Joe Biden makes a zero with his hand as he delivers remarks at an aluminum manufacturing facility in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, on September 21, 2020. (Photo by JIM WATSON / AFP)
The US state of Georgia said Friday it will recount votes from the election in which Joe Biden has eked out a razor-thin lead over President Donald Trump.
“With a margin that small, there will be a recount in Georgia,” Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger told reporters in Atlanta.
Raffensperger, the top elected official overseeing elections, said that the presidential contest in the state “remains too close to call.”
Almost complete results as of Friday morning showed Biden leading by just over 1,500 votes in Georgia, where changing demographics and strong turnout from African-Americans have put in play a Southern state once seen as reliably backing Trump’s Republicans.
Georgia is equally critical as it is the only state holding elections for both its Senate seats this year, meaning it will determine which party is in control.
Under Georgia’s system, Senate races go to a runoff if no candidate receives 50 percent in the first round.
“The final tally in Georgia at this point has huge implications for the entire country,” Raffensperger said.
“The stakes are high and emotions are high on all sides. We will not let those debates distract us from our work. We’ll get it right and we’ll defend the integrity of our elections.”
He said that Georgia was letting observers from both campaigns watch the counting after Trump, with no evidence, alleged widespread fraud nationwide.
Trump campaign says ‘this election is not over’
US President Donald Trump’s campaign said Friday that “this election is not over” as his challenger Joe Biden edged closer to victory in the cliffhanger White House race.
The statement came after Biden overcame the president’s lead in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania, putting him in position to win its 20 electoral votes.
A win in Pennsylvania would give Biden the presidency, as he currently holds at least 253 of the 270 electoral votes needed.
“This election is not over,” campaign general counsel Matt Morgan said in the statement, making further allegations of irregularities.
“The false projection of Joe Biden as the winner is based on results in four states that are far from final.”
Trump has made a raft of fraud allegations without evidence, including on Thursday night, and Twitter has slapped warning labels on a series of his tweets.
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