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Election Blog | Cal Cunningham concedes to Thom Tillis

We're still waiting to know who will win in North Carolina.
Credit: WFMY News 2
Election Live Blog

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Election Day 2020 has ended but the North Carolina State Board of Elections will continue to count absentee votes until November 12. 

We're still waiting to know how hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots yet to be counted in North Carolina will impact the presidential race. President Trump is leading Joe Biden by more than 76,000 votes in the state, but there are about 116,000 outstanding absentee ballots. Mail-in ballots have been heavily in favor of Biden, making key battleground state races tighter and tighter as elections officials continue counting them. 

You'll find day-to-day real-time election updates below following the results of the hot races featured here.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER, 8, 2020

Democrat Cal Cunningham has conceded to incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis in North Carolina. Cunningham said in a statement Tuesday that “the voters have spoken” and it was clear Tillis had won.  

RELATED: Democrat Cal Cunningham concedes to incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Thom Tillis

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2020

10:22 p.m. President-elect Joe Biden seeks to move quickly and build out his administration

RELATED: Joe Biden seeks to move quickly and build out his administration

9 p.m. President Donald Trump still has yet to concede to president-elect Joe Biden. 

While some in his circle were nudging the president to concede graciously, many of his Republican allies were egging him on or giving him space to process his loss.

RELATED: Trump, who never admits defeat, mulls how to keep up fight

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2020 

8 p.m. President-elect Joe Biden is set to speak for the first time since winning the 2020 election

You can watch it live by clicking the link to the story below.

RELATED: WATCH LIVE: President-elect Biden to speak for first time since winning election

3:45 p.m. Governor Cooper congratulates President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris. 'I look forward to working with them for a stronger, better educated and healthier North Carolina. 

1:51 p.m. Former President Barack Obama says he “could not be prouder” to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. 

RELATED: Former US presidents congratulate President-elect Joe Biden

1:49 p.m. Senator Graham was one of the first to publicly state he’s backing President Trump and announced he's donating $500,000 from his campaign fund to the President’s legal team.

“Let's hear the trump team out," he said. "They deserve to be heard. Their allegations deserve to be looked at. Every American should want voter voting irregularity claims that are credible to be investigated.”

RELATED: SC Senator Lindsey Graham pledges $500k to President Trump's legal defense amid fraud allegations

12:28 p.m. Kamala Harris made history Saturday as the first Black woman elected as vice president of the United States, shattering barriers that have kept men — almost all of them white — entrenched at the highest levels of American politics for more than two centuries. 

RELATED: Harris becomes first Black woman, South Asian elected vice president

12:19 p.m. President Donald Trump is not conceding to President-elect Joe Biden, promising unspecified legal challenges seeking to overturn the outcome of the race for the White House. 

RELATED: Not conceding, Trump pushes unproven accusations after Biden wins presidency

11:36 a.m. AP calls presidential race for Joe Biden. 

10:15 a.m. According to the Associated Press, as of 10:15 a.m. Joe Biden has 264 electoral votes to Trump's 214.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2020

11:00 p.m. - Former vice president Joe Biden spoke to the nation late Friday night about vote counting.

"We don’t have a final declaration, a victory yet. But the numbers tell us it’s clear, tells us a clear and convincing story, we’re going to win this race," Joe Biden said.

RELATED: Biden: 'We are going to win this race' as lead over Trump widens in key states

10:00 p.m. - If you notice the Electoral College totals are different on WFMY News 2’s newscast than the website, there's a reason for that. Find out why that's the case and an in-depth look at reporting race results from the Associated Press compared to national media. 

RELATED: Why you're seeing different race results online, on TV

9:00 p.m. - States have different laws across the board when it comes to when they can start counting ballots, and delayed official results is something that happens during every election.

In North Carolina, absentee ballots can be mailed in and eligible for a counted vote if they're received by the board of elections by Nov. 12 with a postmark on or before Nov. 3.

RELATED: 'It doesn’t make the ballots any less valid' | Political science expert on influx of mail-in ballot requests, increased voter turnout

7:00 p.m. - Five battleground states hang in the balance for the U.S. presidency as the nation waits for votes to be counted. 

