Presidential election in Pennsylvania, 2020

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Pennsylvania
2020 presidential election

Democratic primary: June 2, 2020
Democratic winner: Joe Biden

Republican primary: June 2, 2020
Republican winner: Donald Trump

Electoral College: 20 votes
2020 winner: Joe Biden (D)
2016 winner: Donald Trump (R)
2012 winner: Barack Obama (D)

Presidential election by state, 2020

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Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) won the presidential election in Pennsylvania on November 3, 2020. Biden won the presidential election with 306 electoral votes to President Donald Trump's (R) 232 electoral votes.

The Democratic and Republican parties held primary elections in Pennsylvania on June 2, 2020. The primary, originally scheduled for April 28, 2020, was postponed in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Biden won the Democratic primary, and Trump won the Republican primary.^[1]^[2]

Alongside Illinois, Pennsylvania was one of two states with 20 electoral votes, making it tied for fifth-most. Between 1900 and 2016, Pennsylvania was carried by the Republican presidential candidate in 53.33% of elections and by the Democratic candidate in 43.33%.

In the 2016 election, Trump carried Pennsylvania with 48.2% of the vote to Hillary Clinton's (D) 47.5%.

In the 2020 presidential election, "The fact is, precious few states are likely to matter, and Pennsylvania has emerged as one of the top-tier states...We’re going to be, in effect, ground zero," according to Franklin & Marshall College political science professor G. Terry Madonna.^[3]

This page includes the following sections:

Lawsuits related to the presidential election in Pennsylvania
Candidates and election results
Pivot Counties in Pennsylvania
Polls in Pennsylvania
PredictIt markets in Pennsylvania
Campaign events in Pennsylvania
Government response to coronavirus pandemic in Pennsylvania
Democratic primary
Republican primary
Candidate filing requirements
Historical election trends
Presidential election by state

Lawsuits related to the presidential election in Pennsylvania

See also: Ballotpedia's 2020 Election Help Desk: Presidential election results subject to lawsuits and recounts

Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. v. Boockvar

Case name: Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. v. Boockvar
Related election/s: Presidential election (Pennsylvania)
Court: Supreme Court of the United States (lower court: Pennsylvania Supreme Court)
Issue: Whether three Pennsylvania Supreme Court decisions regarding state election law usurped the state legislature's plenary authority for appointing electors and violated the Due Process Clause and Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
Current status/outcome: Pending
Order/decision date: Pending
Order/opinion link: Pending

Click here to read a written summary of this case (click to expand)
Summary: On December 19, 2020, attorneys for the Trump campaign filed a petition for a writ of certiorari with the Supreme Court of the United States, alleging that three state supreme court decisions had usurped the state legislature's plenary authority to determine the manner in which presidential electors are chosen. On January 11, 2021, the court denied Trump's motion for expedited consideration, although it did not at that time deny the petition altogether.^[4]

Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. v. Boockvar

Case name: Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. v. Boockvar
Related election/s: Presidential election (Pennsylvania)
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (lower court: United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania)
Issue: Whether some absentee and mail-in ballots were accepted and counted in violation of state law, and whether those ballots should be stricken from the count.
Current status/outcome: District Court Judge Matthew Brann dismissed the lawsuit. The Trump campaign appealed that dismissal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. A three-judge panel of the Third Circuit affirmed the lower court's decision.
Order/decision date: November 27, 2020 (lower court: November 21, 2020)
Order/opinion link: Link (lower court: Memorandum opinion)

Click here to read a written summary of this case (click to expand)

Summary: On November 9, 2020, the Trump campaign filed a federal lawsuit against Secretary of the Commonwealth Kathy Boockvar (D) and several county-level officials, alleging multiple violations of the state election code and the U.S. Constitution. In their complaint, attorneys for the campaign said the following:^[5]

“

Plaintiffs seek an emergency order prohibiting Defendants from certifying the results of the General Election. In the alternative, Plaintiffs seek an emergency order prohibiting Defendants from certifying any results from the General Election that included the tabulation of absentee and mail-in ballots which do not comply with the Election Code, including, without limitation, the tabulation of absentee and mail-in ballots Trump Campaign’s watchers were prevented from observing or based on the tabulation of invalidly cast absentee and mail-in ballots which (i) lack a secrecy envelope, or contain on that envelope any text, mark, or symbol which reveals the elector’s identity, political affiliation, or candidate preference, (ii) do not include on the outside envelope a completed declaration that is dated and signed by the elector, or (iii) are delivered in-person by third parties for non-disabled voters. Lastly and in addition to the alternative requests for relief, Plaintiffs seek a permanent injunction requiring the County Election Boards to invalidate ballots cast by voters who were notified and given an opportunity to cure their invalidly cast mail-in ballot.^[6]

”

On November 12, 2020, law firm Porter Wright withdrew from the suit. On November 15, 2020, attorneys for the Trump campaign filed an amended complaint, dropping the allegation that election officials violated the campaign's constitutional rights by preventing campaign observers from monitoring the counting process.^[7]

On November 16, 2020, attorneys John Scott, and Douglas Bryan Hughes withdrew from the suit. Marc A. Scaringi signed on to act as counsel for the campaign. On November 17, 2020, Rudy Giuliani, a former U.S. Attorney and New York City mayor, petitioned the court to allow him to intervene as the campaign's lead counsel. Judge Matthew Brann heard oral arguments on November 17, 2020.^[8]

On November 18, 2020, the Trump campaign amended its complaint further, alleging that "a substantial portion of the approximately 1.5 million absentee and mail votes in [Allegheny, Centre, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Northampton, and Philadelphia] counties should not have been counted, and the vast majority favored Biden, thus resulting in returns indicating Biden won Pennsylvania." The campaign asked that the court either order election officials to omit the challenged ballots from the official tally or grant the state legislature the authority to choose a slate of presidential electors. On November 19, 2020, attorney Linda Kerns withdrew from the case.^[9]^[10]

On November 21, 2020, Brann dismissed the lawsuit. In his opinion, Brann wrote the following:^[11]

“

In this action, the Trump Campaign and the Individual Plaintiffs seek to discard millions of votes legally cast by Pennsylvanians from all corners – from Green County to Pike County, and everywhere in between. ... One might expect that when seeking such a startling outcome, a plaintiff would come formidably armed with compelling legal arguments and factual proof of rampant corruption, such that this Court would have no option but to regrettably grant the proposed injunctive relief despite the impact it would have on such a large group of citizens. That has not happened. Instead, this Court has been presented with strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations, unpled in the operative complaint and unsupported by evidence.^[6]

”

On November 22, 2020, the Trump campaign appealed Brann's decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, asking that the appeals court order Brann to consider the campaign's second amended complaint and issue a ruling on the merits (in his dismissal order, Brann declined to grant the campaign leave to file a second amended complaint).^[12]

