Timm|first=Jane C.|date=November 4, 2020|work=[[NBC News]]|access-date=November 13, 2020}}</ref> For weeks after the networks had called the election for Biden, Trump refused to [[Concession (politics)|acknowledge that Biden had won]]. Unlike every [[List of unsuccessful major party candidates for President of the United States|losing major party presidential candidate]] before him, Trump refused to formally concede, breaking with the tradition of formal concession started in 1896, when [[William Jennings Bryan]] sent a congratulatory telegram to President-elect [[William McKinley]].<ref name="NatGeo 2020">{{Cite web |last1=McKeever |first1=Amy |title=No modern presidential candidate has refused to concede. Here's why that matters. |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/2020/11/no-modern-presidential-candidate-refused-to-concede-heres-why-that-matters/ |work=National Geographic|access-date=November 14, 2020 |ref=NatGeo 2020 |date=November 8, 2020}}</ref> Biden described Trump's refusal as "an embarrassment".<ref>{{Cite news|date=November 11, 2020|last1=Zurcher|first1=Anthony|title=Biden: Trump refusal to concede 'an embarrassment'|work=[[BBC News]]|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54897627|access-date=November 12, 2020}}</ref>

In the wake of the election, Trump's White House ordered government agencies not to cooperate with the Biden transition team in any way,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-transition-agencies-biden/2020/11/09/ad9f2ba2-22b7-11eb-952e-0c475972cfc0_story.html|title=White House, escalating tensions, orders agencies to rebuff Biden transition team|last1=Rein|first1=Lisa|display-authors=et al|date=November 9, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=November 13, 2020}}</ref> and the [[General Services Administration]] (GSA) refused to formally acknowledge Biden's victory,<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Shear|first1=Michael D.|last2=Haberman|first2=Maggie|last3=Crowley|first3=Michael|date=November 10, 2020|title=Trump Appointee Stands Between Biden's Team and a Smooth Transition|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/09/us/politics/emily-murphy-trump-biden.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201110115710/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/09/us/politics/emily-murphy-trump-biden.html |archive-date=2020-11-10 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=November 12, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

Trump finally acknowledged Biden's victory in a tweet on November 15, although he refused to concede and blamed his loss on fraud, stating: "He won because the Election was Rigged." Trump then tweeted: "I concede NOTHING! We have a long way to go."<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Vazquez |first1=Maegan |last2=Westwood |first2=Sarah |last3=Main |first3=Alison |title=Trump says for the first time Biden won the election but later insists he's not conceding |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/15/politics/trump-biden-election/index.html |access-date=November 15, 2020 |work=[[CNN]] |date=November 15, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Matthew |last2=Cummings |first2=William |title=Election 2020 updates: GOP governor expects Biden to be next president; John Bolton says Trump has no character |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/11/15/election-2020-live-updates-trump-admits-biden-won/6302435002/ |access-date=November 15, 2020 |work=[[USA Today]] |date=November 15, 2020}}</ref>

In a June 2021 interview with [[Sean Hannity]], Trump stated that "we didn't win" and said that he wished President Biden success in international diplomacy, which ''[[Forbes]]'' declared as Trump "[coming] as close as he's ever been to conceding his 2020 election loss."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Solender|first=Andrew|date=2021-06-17|title=Trump Says He 'Didn't Win' The 2020 Election And Wants Biden To 'Do Well'|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2021/06/17/trump-says-he-didnt-win-the-2020-election-and-wants-biden-to-do-well/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210717160008/https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2021/06/17/trump-says-he-didnt-win-the-2020-election-and-wants-biden-to-do-well/|archive-date=2021-07-17|access-date=2021-07-01|website=[[Forbes]]|language=en}}</ref>

=== GSA delays certifying Biden as president-elect ===
{{Main|Presidential transition of Joe Biden #Delays in initiating the transition}}
Although all major media outlets called the election for Biden on November 7, the head of the [[General Services Administration]] (GSA), Trump appointee [[Emily W. Murphy]], refused for over two weeks to certify Biden as the president-elect. Without formal GSA ascertainment of the winner, the official transition process was delayed.<ref name = GSA>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-gsa-letter-biden-transition/2020/11/08/07093acc-21e9-11eb-8672-c281c7a2c96e_story.html|title=A little-known Trump appointee is in charge of handing transition resources to Biden – and she isn't budging|date=November 8, 2020|last1=Rein|first1=Lisa|last2=O'Connell|first2=Jonathan|last3=Dawsey|first3=Josh|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=November 24, 2020}}</ref> On November 23, Murphy acknowledged Biden as the winner and said the Trump administration would begin the transition. Trump said he had instructed his administration to "do what needs to be done" but did not concede, and indicated he would continue his fight to overturn the election results.<ref name = Holmes>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/23/politics/transition-biden-gsa-begin|title=First on CNN: Key government agency acknowledges Biden's win and begins formal transition|last1=Holmes|first1=Kristen|last2=Herb|first2=Jeremy|date=November 23, 2020|work=[[CNN]]|access-date=November 24, 2020}}</ref>

=== Suggestion to have state legislatures choose Electoral College voters ===
Both before and after the election, Trump and other Republican leaders publicly considered asking certain Republican-controlled state legislatures to select [[United States Electoral College|presidential electors]] favoring Trump, even if Biden won the popular vote in those states.<ref name="NYTTrumpElector">{{Cite news |last1=Gabriel |first1=Trip |last2=Saul |first2=Stephanie |title=Could State Legislatures Pick Electors to Vote for Trump? Not Likely |url=https://www.nytimes.com/article/electors-vote.html |access-date=November 18, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 16, 2020}}</ref> In Pennsylvania, a state which Biden won, the president's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani asked a federal judge to consider allowing the Republican-controlled state legislature to select electors.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-election-strategy/2020/11/18/94fbe50e-29c9-11eb-92b7-6ef17b3fe3b4_story.html|title=As defeats pile up, Trump tries to delay vote count in last-ditch attempt to cast doubt on Biden victory|date=November 18, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|last1=Gardner|first1=Amy|display-authors=et al|access-date=November 26, 2020}}</ref> Legal experts, including New York University law professor Richard Pildes, have raised numerous legal and political objections to this policy, noting that in various battleground states, Democratic Party members holding statewide office would thwart such efforts,<ref name="GuardianTrumpElector">{{Cite news|last1=Levine|first1=Sam|date=September 25, 2020|title=Could Republicans ignore the popular vote and choose their own pro-Trump electors?|work=[[The Guardian]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/25/trump-attack-election-electors-republicans|access-date=November 18, 2020}}</ref> and ultimately Congress would probably reject the votes of legislatively appointed electors over those elected by the voters.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Muller |first1=Derek |title=Congress would stop the most rogue Electoral College scenarios in their tracks |url=https://excessofdemocracy.com/blog/2020/11/congress-would-stop-the-most-rogue-electoral-college-scenarios-in-their-tracks |date=November 12, 2020|website=Excess of Democracy |access-date=November 25, 2020}}</ref> Law professor [[Lawrence Lessig]] noted that while the Constitution grants state legislatures the power to determine how electors are selected, including the power to directly appoint them, [[Article II, Section 1, Clause 4]] gives Congress the power to determine when electors must be appointed, which they have designated to be [[Election Day (United States)|Election Day]], meaning that legislatures cannot change how electors are appointed for an election after this date.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Lessig |first1=Lawrence |date=November 18, 2020|author-link=Lawrence Lessig|title=State legislatures do not have the power to veto the people's choice in an election |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/11/18/voters-pick-president-state-legislatures-no-veto-power-column/6311981002/ |website=[[USA Today]] |access-date=November 21, 2020}}</ref> In modern times, most states have used a popular vote within their state as the determining factor in who gets all the state's electors,<ref name="GuardianTrumpElector" /> and changing election rules after an election could also violate the Constitution's [[Due Process Clause]].<ref name="VoxTrumpElector">{{Cite news |last1=Prokop |first1=Andrew |title=The many obstacles to the "GOP state legislatures steal the election for Trump" scenario |url=https://www.vox.com/21562815/biden-trump-fraud-state-legislatures-electors |access-date=November 18, 2020 |work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]] |date=November 13, 2020}}</ref>

