The 2020 presidential race is too close to call, according to political experts and news outlets. Polling sites nationwide are continuing to count absentee and mail-in ballots. States like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania couldn't start counting these ballots until Tuesday (November 3). With continuing legal battles over ballots, there's no word on when the final results will be called.
While President Donald Trump and Joe Biden have made their statements on the results thus far, there are other things to note following Tuesday night (November 3). Here are a few key takeaways from Election Day according to NPR.
Democrats Suffer Blowout In Congress
Even if Biden wins the presidential race, Democrats have a grim outlook in the Congress. They hoped to take back the Senate, but analysts say their hopes are dashed. They also had unexpected losses in the House with a slim Republican and right-learning majority.
"A win is a win, if Biden is able to pull it off. But the country remains hotly divided and polarized... he would hardly have the ability to get much through Congress," NPR wrote.
Realignments
Democrats relied on the Blue Wall for decades, and it hasn't recovered since Trump knocked it down in 2016, NPR argued. Sun Belt states are changing up the map, however. Georgia and North Carolina are showing close races, and Biden won Arizona. Clinton lost the Grand Canyon State back in 2016. "Politics is never static, and the reshaping can be disorienting," the website wrote.
Popular Vote Vs. Electoral College
"For the seventh time in the past eight presidential elections, a Democrat will likely win the popular vote," NPR said. As of 11:15 a.m. EST on Wednesday (November 4), Biden has over 69.7 million votes while Trump has 67.1 million.
"If Biden loses, it would be the third time in 20 years that a Democrat would have won the popular vote but lost the presidency," the website reported. Despite calls to retire the electoral college, it would require a constitutional amendment to change. The Republican Party have benefitted from it, therefore, it is unlikely to change.
The Polls Are Wrong, Again
There were still some misleading polls despite reported adjustments since 2016. Jumping off from the realignment section, analysts who thought Biden would have an easier time in key states were mistaken. Polls predicted a neck-and-neck race in Ohio, Florida, Texas and Iowa, but it wasn't close at all.
"There is going to have to be a better understanding of what went wrong. Do Trump voters not pick up the phone or answer polls because they don't trust the media or pollsters? Is there some other reason why pollsters underestimated Trump's support?" NPR wrote. Regardless, it seems that analysts and researchers underestimated the 45th president, again.
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