The Third Circuit set an expedited schedule for considering the appeal, directing the parties to submit briefs by 4 p.m. on November 23, 2020. In its brief, the Trump campaign alleged that state and local election officials "mis-administered the 2020 presidential election in such a disastrous manner that they violated the Equal Protection Clause and structure guarantees of our Constitution." The campaign asked that the Third Circuit postpone the certification of election results, pending appeal.^[13]

On November 27, 2020, a three-judge panel of the Third Circuit unanimously denied the Trump campaign's request. Judge Stephanos Bibas, writing for the court, said, "The campaign’s claims have no merit. The number of ballots it specifically challenges is far smaller than the roughly 81,000-vote margin of victory. And it never claims fraud or that any votes were cast by illegal voters. Plus, tossing out millions of mail-in ballots would be drastic and unprecedented, disenfranchising a huge swath of the electorate and upsetting all down-ballot races too. That remedy would be grossly disproportionate to the procedural challenges raised. So we deny the motion for an injunction pending appeal." Judges Brooks Smith and Michael Chagares joined Bibas' opinion. Attorneys for the Trump campaign indicated that they intended to appeal the Third Circuit's decision to the Supreme Court of the United States.^[14]^[15]

Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. v. Boockvar

Case name: Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. v. Boockvar
Related election/s: Presidential election (Pennsylvania)
Court: Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court
Issue: Whether the secretary of the commonwealth illegally extended the deadline for mail-in voters to provide missing proof of identification after submitting their ballots.
Current status/outcome: Judge Mary Hannah Leavitt ruled that the secretary of the commonwealth had illegally extended the deadline for mail-in voters to provide missing proof of identification after submitting their ballots. Leavitt barred election officials from counting ballots for which proof of identification was provided after the statutory deadline of November 9, 2020.
Order/decision date: November 12, 2020
Order/opinion link: Link

Click here to read a written summary of this case (click to expand)
Summary: On November 4, 2020, the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee sued Secretary of the Commonwealth Kathy Boockvar (D) and the state's 67 county election boards. The plaintiffs alleged that processes allowing mail-in voters to provide missing proof of identification after submitting their ballots violated state law. On November 1, 2020, Boockvar directed county election officials to give mail-in voters until November 12, 2020, to provide missing proof of identification. State law specifies that missing proof of identification must be submitted by the sixth day following the election, which would be November 9, 2020. The plaintiffs asked the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania to reinstate this statutory deadline.^[16]
On November 5, 2020, Judge Mary Hannah Leavitt ordered election officials to "segregate ballots for which identification is received and verified on November 10, 11, and 12, 2020, from ballots for which identification is received and verified on or before November 9, 2020." On November 12, 2020, Leavitt ruled that Boockvar lacked statutory authority to extend the deadline and barred election officials from counting ballots for which identification was received and verified after November 9, 2020.^[17]^[18]

Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. v. Philadelphia County Board of Elections

Case name: Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. v. Philadelphia County Board of Elections
Related election/s: Presidential election (Pennsylvania)
Court: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Issue: Whether the Philadelphia County Board of Elections violated state law and the U.S. Constitution by declining to allow poll watchers for the Trump campaign and the Republican Party to observe the mail-in ballot counting process .
Current status/outcome: The parties to the lawsuit agreed to allow 60 observers each from the Democratic and Republican parties. The court dismissed the lawsuit as moot in light of this agreement.
Order/decision date: November 5, 2020
Order/opinion link: N/A

Click here to read a written summary of this case (click to expand)
Summary: On November 5, 2020, the Trump campaign filed suit against the Philadelphia County Board of Elections in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The campaign alleged that board of elections was "intentionally refusing to allow any representatives and poll watchers for President Trump and the Republican Party" to observe the mail-in ballot counting process. The parties to the suit agreed to allow 60 observers each from the Democratic and Republican parties. In light of this agreement, Judge Paul Diamond dismissed the lawsuit.^[19]

In re: canvass of absentee and mail-in ballots of November 3, 2020, general election

Case name: In re: canvass of absentee and mail-in ballots of November 3, 2020, general election
Related election/s: Presidential election (Pennsylvania)
Court: Bucks County Court of Common Pleas
Issue: Whether Bucks County election officials illegally counted 2,251 absentee and mail-in ballots for various alleged deficiencies .
Current status/outcome: Judge Robert Baldi dismissed the suit, writing in his opinion, "There is nothing in the record and nothing alleged that would lead to the conclusion that any of the challenged ballots were submitted by someone not qualified or entitled to vote in this election."
Order/decision date: November 19, 2020
Order/opinion link: Link

Click here to read a written summary of this case (click to expand)
Summary: On November 9, 2020, the Trump campaign filed suit in the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas, alleging that county election officials had illegally accepted and counted 2,175 absentee and mail-in ballots with printed name and/or address deficiencies. The campaign also challenged the validity of 76 ballots that were either delivered in unsealed privacy envelopes or with stray markings. On November 7, 2020, the campaign lodged its objections to these ballots with the Bucks County Board of Elections, which rejected the campaign's claims. The campaign asked the court to reverse the election board's decision.^[20]
On November 19, 2020, Judge Robert Baldi dismissed the suit, writing in his opinion, "There is nothing in the record and nothing alleged that would lead to the conclusion that any of the challenged ballots were submitted by someone not qualified or entitled to vote in this election."^[21]

In re: canvass of absentee and mail-in ballots of November 3, 2020, general election

Case name: In re: canvass of absentee and mail-in ballots of November 3, 2020, general election
Related election/s: Presidential election (Pennsylvania)
Court: Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas
Issue: Whether Montgomery County election officials illegally counted approximately 600 absentee and mail-in ballots for which the outer envelope declaration had not been filled out.
Current status/outcome: Pending
Order/decision date: Pending
Order/opinion link: Pending

Click here to read a written summary of this case (click to expand)
Summary: On November 5, 2020, the Trump campaign filed suit against the Montgomery County Board of Elections in the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, alleging that election officials had violated state law by counting approximately 600 absentee and mail-in ballots for which voters had not completed the outer declaration envelope. The campaign first filed its objections to the Montgomery County Board of Elections, which dismissed the challenge. In their complaint, attorneys for the Trump campaign said, "The Montgomery County Board of Elections is not empower to re-write the [Pennsylvania] Election Code or adopt rules, regulations, instructions, or decisions that are inconsistent with the Election Code."^[22]

In re: canvassing observation; Appeal of: Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.