=== Attempts to delay or deny election results ===
{{Main|Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election}}
{{See also|Republican reactions to Donald Trump's claims of 2020 election fraud}}
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In November, Trump focused his efforts on trying to delay vote certifications at the county and state level.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-wants-delay-final-vote-count-throw-biden-victory-doubt-2020-11|title=Trump has reportedly given up on overturning battleground defeats and is trying to delay a final vote count in a desperate bid to throw Biden's victory into doubt|work=Business Insider|last1=Colson|first1=Thomas|date=November 20, 2020|access-date=November 20, 2020}}</ref> On December 2, Trump posted a 46-minute video to his [[Social media in the 2020 United States presidential election|social media]] in which he repeated his baseless claims that the election was "rigged" and fraudulent, and he called for either state legislatures or courts to overturn the election and allow him to stay in office.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/02/us/politics/trump-election-video.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203010445/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/02/us/politics/trump-election-video.html |archive-date=2020-12-03 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Trump, in Video From White House, Delivers a 46-Minute Diatribe on the "Rigged" Election|first=Michael D.|last=Shear|date=December 3, 2020|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> He continued to pressure elected Republicans in Michigan, Georgia, and Pennsylvania in an unprecedented attempt to overturn his loss. Some commentators have characterized Trump's actions as an attempted [[coup d'état]] or [[self-coup]].<ref name=":11" />

On December 15, the day after the electoral college vote, Republican Senate Majority leader [[Mitch McConnell]], who was previously said he would not recognize the election results, publicly accepted Biden's win, saying, "Today, I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/15/politics/mitch-mcconnell-congratulates-joe-biden/index.html|title=McConnell for the first time recognizes Biden as President-elect|work=[[CNN]]|date=December 15, 2020|access-date=December 15, 2020}}</ref>

A December 18 meeting in the White House discussed [[Michael Flynn]]'s suggestion to overturn the election by invoking [[Martial law in the United States|martial law]] and rerunning the election in several swing states under military supervision.<ref name="CNN-20201219">{{Cite news |last1=Lipak |first1=Kevin |last2=Brown |first2=Pamela |title=Heated Oval Office meeting included talk of special counsel, martial law as Trump advisers clash |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/19/politics/trump-oval-office-meeting-special-counsel-martial-law/index.html |date=December 19, 2020 |work=[[CNN]] News |access-date=December 19, 2020}}</ref><ref name="NYT-20201219">{{Cite news |last1=Habberman |first1=Maggie |last2=Kanno-Youngs |first2=Zolan |title=Trump Weighed Naming Election Conspiracy Theorist as Special Counsel |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/19/us/politics/trump-sidney-powell-voter-fraud.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219192114/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/19/us/politics/trump-sidney-powell-voter-fraud.html |archive-date=2020-12-19 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |date=December 19, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=December 19, 2020}}</ref><ref name="POL-20201219">{{Cite news |last1=Cheny |first1=Kyle |last2=Gerstein |first2=Josh |title=Trump sought to tap Sidney Powell as special counsel for election fraud |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/19/sidney-powell-trump-special-counsel-448694 |date=December 19, 2020 |work=[[Politico]] |access-date=December 19, 2020}}</ref> Army Secretary [[Ryan D. McCarthy]] and Army Chief of Staff General [[James McConville]] later issued a joint statement saying: "There is no role for the U.S. military in determining the outcome of an American election."<ref name="WT-20201218">{{Cite news |last=Blake |first=Andrew |title=Army brass rejects calls for martial law: "No role" for military in determining election outcome |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/dec/19/army-brass-rejects-calls-for-martial-law-no-role-f/ |date=December 18, 2020 |work=[[The Washington Times]] |access-date=December 20, 2020}}</ref> In a December 20 tweet, Trump dismissed accusations that he wanted to declare martial law as "fake news".<ref name="CNN-20201220">{{Cite news |last=Goodwin |first=Jazmin |title=Trump's talk of martial law sends White House staffers rushing to the press |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/20/media/stelter-trump-martial-law/index.html |date=December 20, 2020 |work=[[CNN]] |access-date=December 20, 2020}}</ref>

In a December 21 news conference, outgoing Attorney General [[William Barr]] disavowed several actions reportedly being considered by Trump, including seizing voting machines, appointing a special counsel to investigate voter fraud, and appointing one to investigate [[Hunter Biden]].<ref name="WP-20201221mz">{{Cite news |last=Zapotosky |first=Matt |title=Undercutting Trump, Barr says there's no basis for seizing voting machines, using special counsels for election fraud, Hunter Biden |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/barr-trump-special-counsel-voter-fraud-hunter-biden/2020/12/21/4d85f060-439c-11eb-b0e4-0f182923a025_story.html |date=December 21, 2020 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=December 21, 2020}}</ref>

=== Pressure on state and local officials ===
As the Trump campaign's lawsuits were repeatedly rejected in court, Trump personally communicated with Republican local and state officials in at least three states, including state legislators, attorneys general, and governors who had supported him during and after the elections. He pressured them to overturn the election results in their states by recounting votes, throwing out certain votes, or getting the state legislature to replace the elected Democratic slate of Electoral College members with a Republican slate of electors chosen by the legislature.<ref name = Gardner>{{Cite news |last1=Gardner |first1=Amy |last2=Dawsey |first2=Josh |author2-link=Josh Dawsey |last3=Bade |first3=Rachael |author3-link=Rachael Bade |title=Trump asks Pennsylvania House speaker for help overturning election results, personally intervening in a third state |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-pennsylvania-speaker-call/2020/12/07/d65fe8c4-38bf-11eb-98c4-25dc9f4987e8_story.html |access-date=December 15, 2020 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=December 7, 2020}}</ref> In late November, he personally phoned Republican members of two county electoral boards in Michigan, urging them to reverse their vote certifications.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Kumar |first1=Anita |last2=Orr |first2=Gabby |last3=McGraw |first3=Meridith |title=Inside Trump's pressure campaign to overturn the election |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/21/trump-pressure-campaign-overturn-election-449486 |access-date=December 22, 2020 |work=[[Politico]] |date=December 21, 2020}}</ref> He invited members of the Michigan state legislature to the White House, where they declined his suggestion that they choose a new slate of electors.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/20/politics/michigan-house-speaker-will-meet-trump/index.html|title=Michigan lawmakers who met with Trump say they see nothing to change election outcome|last1=Grayer|first1=Annie|last2=Kelly|first2=Caroline|last3=Vazquez|first3=Maegan|date=November 21, 2020|work=[[CNN]]|access-date=3 January 2021}}</ref> He repeatedly spoke to the Republican governor of Georgia and the secretary of state, demanding that they reverse their state's election results, and retaliating when they did not, strongly criticizing them in speeches and tweets, and demanding that the governor resign.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.11alive.com/article/news/politics/trump-calls-on-georgia-gov-kemp-to-resign/85-f3d16351-b4bf-40ca-9581-5fc1b557d9e6|title=Trump calls Gov. Kemp "obstructionist," says he should resign|last=Raymond|first=Jonathan|date=December 30, 2020|work=11Alive|access-date=3 January 2021}}</ref>

