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With just six swing states left that have not yet declared a winner in the presidential race, both President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden have far fewer paths to victory than they came into Election Day with.
Each of those swing states — Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — has its own set of complex election laws. They have also faced new challenges in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, which upended the election process and led to a nationwide surge in mail-in voting.
Biden and Trump each have multiple pathways to 270 Electoral College votes, the number needed to win the presidency.
As of 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Biden leads Trump by over 10 electoral votes.
The most obvious path for Biden appears to be through the “blue wall” states: Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, all three of which were won by Trump in his 2016 surprise victory.
If Biden can pull out wins in these three states, he will have crossed the 270-vote threshold and have won the presidency.
If the former vice president manages to win Pennsylvania specifically, he will only need either Michigan or Wisconsin to reach the magic number.
Another scenario involves Biden losing Pennsylvania. If that were to happen, the Democrat will need to win Michigan and at least one other remaining state to capture the presidency.
If Trump is able to win Pennsylvania, he will have a slightly more uphill battle to reach 270. In order to take the race, he will still need to win at least three others.
If he were to lose the state, the commander-in-chief’s chances of securing a second term become much more slim. In order to turn things around in that situation, he would need to win four remaining states.
While both 2020 hopefuls have clearly made Pennsylvania a major part of their campaign strategy, the state is not the only deciding factor.
Biden could oust Trump without Pennsylvania, but it would require a win in Georgia and at least one other state.
With Post wires