Case name: In re: canvassing observation; Appeal of: Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.
Related election/s: Presidential election (Pennsylvania)
Court: Pennsylvania Supreme Court (on appeal from the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court; lower court: Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas)
Issue: Whether candidates and their representatives can observe aspects of the canvassing process from within 6 feet of election workers.
Current status/outcome: The state supreme court reversed a lower court's order that had directed election officials to allow candidates and their representatives to observe all aspects of the counting process from within 6 feet of election workers. As a result, the local election board's rule requiring observations to take place with at least 6 feet separating the observer from the election worker was allowed to stand.
Order/decision date: November 17, 2020
Order/opinion link: Opinion (Pennsylvania Supreme Court)

Click here to read a written summary of this case (click to expand)

Summary: On November 5, 2020, Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court Judge Christine Fizzano Cannon ordered the Philadelphia Board of Elections to allow "all candidates, watchers, or candidate representatives ... [to be] permitted to observe all aspects of the canvassing process within 6 feet, while adhering to all Covid-19 protocols, including wearing masks and maintaining social distancing." Cannon overturned a Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas ruling, which had upheld a rule requiring observations to take place with at least 6 feet separating the observer from the election worker. The Trump campaign filed the initial challenge to this policy on November 3, 2020.^[23]

In light of Cannon's ruling, Democrats appealed the decision to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. On November 17, 2020, the state supreme court voted 5-2 to reverse Cannon's ruling. Justice Debra Todd, joined by Justices Max Baer, Christine Donohue, Kevin M. Dougherty, and David N. Wecht, wrote the following in the court's opinion:^[24]^[25]

“

In sum, we conclude the Board did not act contrary to law in fashioning its regulations governing the positioning of candidate representatives during the precanvassing and canvassing process, as the Election Code does not specify minimum distance parameters for the location of such representatives. Critically, we find the Board’s regulations as applied herein were reasonable in that they allowed candidate representatives to observe the Board conducting its activities as prescribed under the Election Code. Accordingly, we determine the Commonwealth Court’s order was erroneous.^[6]

”

Chief Justice Thomas Saylor and Justice Sallie Mundy dissented.^[25]

In re: canvass of absentee and mail-in ballots of November 3, 2020, general election; Appeal of: Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.

Case name: In re: canvass of absentee and mail-in ballots of November 3, 2020, general election; Appeal of: Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.
Related election/s: Presidential election (Pennsylvania)
Court: Pennsylvania Supreme Court (on appeal from the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas)
Issue: Whether 8,329 absentee and mail-in ballots that were missing handwritten names, street addresses, or dates on their accompanying return envelopes should be counted as valid.
Current status/outcome: The Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld the validity of the challenged ballots.
Order/decision date: November 23, 2020
Order/opinion link: Link

Click here to read a written summary of this case (click to expand)
Summary: On November 23, 2020, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court affirmed the Philadelphia County election board's decision to count 8,329 absentee and mail-in ballots that were missing handwritten names, street addresses, or dates on their accompanying return envelopes.^[26]
The Trump campaign alleged that these ballots were defective and, therefore, invalid under state law. The election board rejected this argument, and the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas upheld that determination. The Trump campaign appealed to the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, but the state supreme court took up the matter first, at the request of the Philadelphia County election board.^[26]
Justice Christine Donohue (D) wrote the court's opinion, which Justices Max Baer (D) and Debra Todd (D) joined. Donohue said, "We conclude that the [Pennsylvania] Election Code does not require boards of elections to disqualify mail-in or absentee ballots submitted by qualified electors who signed the declaration on their ballot's outer envelope but did not handwrite their name, their address, and/or date, where no fraud or irregularity has been alleged."^[26]
Justice David N. Wecht (D) concurred in the result of the court's decision, filing a separate opinion. Justice Kevin M. Dougherty (D) filed an opinion that concurred in part and dissented in part, which Chief Justice Thomas Saylor (R) and Justice Sallie Mundy (R) joined. In his opinion, Dougherty concurred with the court's judgment on ballots missing handwritten names and street addresses. However, he dissented on the matter of ballots missing handwritten dates: "[The] meaning of the terms 'date' and 'sign' – which were included by the legislature – are self-evident, they are not subject to interpretation, and the statutory language expressly requires that the elector provide them. … Accordingly, I do not view the absence of a date as a mere technical insufficiency we may overlook."^[27]

In re: pre-canvass of absentee and mail-in ballots of November 3, 2020, general election

Case name: In re: pre-canvass of absentee and mail-in ballots of November 3, 2020, general election
Related election/s: Presidential election (Pennsylvania)
Court: Bucks County Court of Common Pleas
Issue: Whether the Bucks County Board of Elections violated state law by allowing the disclosure of voter identification information for mail-in ballots voided during the pre-canvass meeting prior to the close of polls .
Current status/outcome: Pending
Order/decision date: Pending
Order/opinion link: Pending

Click here to read a written summary of this case (click to expand)
Summary: On November 3, 2020, the Trump campaign filed suit in the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas, alleging that the Bucks County Board of Elections had violated state law by disclosing voter identification information for ballots identified as void during the pre-canvass meeting. The campaign asked the court to order the board of elections to reverse this policy and "for such other and further relief as provided by the Pennsylvania Election Code and/or as this Court deems just and appropriate."^[28]

Kelly v. Pennsylvania

Case name: Kelly v. Pennsylvania
Related election/s: Presidential election (Pennsylvania)
Court: Supreme Court of the United States (lower court: Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court; appeals court: Pennsylvania Supreme Court)
Issue: Whether the Pennsylvania law allowing for no-excuse mail-in voting violates the state constitution, and, if so, whether the court should nullify votes cast by mail or direct the state legislature to select a slate of presidential electors.
Current status/outcome: Judge Patricia McCullough ordered election officials to temporarily halt "any further action to perfect the certification of the results of the 2020 general election ... for the offices of President and Vice President," pending an evidentiary hearing scheduled for November 27, 2020. The state appealed this order to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which reversed McCullough's decision and dismissed the case with prejudice, allowing certification of election results to proceed. The plaintiffs then appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to take up the case.
Order/decision date: December 8, 2020 (Pennsylvania Supreme Court: November 28, 2020; Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court: November 25, 2020)
Order/opinion link: Order (Pennsylvania Supreme Court: Order; Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court: Order)

Click here to read a written summary of this case (click to expand)

Summary: On November 21, 2020, a group of state Republican officials, candidates, and voters filed suit in the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, alleging that the state law allowing all voters to cast their ballots by mail violated the state constitution. The plaintiffs asked the court either to order election officials "to certify the results of the election based solely on the legal votes" or to direct "that the Pennsylvania General Assembly choose Pennsylvania's [presidential] electors."^[29]

On November 25, 2020, Judge Patricia McCullough ordered election officials to temporarily halt "any further action to perfect the certification of the results of the 2020 general election ... for the offices of President and Vice President," pending an evidentiary hearing scheduled for November 27, 2020.^[30]

State officials appealed McCullough's order to the state supreme court. On November 28, 2020, the state supreme court ruled unanimously to vacate McCullough's order and dismiss the case with prejudice. In its unsigned opinion, the court wrote the following:^[31]