During the first week of December, Trump twice phoned the [[Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives|speaker]] of the [[Pennsylvania House of Representatives|Pennsylvania state House of Representatives]], urging him to appoint a replacement slate of electors; the speaker said he did not have that power but later joined in a letter encouraging the state's representatives in Congress to dispute the results.<ref name="Gardner" /> On January 4 ''The Washington Post'' reported that in a phone call on January 2, Trump pressured Georgia secretary of state [[Brad Raffensperger]] to overturn the state's result, telling him "I just want to find 11,780 votes" and threatening him with legal action if he did not cooperate.<ref name="WaPo Georgia call" /><ref name="NYT Georgia call">{{Cite news |last1=Shear |first1=Michael D. |last2=Saul |first2=Stephanie |author1-link=Michael D. Shear |author2-link=Stephanie Saul |title=Trump, in Taped Call, Pressured Georgia Official to "Find" Votes to Overturn Election |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/03/us/politics/trump-raffensperger-call-georgia.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/03/us/politics/trump-raffensperger-call-georgia.html |archive-date=2021-12-28 |url-access=limited |access-date=4 January 2021 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=3 January 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref> On January 4, 2021, Democratic congressional leaders, believing Trump "engaged in solicitation of, or conspiracy to commit, a number of election crimes", requested the FBI to investigate the incident.<ref name="NBC-20210104">{{Cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Allan |last2=Moe |first2=Alex |title=Democrats ask FBI Director Wray to open criminal probe into Trump after leaked phone call – Reps. Ted Lieu and Kathleen Rice wrote that they believe Trump "engaged in solicitation of, or conspiracy to commit, a number of election crimes". |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/democrats-ask-fbi-director-wray-open-criminal-probe-trump-after-n1252732 |date=January 4, 2021 |work=[[NBC News]] |access-date=January 4, 2021}}</ref> In addition, while some House Republicans tried to defend Trump's Georgia call, Democrats began drafting a [[Censure in the United States|censure resolution]].<ref name="CNN-20210104">{{Cite news |last1=Raju |first1=Manu |last2=Herb |first2=Jeremy |title=House Republicans rush to Trump's defense over Georgia call as Democrats prep censure resolution |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/04/politics/trump-call-republican-reaction-censure-resolution/index.html |date=January 4, 2021|work=[[CNN]] |access-date=January 4, 2021}}</ref> Two months later ''The Washington Post'' acknowledged that they had misquoted Trump, and added a correction to the article.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-call-georgia-investigator/2021/01/09/7a55c7fa-51cf-11eb-83e3-322644d82356_story.html|access-date=21 March 2021 |date=11 March 2021 |first=Amy |last=Gardner |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Trump pressured a Georgia elections investigator in a separate call legal experts say could amount to obstruction}}</ref> Also on January 2, 2021, Trump took part in a mass phone call with nearly 300 state legislators from Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, in which he urged them to "decertify" the election results in their states.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/01/02/new-congress-live-updates/|title=Trump urges nearly 300 state legislators to decertify election results|last=Sonmez|first=Felicia|date=January 3, 2021|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=3 January 2021}}</ref>

=== Recounts ===
{{Main|2020 United States presidential election in Georgia#Statewide audit and recount|2020 United States presidential election in Wisconsin#Aftermath}}
On November 11, Georgia Secretary of State [[Brad Raffensperger]] ordered a statewide hand recount of the vote in addition to the normal audit process. At the time, Biden held a lead of 13,558 votes.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Explainer: Is Georgia's upcoming ballot "audit" a recount? |url=https://apnews.com/article/ap-explains-georgia-audit-or-recount-9adf1d0ed50f8788572b4f7e0f04027e|last1=Cassidy|first1=Christina A.|access-date=November 22, 2020 |work=[[Associated Press]]|date=November 12, 2020}}</ref> The audit was concluded on November 19 and affirmed Biden's lead by 12,284 votes.  Therefore, the results of the hand recount netted Trump 1,274 votes.  The change in the count was due to a number of human errors, including memory cards that did not upload properly to the state servers, and was not attributable to any fraud in the original tally.<ref name="NY Times interactive">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/19/us/elections/georgia-recount.html|title=Where Georgia's Hand Recount Differed From the Initial Tally, by County|first1=Josh|last1=Holder|first2=Amy Schoenfeld|last2=Walker|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=November 20, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Sprunt |first1=Barbara |title=Georgia's Recount Confirms Biden's Lead; AP Declares Him State's Winner |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-2020-election-results/2020/11/19/936647882/georgia-releases-hand-recount-results-affirming-bidens-lead |access-date=November 22, 2020 |work=[[NPR]]|date=November 19, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> After certifying the results Republican Governor [[Brian Kemp]] called for another hand audit, demanding to compare signatures on absentee ballot requests to actual ballots, despite the fact that this request was impossible,<ref name=Duster>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/07/politics/georgia-recount-recertification-biden/index.html|work=[[CNN]]|date=December 7, 2020|title=Georgia reaffirms Biden's victory for 3rd time after recount, dealing major blow to Trump's attempt to overturn the results|first1=Chandelis|last1=Duster}}</ref> as signatures on mail-in ballot applications and envelopes are checked when they are originally received by election offices, and that ballots are thereafter separated from envelopes to ensure the secrecy of the ballot.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Linton |first1=Caroline |title=Georgia governor calls for audit after state certifies election results |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/georgia-recount-brian-kemp-audit-certified-election-results/ |access-date=November 22, 2020 |work=[[CBS News]]|date=November 21, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Brumback|first1=Kate|title=Georgia officials certify election results showing Biden win|url=https://apnews.com/article/georgia-certify-election-joe-biden-ea8f867d740f3d7d42d0a55c1aef9e69|work=[[Associated Press]]|date=November 20, 2020}}</ref> The Trump campaign requested a machine recount, which was estimated to cost taxpayers $200,000 in one Georgia county alone.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Jester |first1=Julia |last2=Romero |first2=Dennis |title=Trump campaign asks for another Georgia recount |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/trump-campaign-asks-another-georgia-recount-n1248538 |access-date=November 22, 2020 |work=[[NBC News]]|date=November 21, 2020}}</ref>  On December 7, Biden was confirmed as the winner of the recount requested by Trump's campaign.<ref name=Duster />

On November 18, the Trump campaign wired $3{{spaces}}million to pay for partial recounts in [[Milwaukee County, Wisconsin|Milwaukee County]] and [[Dane County, Wisconsin]], where Milwaukee and Madison, the two largest cities in the state and Democratic strongholds, are located.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gregorian |first1=Dareh |last2=Jackson |first2=Hallie |last3=Brewster |first3=Shaquille |last4=Alba |first4=Monica |title=Trump campaign requests costly partial recount in Wisconsin |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/trump-campaign-request-costly-partial-recount-wisconsin-n1248117 |access-date=24 October 2023 |publisher=NBC News |date=18 November 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |first1=Kevin |last1=Breuninger |first2=Dan |last2=Mangan |title=Trump campaign requests partial Wisconsin recount, deposits $3 million to challenge Biden victory |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/18/trump-campaign-filing-for-partial-wisconsin-recount-challenging-biden-victory.html |access-date=November 22, 2020 |work=[[CNBC]]|date=November 18, 2020}}</ref> During the recount, Milwaukee County election commissioner Tim Posnanski said several Republican observers were breaking rules by posing as independents.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Deese |first1=Kaelan |title=Milwaukee officials accuse Trump observers of obstructing recount |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/527040-wisconsin-county-election-officials-accuse-trump-observers-of |access-date=November 22, 2020 |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |date=November 21, 2020}}</ref> The recount started November 20 and concluded on November 29, increasing Biden's lead by 87 votes.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2020/11/29/dane-county-recount-show-biden-won-wisconsin-trump-prepares-lawsuit/6455880002/|title=Biden gains 87 votes in Trump's $3 million Wisconsin recount as Dane County wraps up review. President plans lawsuit.|first=Patrick|last=Marley|work=[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]]|date=2020-11-29}}</ref>

