Biden Elected President

November 12, 2020

Allison Singer

NEW PRESIDENT-ELECT Joe Biden addresses the nation from Wilmington, Delaware, on November 7. CAROLYN COLE—THE LOS ANGELES TIMES/GETTY IMAGES

TIME for Kids reports on the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Former vice president Joe Biden has won the presidential election. He will become the 46th president of the United States. His running mate was Kamala Harris. She will become vice president. The two will be sworn in on Inauguration Day. That’s January 20, 2021.

The Associated Press announced Biden’s win on November 7. It was four days after Election Day. Biden was named the winner after taking Pennsylvania. That pushed his total number of electoral votes over 270. A presidential candidate needs at least 270 electoral votes to win. There are 538 in total.

Then Biden won Nevada. That took his number of electoral votes to 290. After winning Alaska on November 11, President Donald Trump had 217 electoral votes.

At press time, a winner hadn’t been announced in two states. One was Georgia. The other was North Carolina. These states don’t have enough electoral votes to change the outcome.

Biden has won the popular vote, too. As of November 12, he had about 77 million votes. Trump had about 72 million.

“America, I’m honored that you have chosen me to lead our great country,” Biden wrote on Twitter on November 7. “I will be a President for all Americans—whether you voted for me or not. I will keep the faith that you have placed in me.”

At press time, Trump had not conceded the election. He said he would challenge the results in court. Throughout the election, Trump voiced doubt about the country’s mail-in voting system. But there’s been no evidence of any widespread problem.

People voted in record numbers. The percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot was the highest it has been since 1900. In some states, the candidates’ vote tallies weren’t far apart. Recounts are expected. Georgia has said it will recount its ballots. Trump’s campaign has said it will ask for another count in Wisconsin. States should complete recounts by December 8. That’s according to electoral college rules.

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This story appears in the November 20, 2020, print edition of TIME for Kids. It was published online on the afternoon of November 12. It has not been updated.