“

The want of due diligence demonstrated in this matter is unmistakable. Petitioners filed this facial challenge to the mail-in voting statutory provisions more than one year after the enactment of Act 77. At the time this action was filed on November 21, 2020, millions of Pennsylvania voters had already expressed their will in both the June 2020 primary election and the November 2020 general election and the final ballots in the 2020 general election were being tallied, with the results becoming seemingly apparent. Nevertheless, petitioners waited to commence this litigation until days before the county boards of election were required to certify the election results to the Secretary of the Commonwealth. Thus, it is beyond cavil that petitioners failed to act with due diligence in presenting the instant claim. Equally clear is the substantial prejudice arising from petitioners’ failure to institute promptly a facial challenge to the mail-in voting statutory scheme, as such inaction would result in the disenfranchisement of millions of Pennsylvania voters.^[6]

”

Sean Parnell, a Republican congressional candidate who was a party to the lawsuit, said he and the other plaintiffs would appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. On December 1, 2020, the plaintiffs petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to temporarily block the state supreme court's order pending appeal. However, the plaintiffs subsequently withdrew this application, and on December 2, 2020, they petitioned the state supreme court to stay its decision pending a determination by the U.S. Supreme Court on whether it would take up the case. The state supreme court declined to stay its decision on December 3, 2020.^[32]^[33]^[34]^[35]^[36]

In light of the state supreme court's December 3, 2020, order, the plaintiffs again petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to stay the state supreme court's ruling. Associate Justice Samuel Alito, the justice assigned to consider emergency applications from the Third Circuit (which contains Pennsylvania), directed the defendants to respond to the plaintiffs' filing by 9 a.m. on December 8, 2020. Alito referred the matter to the full court, which, on December 8, 2020, declined to take up the case. The court made its decision without noted dissent.^[37]

Republican Party of Pennsylvania v. Boockvar

Case name: Republican Party of Pennsylvania v. Boockvar
Related election/s: Presidential election (Pennsylvania)
Court: Supreme Court of the United States
Issue: Whether a state supreme court order extending the mail-in ballot receipt deadline to November 6, 2020, overriding the statutory receipt deadline of November 3, 2020, was legal.
Current status/outcome: Associate Justice Samuel Alito ordered county election officials to segregate and separately count mail-in ballots received between 8 p.m. on November 3, 2020, and 5 p.m. on November 6, 2020. The Supreme Court of the United States ultimately declined to consider the case on the merits.

Click here to read a written summary of this case (click to expand)
Summary: On November 4, 2020, the Donald Trump campaign asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in a pending lawsuit over the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's order extending the receipt deadline for mail-in ballots to November 6, 2020.^[38]
Jay Sekulow, an attorney for the campaign, said, " The time has come. Given last night’s results, the vote in Pennsylvania may well determine the next President of the United States. And this Court, not the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, should have the final say on the relevant and dispositive legal questions."^[39]
On November 6, 2020, the Republican Party of Pennsylvania petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for an order that would require Secretary of the Commonwealth Kathy Boockvar (D) and county election officials to segregate all mail-in ballots received between 8 p.m. on November 3, 2020, and 5 p.m. on November 6, 2020. Boockvar issued guidance to this effect on October 28, 2020. However, Republicans argue that "an order from the Court is badly needed" due to "some county boards' refusal to confirm that they are segregating ballots and the secretary's changing guidance." Associate Justice Samuel Alito granted the petition, ordering county election officials as follows:^[40]
- "[All] ballots received by mail after 8 p.m. on November 3 [must] be segregated and kept 'in a secure, safe and sealed container separate from other voted ballots[.]'"
- "[All] such ballots, if counted, [must] be counted separately[.]"
According to Alito's order, "until today, this court was not informed that the guidance issued on October 28, which had an important bearing on the question whether to order special treatment of the ballots in question, had been modified." Alito said he had referred the petition to the full court for further consideration. On February 22, 2021, the Supreme Court of the United States declined to consider the case on the merits, thus concluding the matter.^[40]
Background: On September 17, 2020, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued an order extending the receipt deadline for mail-in ballots to November 6, 2020, overriding the statutory receipt deadline of November 3, 2020. This prompted a series of legal challenges. On October 28, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to expedite consideration of a challenge to the state supreme court's order. The court ruled unanimously on the matter. However, Associate Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, and Neil Gorsuch issued a statement criticizing the state supreme court's action: "It would be highly desirable to issue a ruling on the constitutionality of the State Supreme Court’s decision before the election. That question has national importance, and there is a strong likelihood that the State Supreme Court decision violates the Federal Constitution." Alito added, "But I reluctantly conclude that there is simply not enough time at this late date to decide the question before the election." Although the court declined to intervene ahead of the election, it did not rule on the merits, leaving the possibility open for future action. Justice Amy Coney Barrett did not take part in the case.^[41]

Candidates and election results

General election

Presidential election in Pennsylvania, 2020

	Candidate/Running mate	%	Popular votes	Electoral votes
✔	Joe Biden/Kamala D. Harris (D)	50.0	3,458,229	20
	Donald Trump/Mike Pence (R)	48.8	3,377,674	0
	Jo Jorgensen/Spike Cohen (L)	1.1	79,380	0

Incumbents are bolded and underlined The results have been certified.

Total votes: 6,915,283

Primary election

Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary on June 2, 2020

Candidate	%	Votes	Pledged delegates
Joe Biden	79.3	1,264,624	151
Bernie Sanders	18.0	287,834	35
Tulsi Gabbard	2.7	43,050	0

Source

Total votes: 1,595,508 • Total pledged delegates: 186

Pennsylvania Republican presidential primary on June 2, 2020

Candidate	%	Votes	Pledged delegates
Donald Trump	92.1	1,053,616	34
Bill Weld	6.1	69,427	0
Roque De La Fuente	1.8	20,456	0

Source

Total votes: 1,143,499 • Total pledged delegates: 34

Polls in Pennsylvania

Pivot Counties in Pennsylvania

See also: Election results, 2020: Pivot Counties' margins of victory analysis

Pivot Counties are the 206 counties nationwide Ballotpedia identified as having voted for Barack Obama (D) in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections and Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Media and political observers sometimes refer to these counties as swing counties.

Ballotpedia defines Pivot Counties Trump won in 2020 as Retained Pivot Counties and those Joe Biden (D) won as Boomerang Pivot Counties.

Trump won 181 Retained Pivot Counties across 32 states to Biden's 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties across 16 states. Trump's median margin of victory was 13.2 percentage points in those 181 counties, while Biden's median margin of victory was 3.4 percentage points among the 25 he won.^[42]^[43]

In 2020, Pennsylvania had one Retained Pivot County, two Boomerang Pivot Counties, 11 Solid Democratic counties, and 53 Solid Republican counties.