=== Electoral College votes ===
The [[United States Electoral College|presidential electors]] met in the state capitol of each state and in the District of Columbia on December 14, 2020, and formalized Biden's victory, casting 306 votes for Biden/Harris and 232 votes for Trump/Pence.<ref name=APOfficial>{{Cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-270-electoral-college-vote-d429ef97af2bf574d16463384dc7cc1e/|title=Electoral College makes it official: Biden won, Trump lost|work=[[Associated Press]]|date=December 14, 2020|access-date=December 14, 2020}}</ref><ref name=WillisDuda>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-backers-electoral-college/2020/12/14/f0fcc59c-3e52-11eb-9453-fc36ba051781_story.html|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=December 14, 2020|first1=Haisten|last1=Willis|first2=Jeremy|last2=Duda|first3=Kathleen|last3=Masterson|first4=David A.|last4=Fahrenthold|title=As electoral college formalizes Biden's win, Trump backers hold their own vote}}</ref> Unlike the 2016 election, there were no [[faithless elector]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Hutzler |first1=Alexandra |title=Electoral College Cements Joe Biden's Victory With Zero Faithless Electors |url=https://www.newsweek.com/electoral-college-cements-joe-bidens-victory-zero-faithless-electors-1554660 |website=[[Newsweek]] |access-date=14 December 2020 |date=14 December 2020}}</ref> In six [[swing state]]s won by Biden, groups of self-appointed Republican "alternate electors" met on the same day to vote for Trump. These alternate slates were not signed by the governors of the states they claim to represent, did not have the backing of any state legislature, and have no legal status.<ref name=WillisDuda /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/why-trumps-latest-electoral-college-ploy-is-doomed-to-fail/2020/12/14/49df80f0-3e5d-11eb-b58b-1623f6267960_story.html|title=Why Trump's latest Electoral College ploy is doomed to fail|last=Riccardi|first=Nicholas|date=December 14, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=15 December 2020|archive-date=December 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201215001422/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/why-trumps-latest-electoral-college-ploy-is-doomed-to-fail/2020/12/14/49df80f0-3e5d-11eb-b58b-1623f6267960_story.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Even after the casting of the electoral votes and rejection of his lawsuits seeking to overturn the election by at least 86 judges,<ref name=WillisDuda /> Trump refused to concede defeat.<ref name=APOfficial /><ref name=WillisDuda /><ref name=Easley>{{Cite web|last=Easley|first=Jonathan|date=2020-12-15|title=Biden rips Trump's refusal to concede after Electoral College vote|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/530200-biden-rips-trumps-refusal-to-concede-after-electoral-college-vote/|access-date=2022-11-14|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|language=en-US}}</ref> In a speech following the Electoral College vote, Biden praised the resiliency of U.S. democratic institutions and the high election turnout (calling it "one of the most amazing demonstrations of civic duty we've ever seen in our country") and called for national unity. Biden also condemned Trump, and those who backed his efforts to subvert the election outcome, for adopting a stance "so extreme that we've never seen it before{{snd}}a position that refused to respect the will of the people, refused to respect the rule of law and refused to honor our Constitution" and for exposing state election workers and officials to "political pressure, verbal abuse and even threats of physical violence" that was "simply unconscionable".<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-12-15|title=Biden hails democracy and rebukes Trump after electoral college victory|url=http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/14/joe-biden-electoral-college-victory-donald-trump|access-date=2022-11-14|website=[[The Guardian]]|language=en}}</ref><ref name=Easley />

=== Certification of Electoral College votes ===
{{Main|2021 United States Electoral College vote count|January 6 United States Capitol attack}}
[[File:United States Capitol outside protesters with US flag 20210106.jpg|thumb|Pro-Trump rioters [[January 6 United States Capitol attack|stormed the U.S. Capitol Building]] on January 6]]
The [[117th United States Congress]] first convened on January 3, 2021, and was scheduled to count and certify the Electoral College votes on January 6, 2021. There were 222 Democrats and 212 Republicans in the House; there were 51 Republicans, 46 Democrats, and two independents in the Senate. Several Republican members of the House and Senate said they would raise objections to the reported count in several states,<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/13/us/politics/trump-allies-election-overturn-congress-pence.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201213100253/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/13/us/politics/trump-allies-election-overturn-congress-pence.html |archive-date=2020-12-13 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Trump Allies Eye Long-Shot Election Reversal in Congress, Testing Pence|last1=Fandos|first1=Nicholas|last2=Schmidt|first2=Michael S. |date=December 14, 2020|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=2 January 2021}}</ref><ref name="WP-20210105">{{Cite news |last=Brockell |first=Gillian |title=The senators who were expelled after refusing to accept Lincoln's election |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/01/05/senators-expelled-lincoln-election-trump |date=January 5, 2021 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=January 5, 2021}}</ref> meeting the requirement that if a member from each body objects, the two houses must meet separately to discuss whether to accept the certified state vote.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/gop-senator-object-electoral-college-results-forcing-congress-vote-overturning-n1252546|title=GOP senator to object to Electoral College results, forcing Congress to vote on overturning Biden's win|website=[[NBC News]]|date=December 30, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/532366-11-senate-republicans-say-they-will-object-to-electoral-college-results-on|title=11 Senate Republicans say they will oppose Electoral College results Wednesday|first=Jordain|last=Carney|date=January 2, 2021|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]}}</ref> A statement from the vice president's office said Pence welcomes the plan by Republicans to "raise objections and bring forward evidence" challenging the election results.<ref name="NYT-20210102lb">{{Cite news |last=Broadwater |first=Luke |title=Pence Welcomes Bid to Overturn Biden's Election as Republican Senators Join – The vice president's office said he welcomed the efforts of a group of Republican lawmakers who plan to object to the outcome of the election. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/02/us/politics/gop-senators-josh-hawley-election.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/02/us/politics/gop-senators-josh-hawley-election.html |archive-date=2021-12-28 |url-access=limited |date=January 2, 2021 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=January 2, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

