WASHINGTON – Democrat Joe Biden stood on the cusp of winning the presidency Friday night, three days after Election Day, as the long, exacting work of counting votes widened his lead over President Donald Trump in critical battleground states.
There was intense focus on Pennsylvania, where Biden led Trump by more than 27,000 votes, and Nevada, where the Democrat led by about 22,000.
In Pennsylvania, officials were not allowed to begin processing mail-in ballots until Election Day under state law.
In Nevada, there were a number of provisional ballots cast by voters who registered on Election Day, and officials had to verify their eligibility.
The AP has declared Biden the winner in Arizona and said Thursday that it was monitoring the vote count as it proceeded.