Biden won Pennsylvania by 1.2 percentage points. He saw a margin change of 1.9 percentage points compared to 2016, flipping the state which had previously voted for Trump.

Biden either increased his margin or narrowed Trump's in all county categories in 2020. His largest margin change—+5.0 percentage points—came in Luzerne County, the state's one Retained Pivot County. Biden increased his vote share in the county by 3.7 percentage points and Trump's share decreased by 1.3 points.

Trump increased his vote share in Solid Democratic and Solid Republican counties by 0.3 and 0.6 percentage points, respectively.

The table below compares margins in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. Percentages show the share of the vote received by a candidate. Margins and changes are shown as changes in percentage points. The overall winner of a given category can be found under the "2020" data. The "Percentage point change" section shows changes in vote share and in margins. Figures were calculated by combining the vote totals across all counties of a given category and may not equal 100% due to rounding. Click [show] beneath the table to view vote totals.

Pennsylvania presidential election results by county category, 2016-2020
Year	#	2016				2020				Percentage point change
Year	#	Clinton	Trump	Third party	Margin	Biden	Trump	Third party	Margin	Democratic	Republican	Third party	Margin
Retained	1	38.6%	57.9%	3.5%	R+19.3	42.3%	56.6%	1.1%	R+14.3	+3.7	-1.3	-2.4	D+5.0
Boomerang	2	46.1%	48.9%	5.0%	R+2.8	49.7%	48.8%	1.6%	D+0.9	+3.5	-0.1	-3.5	D+3.6
Solid Dem.	11	60.0%	35.9%	4.1%	D+24.1	62.5%	36.2%	1.3%	D+26.4	+2.5	+0.3	-2.8	D+2.2
Solid Repub.	53	31.6%	63.7%	4.8%	R+32.1	34.2%	64.3%	1.6%	R+30.1	+2.6	+0.6	-3.2	D+2.0
All	67	47.5%	48.2%	4.4%	R+0.7	49.9%	48.7%	1.4%	D+1.2	+2.4	+0.5	-3.0	D+1.9

Pennsylvania presidential election vote totals by county category, 2016-2020
Year	#	2016				2020				Change
Year	#	Clinton	Trump	Third party	Margin	Biden	Trump	Third party	Margin	Democratic	Republican	Third party	Margin
Retained	1	52,451	78,688	4,762	R+26,237	64,873	86,929	1,697	R+22,056	+12,422	+8,241	-3,065	D+4,181
Boomerang	2	124,384	131,805	13,506	R+7,421	153,373	150,723	4,797	D+2,650	+28,989	+18,918	-8,709	D+10,071
Solid Dem.	11	1,962,887	1,173,698	132,485	D+789,189	2,271,825	1,314,072	46,650	D+957,753	+308,938	+140,374	-85,835	D+168,564
Solid Repub.	53	786,719	1,586,542	118,781	R+799,823	971,076	1,827,268	45,100	R+856,192	+184,357	+240,726	-73,681	R+56,369
All	67	2,926,441	2,970,733	269,534	R+44,292	3,461,147	3,378,992	98,244	D+82,155	+534,706	+408,259	-171,290	D+126,447

Solid Democratic counties made up 57.8% of Biden's new votes and Solid Republican counties made up 59.0% of Trump's.

Biden received 1.9% of his statewide vote from the one Retained Pivot County and 4.4% from the two Boomerang Pivot Counties. Trump received 2.6% from the Retained Pivot County and 4.5% from the Boomerang Pivot Counties.

The table below shows how much of a candidate's vote total came from a particular county category. Data under "New votes, 2020" shows the percentage of a candidate's new votes by county category compared to 2016 vote totals.

Percentage of votes by county category in Pennsylvania's 2016 and 2020 presidential elections
Year	#	2016		2020		New votes, 2020
Year	#	Clinton	Trump	Biden	Trump	Democratic votes	Republican votes
Total votes	67	2,926,441	2,970,733	3,461,147	3,378,992	+534,706	+408,259
Retained	1	1.8%	2.6%	1.9%	2.6%	2.3%	2.0%
Boomerang	2	4.3%	4.4%	4.4%	4.5%	5.4%	4.6%
Solid Dem.	11	67.1%	39.5%	65.6%	38.9%	57.8%	34.4%
Solid Repub.	53	26.9%	53.4%	28.1%	54.1%	34.5%	59.0%

PredictIt market in Pennsylvania

See also: PredictIt markets in the 2020 presidential election

What is a PredictIt market?

PredictIt is an online political futures market in which users purchase shares relating to the outcome of political events using real money. Each event, such as an election, has a number of contracts associated with it, each correlating to a different outcome. For instance, an election contested between four candidates would be represented by eight separate contracts, with each contract correlating to a particular candidate winning or losing the election.

The price of a share in each individual contract rises and falls based on market demand. Once the event's outcome is decided, holders of shares that correlate with the correct outcome receive a $1 payout for each share they held.

For example, a user buys 10 shares at 20 cents each in a presidential primary saying Candidate A will win. If Candidate A wins the election, the user earns $10. If the candidate loses, the user earns no money and loses his original $2 investment.

Why do PredictIt markets matter?

Services such as PredictIt are being used to gain insight into the likely outcome of elections. Microsoft Research economist David Rothschild argues that they are better suited to the task than polls: "I can create a poll that can mimic everything about a prediction market...except markets have a way of incentivizing you to come back at 2 a.m. and update your answer."^[44]^[45]^[46]

Campaign events in Pennsylvania

This section features clips of Biden and Trump at presidential campaign events in Pennsylvania during the 2020 general election.

Biden in Pennsylvania

Biden in Pittsburgh, November 2, 2020

Biden in Beaver County, November 2, 2020

Biden in Philadelphia, November 1, 2020

Biden in Chester, October 26, 2020

Biden in Bristol, October 24, 2020

Biden in Dallas, October 24, 2020

Biden in Erie, October 10, 2020

Biden in Gettysburgh, October 6, 2020

Trump in Pennsylvania

Trump in Scranton, November 2, 2020

Trump in Reading, October 31, 2020

Trump in Newtown, October 31, 2020

Trump in Butler, October 31, 2020

Trump in Montoursville, October 31, 2020

Trump in Allentown, October 26, 2020

Trump in Lititz, October 26, 2020

Trump in Martinsburg, October 26, 2020

Trump in Erie, October 20, 2020

Trump in Johnstown, October 13, 2020

Trump in Middletown, September 26, 2020

Trump in Pittsburgh, September 22, 2020

Trump in Latrobe, September 3, 2020

Government response to coronavirus pandemic in Pennsylvania

Summary of changes to election dates and procedures

Pennsylvania modified its absentee/mail-in voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:

Absentee/mail-in voting: The mail-in ballot receipt deadline for the general election was extended to November 6, 2020. Drop boxes were made available to return ballots. The state provided prepaid return postage for all mail-in and absentee ballots.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Frequently asked questions

See also: Ballotpedia's 2020 Election Help Desk: Presidential election

The 2020 election took place against a backdrop of uncertainty. Our readers had questions about what to expect in elections at all levels of government, from the casting of ballots to the certification of final results. Ballotpedia's 2020 Election Help Desk was designed to answer those questions. Ballotpedia is in the process of compiling and answering frequently asked questions related to the 2020 elections. Questions related to this election will be available soon.