On December 28, 2020, Representative [[Louie Gohmert]] filed a lawsuit in Texas challenging the [[constitutionality]] of the [[Electoral Count Act of 1887]], claiming Vice President Pence has the power and ability to unilaterally decide which slates of electoral votes get counted.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/28/gohmert-suit-pence-overturn-trumps-defeat-451485|title=Gohmert suit may force Pence's hand in effort to overturn Trump's defeat|first=Kyle|last=Cheney|website=[[Politico]]|date=December 28, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/28/gohmert-other-republicans-sue-pence-in-last-ditch-effort-to-overturn-biden-win.html|title=Congressman, other Republicans sue Vice President Pence in last-ditch effort to overturn Biden win|first=Kevin|last=Breuninger|date=December 28, 2020|website=[[CNBC]]}}</ref> The case was dismissed on January 1, 2021, for lack of both standing and jurisdiction.<ref name="gohmert dismissal">{{Cite case |url=https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txed.203073/gov.uscourts.txed.203073.37.0.pdf |part=Order of Dismissal |title=Gohmert v. Pence |format=PDF |language=en}}</ref><ref name="NYT-20210101">{{Cite news |last1=Edmondson |first1=Catie |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |title=Federal Judge Dismisses Election Lawsuit Against Pence – President Trump's congressional allies had hoped to give the vice president the power to reject electoral votes that were cast for Joseph R. Biden Jr. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/01/us/politics/mike-pence-louie-gohmert-lawsuit.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/01/us/politics/mike-pence-louie-gohmert-lawsuit.html |archive-date=2021-12-28 |url-access=limited |date=January 1, 2021 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=January 2, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The plaintiffs filed an appeal, and the appeal was dismissed by a three-judge panel of the appeals court the next day.<ref name="TH-20210102">{{Cite news |first=Lauren|last=Vella |title=Appeals court dismisses Gohmert's election suit against Pence |url=https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/532390-appeals-court-dismisses-gohmerts-election-suit-against-pence|date=January 2, 2021 |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |access-date=January 2, 2021}}</ref>

As vice president, Pence was due to preside over the January 6, 2021, congressional session to count the electoral votes, which is normally a non-controversial, ceremonial event. In January 2021, Trump began to pressure Pence to take action to overturn the election, demanding both in public and in private that Pence use his position to overturn the election results in swing states and declare Trump and Pence the winners of the election.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/05/us/politics/pence-trump-election.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/05/us/politics/pence-trump-election.html |archive-date=2021-12-28 |url-access=limited|title=Trump Says Pence Can Overturn His Loss in Congress. That's Not How It Works.|last=Schmidt|first=Michael S.|date=January 5, 2021|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=6 January 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Pence demurred that the law does not give him that power.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/05/us/politics/pence-trump-election-results.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/05/us/politics/pence-trump-election-results.html |archive-date=2021-12-28 |url-access=limited|title=Pence Said to Have Told Trump He Lacks Power to Change Election Result|last1=Haberman|first1=Maggie|last2=Karni|first2=Annie|date=January 5, 2021|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=6 January 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Starting in December, Trump called for his supporters to stage a massive protest in Washington, D.C., on January{{spaces}}6 to argue against certification of the electoral vote, using tweets such as "Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!"<ref name="WP-20201230">{{Cite news |author=The Editorial Board |title=Trump is inciting chaos on Jan. 6, both in and outside the Capitol |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-is-inciting-chaos-on-jan-6-both-in-and-outside-the-capitol/2020/12/30/7c4196b0-4ad2-11eb-839a-cf4ba7b7c48c_story.html |date=December 30, 2020 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=January 2, 2021}}</ref> D.C. police were concerned, and the National Guard was alerted because several rallies in December had turned violent.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-is-inciting-chaos-on-jan-6-both-in-and-outside-the-capitol/2020/12/30/7c4196b0-4ad2-11eb-839a-cf4ba7b7c48c_story.html|title=Trump is inciting chaos on Jan. 6, both in and outside the Capitol|last=Editorial board|date=December 30, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=3 January 2021}}</ref> 

On January 6, 2021, shortly after Trump continued to press false claims of election fraud at a rally on the Ellipse in Washington DC, a crowd of Trump supporters [[2021 storming of the United States Capitol|stormed the United States Capitol]], interrupting the [[Joint session of the United States Congress]] where the Electoral College ballots were being certified and forcing lawmakers to flee the chamber. As part of an organized effort by Republican lawmakers to challenge the results in close states, the House and the Senate were meeting separately to debate the results of Arizona's election and accepting the electoral college ballots submitted. Several other challenges were also planned. Congress reconvened that same night, after the Capitol was cleared of trespassers, and leaders of both parties, including Vice President Mike Pence, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Speaker Mitch McConnell urged the legislators to confirm the electors. The Senate resumed its session at around 8:00{{spaces}}p.m. to finish debating the objection to the Arizona and Pennsylvania electors were also considered. The joint session completed its work shortly before 4:00{{spaces}}a.m. on Thursday, January 7, declaring Biden and Harris the winners.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 6, 2021 |title=Roll Call Vote 117th Congress – 1st Session: On the Objection (Shall the Objection Submitted by the Gentleman from Arizona, Mr. Gosar, and the Senator from Texas, Mr. Cruz, and Others Be Sustained? ) |url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=117&session=1&vote=00001 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107145609/https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=117&session=1&vote=00001 |archive-date=January 7, 2021 |access-date=January 7, 2021 |website=www.senate.gov |publisher=United States Senate}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |author1=King, Ledyard |author2=Groppe, Maureen |author3=Wu, Nicholas |author4=Jansen, Bart |author5=Subramanian, Courtney |author6=Garrison, Joey |date=January 6, 2021 |title=Pence confirms Biden as winner, officially ending electoral count after day of violence at Capitol |website=[[USA Today]] |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2021/01/06/congress-count-electoral-college-votes-biden-win/6556555002/ |url-status=live |access-date=January 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107100543/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2021/01/06/congress-count-electoral-college-votes-biden-win/6556555002/ |archive-date=January 7, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-01-06 |title=Congress affirms Biden's Electoral College victory |url=https://edition.cnn.com/politics/live-news/congress-electoral-college-vote-count-2021/h_47d7ee374435cc40a35a92cb450f3e25 |access-date=2021-01-07 |website=[[CNN]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=January 11, 2021 |title=Capitol assault a more sinister attack than first appeared |work=[[Associated Press]] |url=https://apnews.com/article/14c73ee280c256ab4ec193ac0f49ad54 |access-date=January 12, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Macias |first1=Amanda |last2=Mangan |first2=Dan |date=January 6, 2021 |title=U.S. Capitol secured hours after pro-Trump rioters invade Congress |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/06/buildings-in-us-capitol-complex-evacuated-amid-pro-trump-protests.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107030000/https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/06/buildings-in-us-capitol-complex-evacuated-amid-pro-trump-protests.html |archive-date=January 7, 2021 |access-date=January 7, 2021 |publisher=[[CNBC]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=January 7, 2021 |title=Capitol attack: Congress certifies Joe Biden's victory after deadly violence |website=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55568621 |url-status=live |access-date=January 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107100538/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55568621 |archive-date=January 7, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Graham |first=David |date=January 6, 2021 |title=This Is a Coup |work=[[The Atlantic]] |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/01/attempted-coup/617570/ |access-date=January 6, 2021}}</ref>