Find out who is winning in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada and Arizona? Check out our interactive maps.

RELATED: Interactive maps | Who is winning in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona?

6:00 p.m. - Three things you need to know post-election dealing with local races and vote counting. 

5:00 a.m. - Former Vice President Joe Biden took the lead early Friday morning in Georgia as mail-in ballots came in from Clayton County. He now leads in the state by 917 votes. Georgia has 16 electoral votes up for grabs. 

RELATED: Biden takes the lead overnight in Georgia

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2020

6:45 p.m. - President Trump speaking now as vote-counting continues in battleground states. 

RELATED: WATCH LIVE: President Trump to speak as counting continues 2 days after Election Day

5:40 p.m. - Pennsylvania official gives an update on the vote-counting process. 

RELATED: WATCH LIVE: Pennsylvania Secretary of State to give election update

4:45 p.m. - The Guilford County Board of Elections said they received 1,500 absentee ballots between election night and Thursday. 

There are still a number of absentee ballots that were requested that haven’t come back, but context is crucial. The director for the Guilford County Board of Elections said they mailed out 30,000 absentees that they haven’t received back, but a portion of those people voted either early or in-person on Election Day. 

The director said they’re still trying to figure out the number of people that requested those absentee ballots but instead decided to vote in person or early. That will give them a better idea of how many potential votes could be out there that haven’t come in at this time.

4:28 p.m. - Former vice president Joe Biden delivers statement as election vote count presses ahead.

3:45 p.m. - North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance Mike Causey released a statement below following the outcome of the race. 

“From the bottom of my heart, I want to say Thank You to the voters of North Carolina.  It is a great honor to be re-elected to serve as your Commissioner of Insurance.  I will continue my efforts to be a champion for our consumers and patients.

I want thank my opponent Democrat Wayne Goodwin for a very gracious phone call Wednesday.  He ran a good race. I have a great deal of respect for him and wish him well in his future.  Running for statewide office is hard work, it takes a lot of effort and I appreciate that fact.

It is my goal to continue our efforts to serve and advocate for our citizens, consumers, and patients.  I will continue to crack down on fraud and corruption.  I will work with our fire departments and first responders to help them improve service and help reduce the cost of homeowner’s insurance. Finally, I will continue to cut red-tape and bureaucracy so our department is truly responsive the needs of our constituents.

I look forward to serving you another four years.  Now that the election is over, I will serve as a North Carolinian dedicated to providing you the best citizen service possible and being a true champion for our consumers and patients.”

Mike Causey

3:35 p.m. - The director of the Forsyth County Board of elections said they received 550 absentee ballots in the mail today, and a little over 500 yesterday. He said out of the 60,000 mail-in ballots that were requested 20,000 could still be out there.

The director said it’s possible those 20,000 people chose not to mail in their ballot, and instead, vote in-person, but they don’t yet have that information.

3:15 p.m. - Judges dismiss Trump campaign lawsuits in Georgia and Michigan.

Judges in Georgia and Michigan quickly dismissed Trump campaign lawsuits Thursday, undercutting a campaign legal strategy to attack the integrity of the voting process in states where the result could mean President Donald Trump's defeat. 

In Pennsylvania, meanwhile, the Trump campaign won an appellate ruling to get party and campaign observers closer to election workers who are processing mail-in ballots in Philadelphia. 

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2020

10:30 p.m. - Here's why North Carolina's election results may not change much until next week.

9:30 p.m. - Almost 24 hours after the polls closed in North Carolina and we still don't know the outcome of several key races. Why are some settled and others left uncalled?

RELATED: Why can we call some races in North Carolina and not others?

8:00 p.m. - Republican Dan Forest has released a statement following the outcome of the election and the race against Roy Cooper.