Additional resources

Democratic primary

See also: Democratic presidential nomination, 2020

HIGHLIGHTS

Pennsylvania held its Democratic primary election on June 2, 2020.

Pennsylvania had an estimated 210 delegates comprised of 186 pledged delegates and 24 superdelegates. Delegate allocation was proportional.

The Democratic primary was closed, meaning only registered Democrats were able to vote in the election.

Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) was formally nominated as the Democratic presidential nominee at the 2020 Democratic National Convention on August 18, 2020.^[47] The convention was originally scheduled to take place July 13-16, 2020.^[48] Organizers postponed the event in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Prior to the national convention, individual state caucuses and primaries were held to allocate convention delegates. These delegates vote at the convention to select the nominee. In 2020, a Democratic presidential candidate needed support from 1,991 delegates to secure the nomination.

With the plurality of pledged delegates, Biden became the presumptive Democratic nominee on April 8, 2020, after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) suspended his presidential campaign.^[49] Biden crossed the delegate threshold necessary to win the nomination on June 5, 2020.^[50]

Biden announced U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D) as his running mate on August 11, 2020. Harris is the first Black woman to appear on a major party's ticket in the United States.^[51]

Delegate count

See also: Democratic delegate rules, 2020

Delegate totals reflect the estimated allocation prior to candidate withdrawals or state party conventions. These estimates may differ from the delegate allocation announced at the 2020 Democratic National Convention.

Democratic presidential primaries 2020

	Candidate	Pledged delegates
	Joe Biden	2,708
	Bernie Sanders	1,115
	Elizabeth Warren	70
	Michael Bloomberg	49
	Pete Buttigieg	26
	Amy Klobuchar	7
	Tulsi Gabbard	2

Total pledged delegates: 3,977

Republican primary

See also: Republican presidential nomination, 2020

HIGHLIGHTS

Pennsylvania held its Republican primary election on June 2, 2020.

Pennsylvania had an estimated 88 delegates. Delegate allocation was hybrid.

The Republican primary was closed, meaning only registered Republicans were able to vote in the election.

The Republican Party selected President Donald Trump as its presidential nominee at the 2020 Republican National Convention, which was held from August 24-27, 2020.^[52]

Prior to the national convention, individual state caucuses and primaries were held to allocate convention delegates. These delegates vote at the convention to select the nominee. Trump crossed the delegate threshold necessary to win the nomination—1,276 delegates—on March 17, 2020.

George H.W. Bush (R) was the last incumbent to face a serious primary challenge, defeating political commentator Pat Buchanan in 1992. He was also the last president to lose his re-election campaign. Franklin Pierce (D) was the first and only elected president to lose his party's nomination in 1856.^[53]

Sixteen U.S. presidents—approximately one-third—have won two consecutive elections.

Delegate count

Candidate issues

Click on any of the following links to read policy positions from the 2020 presidential candidates.

Abortion

2020 presidential candidates on abortion

Criminal justice

Economy

Education

Energy and environmental issues

Foreign policy

Gun regulation

2020 presidential candidates on gun regulation

Healthcare

Immigration

Impeachment

2020 presidential candidates on impeachment

Labor

Trade

Campaign finance

See also: Presidential election campaign finance, 2020

Democratic reports

The following chart shows Democratic presidential campaign fundraising, including both total receipts and contributions from individuals, as well as campaign spending. Figures for each candidate run through the end of June 2020 or through the final reporting period during which the candidate was actively campaigning for president. The total disbursements column includes operating expenditures, transfers to other committees, refunds, loan repayments, and other disbursements.^[54]

Republican reports

The following chart shows Republican presidential campaign fundraising, including both total receipts and contributions from individuals, as well as campaign spending. Figures for each candidate run through the end of June 2020 or through the final reporting period during which the candidate was actively campaigning for president. The total disbursements column includes operating expenditures, transfers to other committees, refunds, loan repayments, and other disbursements.^[55]

Candidate filing requirements

See also: Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Pennsylvania

The tables below detail filing requirements for presidential candidates in Pennsylvania in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Pennsylvania, click here.

Presidential primary candidates

Filing requirements for presidential primary candidates in Pennsylvania, 2020
State	Party	Signatures required	Signature formula	Filing fee	Filing fee formula	Filing deadline	Source
Pennsylvania	Qualified parties	2,000	Fixed by statute	$200.00	Fixed by statute	2/18/2020	Source

Independent presidential candidates

Filing requirements for independent candidates in Pennsylvania, 2020
State	Signatures required	Signature formula	Filing fee	Filing fee formula	Filing deadline	Source
Pennsylvania	5,000	Fixed by statute	$200.00	Fixed by statute	8/3/2020	Source

Historical election results

2016

General election

U.S. presidential election, Pennsylvania, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes	Electoral votes
	Democratic	Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine	47.5%	2,926,441	0
	Republican	Donald Trump/Mike Pence	48.2%	2,970,733	20
	Libertarian	Gary Johnson/Bill Weld	2.4%	146,715	0
	Green	Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka	0.8%	49,941	0
	Constitution	Darrell Castle/Scott Bradley	0.3%	21,572	0
	-	Other/Write-in	0.8%	50,076	0
Total Votes				6,165,478	20
Election results via: Federal Election Commission

Primary election

Pennsylvania Democratic Primary, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes	Delegates
Hillary Clinton	55.6%	935,107	106
Bernie Sanders	43.5%	731,881	83
Roque De La Fuente	0.9%	14,439	0
Totals		1,681,427	189
Source: The New York Times and Pennsylvania Secretary of State

Pennsylvania Republican Primary, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes	Delegates
Donald Trump	56.6%	902,593	17
Ted Cruz	21.7%	345,506	0
John Kasich	19.4%	310,003	0
Jeb Bush	0.6%	9,577	0
Marco Rubio	0.7%	11,954	0
Ben Carson	0.9%	14,842	0
Totals		1,594,475	17
Source: The New York Times and Pennsylvania Secretary of State

2012

U.S. presidential election, Pennsylvania, 2012
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes	Electoral votes
	Democratic	Barack Obama/Joe Biden Incumbent	52%	2,990,274	20
	Republican	Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan	46.6%	2,680,434	0
	Libertarian	Gary Johnson/Jim Gray	0.9%	49,991	0
	Green	Jill Stein/Cheri Honkala	0.4%	21,341	0
	N/A	Write-ins	0.2%	12,576	0
Total Votes				5,754,616	20
Election results via: U.S. Election Atlas