The rioters entered the House and Senate chambers and vandalized offices. Five people died as a result: one person was shot by police, one [[United States Capitol Police|Capitol Police]] officer died from a stroke after fisticuffs with rioters,<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 19, 2021 |title=Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick died of natural causes after riot, medical examiner says |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/capitol-police-officer-brian-sicknick-died-natural-causes-after-riot-n1264562 |accessdate=2021-04-20 |website=[[NBC News]]}}</ref> one person died of a heart attack, another of a stroke, and the final death is still under investigation. Trump was accused of inciting the violence with his rhetoric,<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Dozier |first1=Kimberly |last2=Bergengruen |first2=Vera |date=January 7, 2021 |title=Incited by the President, Trump Supporters Violently Storm the Capitol |magazine=Time |url=https://time.com/5926883/trump-supporters-storm-capitol/ |access-date=7 January 2021}}</ref> an accusation reinforced with an [[Second impeachment of Donald Trump|article of impeachment]] on January 13 for "incitement of insurrection".<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 13, 2021 |title=Donald Trump becomes the first US president to be impeached for a second time – as it happened |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2021/jan/13/donald-trump-impeachment-nancy-pelosi-joe-biden-mike-pence-congress-covid-coronavirus-live-updates |access-date=January 21, 2021}}</ref> Several commentators viewed the attack on the Capitol Building as an indicator of political instability that could lead to political violence in future elections, ranging from [[domestic terrorism]] to a second American Civil War.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fleming |first=Leah |title=Author Keith Boykin: "America Is In A Cold Civil War" |url=https://www.gpb.org/news/2021/09/21/author-keith-boykin-america-in-cold-civil-war |access-date=2022-06-22 |website=Georgia Public Broadcasting |date=September 21, 2021 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Former White House Russia expert Fiona Hill warns the U.S. is on a path to autocracy |language=en |work=[[NPR]] |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/10/06/1043401926/russia-expert-fiona-hill-there-is-nothing-for-you-here |access-date=2022-06-22}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-01-07 |title=UC San Diego Political Scientist Warns Of A Second Civil War After Capitol Riot |url=https://www.kpbs.org/news/midday-edition/2021/01/07/political-scientist-warns-second-civil-war-after-c |access-date=2022-06-22 |website=KPBS Public Media |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Bernstein: There is a "civil war of untruth" in America – CNN Video |date=November 15, 2020 |url=https://www.cnn.com/videos/business/2020/11/15/bernstein-there-is-a-civil-war-of-untruth-in-america.cnn |access-date=2022-06-22}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-01-04 |title=The next US civil war is already here – we just refuse to see it |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/04/next-us-civil-war-already-here-we-refuse-to-see-it |access-date=2022-06-22 |website=[[The Guardian]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Doherty |first=Erin |date=2022-02-10 |title=Kinzinger: "We have to recognize" possibility of a civil war |url=https://www.axios.com/2022/02/10/adam-kinzinger-censures-republicans |access-date=2022-06-22 |website=[[Axios (website)|Axios]]|language=en}}</ref>

=== Post-certification ===
On January 11, 2021, Representative [[Cori Bush]] filed a resolution calling for the possible expulsion of more than 100 Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives who voted against certifying results of the presidential election, and Senator [[Sheldon Whitehouse]] said the [[United States Senate Select Committee on Ethics|Senate Ethics Committee]] "must consider the expulsion, or censure and punishment, of Senators Cruz, Hawley, and perhaps others."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/bush-files-resolution-to-expel-republican-lawmakers-who-objected-to-election-results/article_f4ac4af0-6003-5d87-9480-9a11ce6e40d2.html|title=Bush files resolution to expel Republican lawmakers who objected to election results|date=January 12, 2021|last1=Benchaabane|first1=Nassim|newspaper=[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]]}}</ref>

On March 31, 2021, the Republican caucus of the [[Arizona State Senate]] hired several outside firms to [[2021 Maricopa County presidential ballot audit|examine the results]] of the presidential and senatorial elections in [[Maricopa County, Arizona|Maricopa County]], where Biden had won by a large margin.<ref name="AP May 10">{{Cite news|title=Inside Arizona's election audit, GOP fraud fantasies live on|url=https://apnews.com/article/arizona-election-recount-b38a9205c306796f914d62bbad601587 |access-date=August 6, 2021 |date=May 10, 2021|work=[[Associated Press]]|first1 =Jonathan J.|last1 =Cooper|first2 =Bob|last2 =Christie}}</ref> There had been three previous audits and recounts of that county's results.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Fifield |first1=Jen |title=Maricopa County's 2020 election votes were counted correctly, more county audits show |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2021/02/23/maricopa-countys-election-audits-show-2020-votes-counted-correctly/4550644001/ |website=[[USA Today]] |access-date=8 June 2021 |date=23 February 2021}}</ref> The examination was initially funded by $150,000 from the State Senate operating budget; additional funding was to come from outside sources.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-arizona-elections-phoenix-dcb5478736188723b405a26e5b7031fc|title=CEO of firm eyeing ballots appeared to make political posts|date=March 31, 2021|first=Bob|last=Christie|work=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> In July the lead firm conducting the review released a summary of major donors, indicating $5.7 million was raised from five groups associated with individuals who had cast doubt on the presidential election.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-arizona-senate-elections-9b626b0fb2714b17279d832339d8a878 |first=Jonathan J. |last=Cooper |title=Trump supporters raise $5.7M for Arizona election audit|date=July 28, 2021|website=[[Associated Press]] |access-date=August 6, 2021}}</ref> The audit began on April 22, 2021, and was expected to last 60 days.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-elections-arizona-government-and-politics-voter-registration-290cc4989a40383a5b5f435c4cafbb02 |title=Arizona election auditors seek more records, voter canvass|date=July 16, 2021|website=[[Associated Press]] |first=Jonathan J. |last=Cooper}}</ref> The investigation was still ongoing in August when a judge issued an order for the release of documents.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tucson.com/news/local/judge-orders-arizona-senate-to-immediately-release-documents-about-election-audit/article_df305538-f499-11eb-baa3-dffee0a63b03.html|title=Judge orders Arizona Senate to immediately release documents about election audit|first=Howard |last=Fischer|website=Arizona Daily Star|date=August 3, 2021}}</ref> On September 24, a preliminary release of the audit claimed to have found minor discrepancies in the original, state-certified count, which had actually widened Biden's margin by 360 votes.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Helderman|first1=Rosalind S.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/arizona-ballot-review-draft-report/2021/09/24/7c19ac08-1562-11ec-b976-f4a43b740aeb_story.html|title=Arizona ballot review commissioned by Republicans reaffirms Biden's victory|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=September 24, 2021|accessdate=September 24, 2021}}</ref>

On May 10, 2021, over 120 retired U.S. generals and admirals published an open letter alleging that there had been "election irregularities", suggesting that the election had not been "fair and honest" and did not "accurately reflect the "will of the people", and arguing for tighter restrictions on voting."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mathias|first=Christopher|date=2021-05-12|title=Former U.S. Military Leaders Sign Bizarre Open Letter Pushing Election Lies|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/retired-generals-election-conspiracy-theories-letter_n_609c1d0ae4b0909247feb276|access-date=2021-05-13|website=[[HuffPost]]|language=en}}</ref> On May 12, 2021, U.S. Representative [[Liz Cheney]] was removed from her party leadership role as Chair of the House Republican Conference, partially for continuing to assert that the election had been fair and that the election results were final.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Edmondson|first1=Catie|last2=Fandos|first2=Nicholas|date=2021-02-04|title=House Republicans Choose to Keep Liz Cheney in Leadership|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/03/us/liz-cheney-vote.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/03/us/liz-cheney-vote.html |archive-date=2021-12-28 |url-access=limited|access-date=2021-02-07|issn=0362-4331}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name=":22">{{Cite news|last=Strauss|first=Daniel|date=May 12, 2021|title=Liz Cheney removed from House leadership over Trump criticism|language=en-GB|work=[[The Guardian]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/may/12/liz-cheney-house-leadership-republican-caucus-vote|access-date=May 12, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Peterson|first=Kristina|date=May 5, 2021|title=Behind Liz Cheney's Break With Kevin McCarthy Over Trump|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/scalise-backs-stefanik-to-replace-liz-cheney-as-gop-conference-chair-11620218211|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|accessdate=May 12, 2021}}</ref>

