Nov. 6, 6:28 p.m. PT: As votes continue to be counted, the general election has yet to declare the United States’ next president. In the candidates’ race to secure 270 electoral votes, former Vice President Joe Biden is currently in the lead with 264 electoral votes to sitting President Donald Trump’s 214, according to The Associated Press. However, with several states still counting votes, both candidates still have a path to winning the presidency. 

Whereas the 2016 presidential winner was announced in the early morning following election night, the increase in mail-in ballots due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has slowed this year’s election results. However, despite Trump’s clear Electoral College victory in 2016, ballots are typically never conclusively counted on election night. 

The circumstances of this year’s election are different due to both the prominence of early and mail-in voting, and the disparity between voting methods amongst each major party. According to the United States Election Project, over 7 million more Democrats participated in early voting compared to Republicans, 735,000 more of whom conversely voted in person over their political counterparts. This has resulted in a fluctuating appearance on which presidential candidate is leading, based on what voting method is counted and how long it takes for mail-in ballots to be received.

As a result of the ongoing count, different sources show varied projected election outcomes. The New York Times, for instance, hasn’t called Arizona – which holds 11 electoral votes – for Biden, while The Associated Press has. Further, Vox has already declared Biden the winner of the election. However, the votes are still being counted in contested states, such as Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, with no clear victor in sight over the last three days.

Trump initially held a lead in battleground states with projected victories in Georgia and Pennsylvania, both of which are now leaning to favor Biden by 0.3% or less of counted votes. This narrow margin has many on the edge of their seats due to the combined states’ 36 electoral votes.

In a speech from Delaware on election night, Biden expressed confidence that he was positioned to win the general election despite Trump’s original leads in contested states – including Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia and Pennsylvania. After Biden was projected the winner in Wisconsin the following day Nov. 4, the Trump campaign called for a recount and filed lawsuits in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia. 

“I’m here to tell you tonight we believe we’re on track to win this election,” Biden said to his supporters in Delaware Nov. 3. “It ain’t over until every vote is counted, until every ballot is counted.”

Biden’s 74.4 million votes as of the afternoon of Nov. 6 breaks the record for the most votes cast for any presidential candidate in history, surpassing record-holder former President Barack Obama’s near-69.5 million votes in 2008. 

“I am very enthusiastic about the voter engagement throughout the country; it’s been spectacular to see,” said Ada Briceno, chair of the Democratic Party of Orange County. “People (came) out to vote because they’re seeing this huge racial, horrible tension that the president has created across our nation, and there are real concerns about that.”

Although Trump tweeted to “STOP THE COUNT” Nov. 5, if the remaining ballots are not counted, Biden’s victory is automatic. Trump’s paths to securing a second term are to wait until all votes are counted, to conduct a ballot recount or to take legal action. It remains unclear which of these paths will unfold.