Other candidates that appeared on the ballot received less than 0.1% of the vote. Those candidates included: Virgil Goode, Ross Anderson, Roseanne Barr, Thomas Hoefling, Jill Ann Reed, Andre Barnett, Stewart Alexander, and Chuck Baldwin.^[56]

2008

U.S. presidential election, Pennsylvania, 2008
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes	Electoral votes
	Democratic	Barack Obama/Joe Biden	54.5%	3,276,363	21
	Republican	John McCain/Sarah Palin	44.2%	2,655,885	0
	Independent	Ralph Nader/Matt Gonzalez	0.7%	42,977	0
	Libertarian	Bob Barr/Wayne Allyn Root	0.3%	19,912	0
	N/A	Write-ins	0.2%	14,291	0
Total Votes				6,009,428	21
Election results via: U.S. Election Atlas

Other candidates that appeared on the ballot received less than 0.1% of the vote. Those candidates included: Ron Paul, Chuck Baldwin, Cynthia McKinney, Alan Keyes, Brian Moore, Roger Calero, Frank McEnulty, Gloria LaRiva, and Charles Jay.^[57]

Presidential statewide margins of victory of 5 percentage points or fewer, 1948-2016

See also: Presidential statewide margins of victory of 5 percentage points or fewer, 1948-2016

The following map shows the number of times, in presidential elections held between 1948 and 2016, that the margin of victory was 5 percentage points or fewer in each state.

Wisconsin was the state with the most frequently narrow margins during this time period, appearing on the list in 10 presidential elections.
Five states appeared eight times: Florida, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
The state with the narrowest margin of victory was Florida in 2000 at 537 votes or one-hundredth of a percentage point.

Historical election trends

See also: Presidential voting history by state

Pennsylvania presidential election results (1900-2024)

14 Democratic wins
17 Republican wins
1 other win

Year	1900	1904	1908	1912	1916	1920	1924	1928	1932	1936	1940	1944	1948	1952	1956	1960	1964	1968	1972	1976	1980	1984	1988	1992	1996	2000	2004	2008	2012	2016	2020	2024
Winning Party	R	R	R	P^[58]	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	R	R	R	D	D	D	R	D	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	D	R

See also: Presidential election accuracy

Below is an analysis of Pennsylvania's voting record in presidential elections. The state's accuracy is based on the number of times a state has voted for a winning presidential candidate. The majority of statistical data is from the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration and was compiled, here, by Ballotpedia, unless otherwise noted.

Presidential election voting record in Pennsylvania, 1900-2016

Between 1900 and 2016:

Pennsylvania participated in 30 presidential elections.
Pennsylvania voted for the winning presidential candidate 76.67 percent of the time. The average accuracy of voting for winning presidential candidates for all 50 states in this time frame was 72.31 percent.^[59]
Pennsylvania voted Democratic 43.33 percent of the time and Republican 53.33 percent of the time.

Third party votes

In 1912, Woodrow Wilson ran as the Democratic candidate, Theodore Roosevelt ran as a Progressive candidate, and William H. Taft ran as the Republican candidate. Taft won Utah and Vermont, while Roosevelt won 11 electoral votes (Wilson got two) from California, 15 from Michigan, 12 from Minnesota, 38 in Pennsylvania, five from South Dakota, and seven from Washington.^[60]

Presidential election voting record in Pennsylvania, 2000-2016

Accuracy: 60 percent^[61]
2000 state winner: Al Gore (D)
2004 state winner: John Kerry (D)
2008 state winner: Barack Obama (D)*
2012 state winner: Barack Obama (D)*
2016 state winner: Donald Trump (R)*

*An asterisk indicates that that candidate also won the national electoral vote in that election.

State profile

See also: Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania elections, 2019

Partisan data

The information in this section was current as of May 7, 2019

Presidential voting pattern

Pennsylvania voted for the Democratic candidate in five out of the six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.

Congressional delegation

Following the 2018 elections, the U.S. Senators from Pennsylvania were one Democrat and one Republican.
Pennsylvania had nine Democratic and eight Republican U.S. Representatives, and one seat was vacant.

State executives

Democrats held six of Pennsylvania's 16 state executive offices. Elections for the other offices are nonpartisan.
Pennsylvania's governor was Democrat Tom Wolf.

State legislature

Republicans controlled the Pennsylvania State Senate with a 26-22 majority.
Republicans controlled the Pennsylvania House of Representatives with a 109-93 majority.

Pennsylvania Party Control: 1992-2024
One year of a Democratic trifecta • Twelve years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24
Governor	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Senate	R	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
House	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D

Pennsylvania quick stats

Became a state in 1787
2nd state admitted to the United States
The United States Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution were both drafted in Pennsylvania.
Members of the Pennsylvania State Senate: 50
Members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives: 203
U.S. senators: 2
U.S. representatives: 18

More Pennsylvania coverage on Ballotpedia:

Pennsylvania elections, 2019
Presidential voting trends in Pennsylvania
United States congressional delegations from Pennsylvania
Public policy in Pennsylvania
Influencers in Pennsylvania
Almanac of American Politics state profile
More...

Demographic data for Pennsylvania
	Pennsylvania	U.S.
Total population:	12,791,904	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	44,743	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	81.6%	73.6%
Black/African American:	11%	12.6%
Asian:	3.1%	5.1%
Native American:	0.2%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0%	0.2%
Two or more:	2.1%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	6.4%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	89.2%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	28.6%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$53,599	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	15.9%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Pennsylvania. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential election by state

See also: Presidential election by state, 2020

Click on a state below to navigate to information about the presidential election in that jurisdiction.

Footnotes

[1] The New York Times, "Pennsylvania Presidential Democratic Primary Election Results," accessed June 2, 2020

[2] The New York Times, "Pennsylvania Presidential Republican Primary Election Results," accessed June 2, 2020

[3] PennLive, "Pa. is ‘ground zero’ for 2020 presidential election — it’s showing already," May 20, 2019

[4] Supreme Court of the United States, "Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. v. Boockvar: Petition for a Writ of Certiorari," December 19, 2020

[5] United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, "Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. v. Boockvar: Complaint," November 9, 2020

[quotedisclaimer-6] 6.0 ^6.1 ^6.2 ^6.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

[7] The Washington Post, "Trump campaign jettisons major parts of its legal challenge against Pennsylvania’s election results," November 15, 2020

[8] United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, "Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. v. Boockvar: Motion for Withdrawal of Appearance," November 16, 2020

[9] https://cdn.ballotpedia.org/images/4/43/Donald_J_Trump_For_President_Inc_v_Boockvar_et_al_pamdce-20-02078_0156.0.pdf United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, "Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. v. Boockvar: Second Amended Complaint," accessed November 19, 2020