Well into Biden's presidency, Trump continues to insist that he had actually won the 2020 election.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-michael-pence-electoral-college-elections-health-2d9bd47a8bd3561682ac46c6b3873a10|title=AP Fact Check: Yes, Trump lost election despite what he says|last=Yen|first=Hope|date=May 6, 2021|work=[[Associated Press]]|access-date=22 August 2021}}</ref> As of August 2021, surveys found that a majority of Republicans believe it.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://news.yahoo.com/poll-two-thirds-of-republicans-still-think-the-2020-election-was-rigged-165934695.html|title=Poll: Two-thirds of Republicans still think the 2020 election was rigged|last=Dickson|first=Caitlin|date=August 4, 2021|work=[[Yahoo! News]]|access-date=22 August 2021}}</ref> A widespread rumor predicted that Trump would be somehow reinstated to the presidency in August 2021, although the predicted date of August 13 passed without incident.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://news.yahoo.com/critics-mock-believers-former-president-215037787.html|title=Critics mock believers in former President Donald Trump's 'reinstatement day'|last=Graziosi|first=Graig|date=August 13, 2021|work=[[Yahoo! News]]|access-date=22 August 2021}}</ref>

=== Viewership ===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
'''Legend'''<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/fox-news-is-the-no-1-network-for-2020-election-night-coverage/461857/ |url-access=registration |title=Fox News Is the No. 1 Network for 2020 Election Night Coverage |date=November 4, 2020 |last1=Katz |first1=A.J. |website=Adweek |access-date=November 4, 2020 |archive-date=November 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104214607/https://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/fox-news-is-the-no-1-network-for-2020-election-night-coverage/461857/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
|- style="background:#e5d1cb;"
|Cable news network
|- style="background:#dfe2e9;"
|Broadcast network
|}
{{col-break}}
'''Total television viewers<br />8:00 to 11:00{{nbsp}}p.m.{{nbsp}}EST'''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Network !! Viewers
|- style="background:#e5d1cb;"
| [[Fox News]] || 13,638,000
|- style="background:#e5d1cb;"
| [[CNN]] || 9,084,000
|- style="background:#e5d1cb;"
| [[MSNBC]] || 7,310,000
|- style="background:#dfe2e9;"
| [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] || 6,095,000
|- style="background:#dfe2e9;"
| [[NBC]] || 5,633,000
|- style="background:#dfe2e9;"
| [[CBS]] || 4,344,000
|- style="background:#dfe2e9;"
| [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] || 3,278,000
|}
{{col-break}}
'''Total cable TV viewers<br />6:00{{nbsp}}p.m. to 3:00{{nbsp}}a.m.{{nbsp}}EST'''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Network !! Viewers
|- style="background:#e5d1cb;"
| [[Fox News]] || 10,533,000
|- style="background:#e5d1cb;"
| [[CNN]] || 6,771,000
|- style="background:#e5d1cb;"
| [[MSNBC]] || 5,404,000
|}
{{col-break}}
'''Television viewers 25 to 54<br />8:00 to 11:00{{nbsp}}p.m.{{nbsp}}EST'''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Network !! Viewers
|- style="background:#e5d1cb;"
| [[Fox News]] || 4,901,000
|- style="background:#e5d1cb;"
| [[CNN]] || 4,444,000
|- style="background:#dfe2e9;"
| [[NBC]] || 2,510,000
|- style="background:#e5d1cb;"
| [[MSNBC]] || 2,381,000
|- style="background:#dfe2e9;"
| [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] || 2,283,000
|- style="background:#dfe2e9;"
| [[CBS]] || 1,663,000
|- style="background:#dfe2e9;"
| [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] || 1,608,000
|}
{{col-break}}
'''Cable TV viewers 25 to 54<br />6:00{{nbsp}}p.m. to 3:00{{nbsp}}a.m.{{nbsp}}EST'''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Network !! Viewers
|- style="background:#e5d1cb;"
| [[Fox News]] || 3,853,000
|- style="background:#e5d1cb;"
| [[CNN]] || 3,312,000
|- style="background:#e5d1cb;"
| [[MSNBC]] || 1,739,000
|}
{{col-end}}

== See also ==
{{portal|Modern history|Politics|United States}}
* [[Protests against Donald Trump]]
* [[Social media in the 2020 United States presidential election]]
* [[2020 United States elections|2020 United States gubernatorial elections]]
* [[2024 United States presidential election]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}}
{{Reflist|group=nb}}
{{Reflist|group=note}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="Politiconov1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2019/10/31/impeachment-democratic-candidadtes-063478|title='There's no model for this': Impeachment timeline crashes into Democratic primary|first=Marc|last=Caputo|website=[[Politico]]|date=November 1, 2019|access-date=December 18, 2019}}</ref>
<ref name="rQNzf">{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/us-election/9480396/US-Election-guide-how-does-the-election-work.html |title=US Election guide: how does the election work? |date=November 6, 2012 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |access-date=October 29, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151110114127/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/us-election/9480396/US-Election-guide-how-does-the-election-work.html |archive-date=November 10, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="ovz9x">{{Cite news|url=https://www.pressherald.com/2019/08/26/maine-senate-passes-ranked-choice-voting-for-march-presidential-primaries/|title=Maine Senate passes ranked-choice voting for March presidential primaries|last=Miller|first=Kevin|date=August 26, 2019|work=[[Portland Press Herald]]|access-date=August 28, 2019}}</ref>
<ref name="qhJpi">{{Cite news|url=https://wgme.com/news/local/maine-might-switch-to-a-ranked-choice-presidential-election-heres-how-it-would-look|title=Maine might switch to a ranked-choice presidential election. Here's how it would look.|last=Shepherd|first=Michael|date=August 28, 2019|work=[[CBS]] 13|access-date=August 28, 2019}}</ref>
<ref name="FcJYG">{{Cite news|url=https://bangordailynews.com/2019/09/06/politics/maine-will-use-ranked-choice-voting-in-next-years-presidential-election-but-not-the-2020-primaries/|title=Maine will use ranked-choice voting in next year's presidential election – but not the 2020 primaries|last=Shepherd|first=Michael|date=September 6, 2019|work=[[Bangor Daily News]]|access-date=September 6, 2019}}</ref>
<!--<ref name="h81aa">{{Cite web |last1=Berman |first1=Russell |title=A Step Toward Blowing Up the Presidential-Voting System |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/09/ranked-choice-voting-2020/598303/ |website=[[The Atlantic]] |access-date=January 14, 2020|date=September 20, 2019}}</ref>-->
<ref name="9qYs9">{{Cite journal |first=James E. |last=Campbell |url=https://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~jcampbel/documents/JCAPSR1986StLegisSurge.pdf |title=Presidential Coattails and Midterm Losses in State Legislative Elections |journal=[[The American Political Science Review]] |date=March 1986 |volume=80 |issue=1 |pages=45–63 |jstor=1957083|doi=10.2307/1957083|s2cid=147472489}}</ref>
<ref name="X02Fz">{{Cite web |url=https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/2016-democrats-already-have-plan-2020 |title=Forget 2016: Democrats already have a plan for 2020 |date=August 26, 2014 |first=Benjy |last=Sarlin |work=[[MSNBC]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151028151748/http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/2016-democrats-already-have-plan-2020 |archive-date=October 28, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="OB3KB">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/18/us/politics/trump-impeached.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191218190005/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/18/us/politics/trump-impeached.html |archive-date=2019-12-18 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Trump Impeached for Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress |last1=Fandos |first1=Nicholas |date=December 18, 2019 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=December 18, 2019 |last2=Shear |first2=Michael D. |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
<ref name="IIWDj">{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/01/21/797320215/senate-impeachment-trial-begins-with-fight-over-rules|title=After 13 Hours Of Fiery Debate, Senate Adopts Impeachment Trial Rules|last1=Naylor|first1=Brian|last2=Walsh|first2=Dierdre|date=January 21, 2020|work=NPR|access-date=February 3, 2020}}</ref>
<ref name="FVJtv">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jan/30/trump-rally-iowa-impeachment-trial|title=Trump rails against "deranged" foes as Iowa rally clashes with impeachment trial|last=Smith|first=David|date=January 31, 2020|work=The Guardian|access-date= February 3, 2020}}</ref>
<ref name="GGhFA">{{Cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/28/trump-rally-new-jersey-108512|title=Missing from Trump's rally: An impeachment diatribe|last=Friedman|first=Matt|date=January 28, 2020|work=[[Politico]]|access-date=February 3, 2020}}</ref>
<ref name="2cIKK">{{Cite news|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/elections/articles/2020-01-30/senators-campaign-in-iowa-remotely-as-they-wait-in-washington-through-trumps-trial|title=Senators Campaign in Iowa Remotely as They Wait in Washington Through Trump's Trial|last=Milligan|first=Susan|date=January 30, 2020|work=U.S. News|access-date=February 3, 2020}}</ref>
<ref name="JDGyw">{{Cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/10/trump-impeachment-2020-campaigns-096886|title='Don't tell me it doesn't matter': Impeachment trial hurts presidential campaigns|last=Everett|first=Burgess|date=January 10, 2020|work=[[Politico]]|access-date=February 3, 2020}}</ref>
}}