[10] WHYY, "Trump campaign lawyer in Philadelphia withdraws from federal election suit," November 19, 2020

[11] United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, "Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. v. Boockvar: Memorandum Opinion," November 21, 2020

[12] United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, "Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. v. Boockvar: Appellants' Emergency Motion for Expedited Review," November 22, 2020

[13] United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, "Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. v. Boockvar: Emergency Motion of Plaintiffs-Appellants," November 23, 2020

[14] United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, "Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. v. Boockvar: Opinion," November 27, 2020

[15] Twitter, "Jenna Ellis: 12:46 PM, Nov. 27, 2020," accessed November 30, 2020

[16] Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, "Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. v. Boockvar: Petition," November 4, 2020

[17] Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, "Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. v. Boockvar: Order," November 5, 2020

[18] Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, "Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. v. Boockvar: Order," November 12, 2020

[19] United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, "Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. v. Philadelphia County Board of Elections: Complaint," November 5, 2020

[20] Bucks County Court of Common Pleas, "In re: canvass of absentee and mail-in ballots of November 3, 2020, general election: Notice of Appeal," November 9, 2020

[21] Bucks County Court of Common Pleas, "In re: canvass of absentee and mail-in ballots of November 3, 2020, general election: Memorandum and Order," November 19, 2020

[22] Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, "In re: canvass of absentee and mail-in ballots of November 3, 2020, general election: Petition," November 5, 2020

[23] Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, "In re: In re: canvassing observation; Appeal of: Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.: Order," November 5, 2020

[24] Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, "In re: canvassing observation; Appeal of: Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.: Emergency Petition," November 5, 2020

[scopordernov17-25] 25.0 ^25.1 Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, "In re: canvassing observation; Appeal of: City of Philadelphia Board of Elections: Opinion," November 17, 2020

[PhiladelphiaCountyCanvass2ruling-26] 26.0 ^26.1 ^26.2 Pennsylvania Supreme Court, "In re: canvass of absentee and mail-in ballots of November 3, 2020, general election; Appeal of: Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.: Opinion Announcing the Judgment of the Court," November 23, 2020

[27] Pennsylvania Supreme Court, "In re: canvass of absentee and mail-in ballots of November 3, 2020, general election; Appeal of: Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.: Concurring and Dissenting Opinion," November 23, 2020

[28] Bucks County Court of Common Please, "In re: pre-canvass of absentee and mail-in ballots of November 3, 2020, general election," November 3, 2020

[29] Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, "Kelly v. Pennsylvania: Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief," archived June 23, 2021

[30] Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, "Kelly v. Pennsylvania: Order," November 25, 2020

[31] Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, "Kelly v. Pennsylvania: Order," archived April 15, 2021

[32] Fox News, "Pennsylvania Republicans to ask Supreme Court to review case after dismissal: candidate," November 29, 2020

[33] USA Today, "Lawsuit by Trump allies challenging Pennsylvania election results reaches Supreme Court," December 1, 2020

[34] Election Law Blog, "Rep. Kelly Has Apparently Withdrawn His Emergency Request for a SCOTUS Injunction to Reverse Pennsylvania Results, As He Awaits PA Supreme Court Ruling on Stay," December 2, 2020

[35] Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, "Kelly v. Pennsylvania: Emergency Application for Stay of Court's Order of November 28, 2020," archived February 25, 2021

[36] Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, "Kelly v. Pennsylvania: Order," December 3, 2020

[37] Supreme Court of the United States, "Kelly v. Pennsylvania: Docket," accessed December 7, 2020

[38] Supreme Court of the United States, "Republican Party of Pennsylvania v. Boockvar: Motion of Donald J. Trump for President, Inc., for Leave to Intervene as Petitioner," November 4, 2020

[39] CNN, "Trump campaign asking Supreme Court to intervene in Pennsylvania vote count," November 4, 2020

[SCOTUSPANov6order-40] 40.0 ^40.1 Supreme Court of the United States, "Republican Party of Pennsylvania v. Boockvar: Order," November 6, 2020

[41] Supreme Court of the United States, "Republican Party of Pennsylvania v. Boockvar: On Motion to Expedite Consideration of the Petition for Writ of Certiorari," October 28, 2020

[exclude-42] This analysis does not include counties in Alaska and certain independent cities due to variations in vote total reporting.

[43] The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.

[44] Nature, "The power of prediction markets," October 18, 2016

[45] Politico, "Meet the 'stock market' for politics," October 31, 2014

[46] U.S. Presidential General Election Results, "2008 Electoral Map Based on the Intrade Prediction Market," accessed January 25, 2018

[Postpone-47] Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "2020 DNC in Milwaukee pushed back to week of August 17 in response to coronavirus pandemic," April 2, 2020

[SiteSelectionNYT-48] The New York Times, "Milwaukee Picked as Site of 2020 Democratic National Convention," March 11, 2019

[49] Talking Points Memo, "Bernie Sanders Ends 2020 Bid, Making Biden Presumptive Dem Nominee," April 8, 2020

[50] AP, "Biden formally clinches Democratic presidential nomination," June 5, 2020

[51] CNBC, "Joe Biden picks Sen. Kamala Harris to be his vice presidential running mate, making her the first black woman on a major ticket," August 11, 2020

[52] Charlotte Observer, "Here’s when the 2020 Republican National Convention will be in Charlotte," October 1, 2018

[53] NPR, "When Has A President Been Denied His Party's Nomination?" July 22, 2009

[54] FEC, "U.S. President," accessed July 16, 2019

[55] FEC, "U.S. President," accessed July 16, 2019

[56] U.S. Election Atlas, "2012 Presidential Election Results," accessed December 29, 2014

[57] U.S. Election Atlas, "2008 Presidential Election Results," accessed December 29, 2014

[58] Progressive Party

[59] This average includes states like Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, which did not participate in all 30 presidential elections between 1900 and 2016. It does not include Washington, D.C., which cast votes for president for the first time in 1964, or Alaska and Hawaii, which cast votes for president for the first time in 1960.

[Wilson1-60] U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, "Electoral Votes, 1904-1912," accessed June 21, 2016

[61] This number refers to the number of times that the state voted for the winning presidential candidate between 2000 and 2016.

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Presidential election in Pennsylvania, 2020

Lawsuits related to the presidential election in Pennsylvania

Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. v. Boockvar

Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. v. Boockvar

Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. v. Boockvar

Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. v. Philadelphia County Board of Elections

In re: canvass of absentee and mail-in ballots of November 3, 2020, general election

In re: canvass of absentee and mail-in ballots of November 3, 2020, general election

In re: canvassing observation; Appeal of: Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.

In re: canvass of absentee and mail-in ballots of November 3, 2020, general election; Appeal of: Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.

In re: pre-canvass of absentee and mail-in ballots of November 3, 2020, general election

Kelly v. Pennsylvania

Republican Party of Pennsylvania v. Boockvar

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