== Further reading ==
* {{Cite journal|url=https://www.sharifamlani.com/s/elj-2021-0015.pdf |doi=10.1089/elj.2021.0015|title=The Impact of Vote-By-Mail Policy on Turnout and Vote Share in the 2020 Election |year=2022 |last1=Amlani |first1=Sharif |last2=Collitt |first2=Samuel |journal=Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy |volume=21 |issue=2 |pages=135–149 |s2cid=246940693}}
* {{Cite journal|pmc=8242570 |year=2021 |last1=Clarke |first1=Harold |last2=Stewart |first2= Marianne C. |last3=Ho |first3=Karl |title=Did Covid-19 Kill Trump Politically? The Pandemic and Voting in the 2020 Presidential Election |journal=Social Science Quarterly |volume=102 |issue=5 |pages=2194–2209 |doi=10.1111/ssqu.12992 |pmid=34226770}}
* {{Cite news |last1=Karni |first1=Annie |author1-link=Annie Karni |date=October 12, 2020 |title=The Crowded, Competitive World of Anti-Trump G.O.P. Groups |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/12/us/politics/never-trump-republicans.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012091357/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/12/us/politics/never-trump-republicans.html |archive-date=2020-10-12 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=November 8, 2020 |ref=none}}
* Martin, Jonathan, and Alexander Burns. ''This Will Not Pass : Trump, Biden, and the Battle for America's Future'' (2022) by two ''New York Times'' reporters [https://www.amazon.com/This-Will-Not-Pass-Americas/dp/1982172487/ excerpt]
* {{Cite journal|url=https://costaspanagopoulos.com/files/costas-panagopoulos/files/panagopoulos_2021_psq_poll_accuracy.pdf |doi=10.1111/psq.12710|title=Polls and Elections Accuracy and Bias in the 2020 U.S. General Election Polls |year=2021 |last1=Panagopoulos |first1=Costas |journal=Presidential Studies Quarterly |volume=51 |pages=214–227 |s2cid=233802562}}
* {{Cite journal|url=https://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/138152/SSRN-id3790904.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y |hdl=1721.1/138152 |doi=10.1353/JOD.2021.0026|title=The Miracle and Tragedy of the 2020 U.S. Election |year=2021 |last1=Persily |first1=Nathaniel |last2=Stewart III |first2=Charles |journal=Journal of Democracy |volume=32 |issue=2 |pages=159–178 |s2cid=234919959 |hdl-access=free}}
* {{Cite news |last1=Wasserman |first1=Dave |date=October 1, 2020 |title=Trump Is Winning the Voter Registration Battle Against Biden in Key States|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/trump-s-winning-voter-registration-battle-against-biden-key-states-n1241674 |work=[[NBC News]]|access-date=November 8, 2020 |ref=none}}
* {{Cite news |last1=Witte |first1=Griff |last2=Kelley |first2=Pam |last3=Spolar |first3=Christine |date=October 11, 2020 |title=As Trump Stumbles, Voters Finalize Their Choices, and Biden's Lead Grows |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/as-trump-stumbles-voters-finalize-their-choices-and-bidens-lead-grows/2020/10/11/0ed19f6e-0a7f-11eb-991c-be6ead8c4018_story.html|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=November 8, 2020 |ref=none}}

=== Voter fraud ===
* {{Cite journal|doi=10.1073/pnas.2103619118 |doi-access=free|title=No evidence for systematic voter fraud: A guide to statistical claims about the 2020 election |year=2021 |last1=Eggers |first1=Andrew C. |last2=Garro |first2=Haritz |last3=Grimmer |first3=Justin |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |volume=118 |issue=45 |pmid=34728563 |pmc=8609310 |bibcode=2021PNAS..11803619E}}
* {{Cite journal|doi=10.1177/1742715021994352|title=The 2020 election and its aftermath: Love, lies, and ensorceling leadership |year=2021 |last1=Goethals |first1=George R. |journal=Leadership |volume=17 |issue=2 |pages=240–250 |s2cid=232162258}}
* {{Cite journal|url=https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/37367184/pennycook_voter_fraud_elections_20210111.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |doi=10.37016/mr-2020-51|title=Research note: Examining false beliefs about voter fraud in the wake of the 2020 Presidential Election |year=2021 |last1=Pennycook |first1=Gordon |last2=Rand |first2=David G. |journal=Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review |s2cid=234314659 |doi-access=free}}

=== Policy implications ===
* {{Cite journal|doi=10.1056/NEJMsr2031592|title=Implications of the 2020 Election for U.S. Health Policy |year=2020 |last1=Blendon |first1=Robert J. |last2=Benson |first2=John M. |journal=New England Journal of Medicine |volume=383 |issue=18 |pages=e105 |pmid=33113302 |s2cid=226026573 |doi-access=free}}
* {{Citation |last1=Wright |first1=Thomas |title=The point of no return: the 2020 election and the crisis of American foreign policy |publisher=Lowy Institute for International Policy |year=2020 |url=https://www.lowyinstitute.org/sites/default/files/Wright%2C%20Point%20of%20No%20Return%2C%20Lowy%20Institute%20Analysis%20Oct%2020_0.pdf |access-date=August 17, 2022 |archive-date=January 24, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124005401/https://www.lowyinstitute.org/sites/default/files/Wright%2C%20Point%20of%20No%20Return%2C%20Lowy%20Institute%20Analysis%20Oct%2020_0.pdf |url-status=dead}}

== External links ==
{{Sister project links|b=no|c=yes|d=yes|n=yes|q=yes|s=no|v=no|wikt=no}}
* [https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/usa/456787 General Elections, 3 November 2020], Reports and findings from the [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe|OSCE]]/[[Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights|ODIHR]] election observation mission
* {{youTube|U2aWw-C27Rk|Video (18:49): "Inside Trump's Election Plot"}} (''[[MSNBC]] News''; July 29, 2022)
<!---* {{youtube|fXRsWyqQ908|Video (40:26): "Inside Trump's Election Plot"}} (''[[MSNBC]] News''; July 29, 2022)--->
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[[:Category:Donald Trump]]
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