"My heart is heavy today, but the sun still rose once again this morning and a new day dawned. I wanted to attempt to say thank you to all who have walked alongside us in prayer and friendship on this journey - far too many to begin to name. Your sacrifices have not gone unnoticed. Your friendships will be treasured. No words can convey our heartfelt thanks. Our family has been honored to serve the people of this great state for the past eight years and now a new journey begins. We appreciate your continued prayers for our family and my team as we open the next chapter. May God bless you all."

7:45 p.m. - The Trump campaign is now suing Georgia along with Michigan and Pennsylvania.

6:15 p.m. - Joe Biden has won Michigan and Wisconsin, pushing him closer to 270 Electoral College votes and narrowing President Donald Trump’s path to reelection. 

4:38 p.m. - CBS News projects Joe Biden to win Michigan. Though votes are still being counted, the win would increase his electoral votes to 264. He needs only one more state to win. 

7:15 a.m. - If you're wondering what's the holdup for declaring a winner for president in North Carolina, it's because of outstanding absentee ballots. According to AP, there are about 200,000 absentee ballots that still need to be counted. President Trump is currently leading by 76,000 votes, but Biden has fared better in mail-in votes. 

RELATED: Why a winner hasn't been declared in North Carolina

5:30 a.m. - Joe Biden has 238 electoral votes, while President Trump has 213, according to the Associated Press. North Carolina, which has 15 electoral votes, is still up for grabs. 

5 a.m. Ted Budd defeats Scott Huffman in battle for U.S. House North Carolina District 13. 

3:04 a.m. - Republicans keep control of North Carolina legislative chambers.

Election results showed GOP legislators winning majorities in the 50-seat Senate and 120-seat House so the party can extend control there for another two years. 

1:52 a.m. - Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has 207 electoral votes, while President Donald Trump has 210 electoral votes.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2020

11:46 p.m. - WFMY's Adaure Achumba reports Guilford County voters have approved the school bond referendum to provide $300 million in loans to Guilford County Schools for facility repairs and new schools construction

11:40 p.m. - Thom Tillis speaks to a small group of supporters thanking them for their votes

11:37 p.m. - Republican challenger Dan Forest speaks following the announcement of Gov. Roy Cooper's win in the race for governor

10:54 p.m. - Unofficial results from the NC State Board of Elections shows Thom Tillis in the lead to Cal Cunningham

10:52 p.m. - Gov. Roy Cooper gives acceptance speech

10:38 p.m. - Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper declares victory over Republican challenger Dan Forest in North Carolina's race for governor

RELATED: Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper wins reelection victory against Republican challenger Dan Forest

9:21 p.m. - Here are the latest updates on NC District 6

9:17 p.m. - Precinct results are rolling in Forsyth County.

9:10 p.m. - Latest results in the governor's race show incumbent Roy Cooper in the lead

8:59 p.m. - WFMY's Jess Winters takes a closer look at the race for senate with Thom Tillis and Cal Cunningham.

8:57 p.m. - Danville casino referendum passes

The latest Danville casino referendum has just been passed. The casino will bring 7,000 jobs to the nearby city.

RELATED: City of Danville in negotiations with Caesars Entertainment to get casino

8:55 p.m. - WFMY is at the Guilford County Courthouse where director Charlie Collicut has the latest details regarding ballots

8:20 p.m. - WFMY is back with Live Digital Coverage on Election 2020.

You can watch it live from WFMY's Facebook page.

8:08 p.m. - Ballots are now returning to the Guilford County Board of Election receiving center.

WFMY's Adaure Achumba reports all 164 polling units in the county have now closed.

8:06 p.m. - Maddie Gardner is all set up to report on republican Dan Forest in the race against democratic incumbent Roy Cooper in the race for governor.

7:48 p.m. - The North Carolina State Board of Elections announced Tuesday night it will randomly select precincts for post-election audits, according to officials.

Elections officials said the board will randomly select precincts, early voting sites and by-mail ballots to be counted by hand in each county.

Officials said the random selection of precincts to be audited in each county will take place at 11 a.m. Wednesday.

The selection will take place on a Microsoft Teams meeting.

“The sample audit count is required by statute and helps ensure the reliability of election results tabulated by a machine,” the state board wrote in a press release. “The audit is a comparison of the machine counts with hand-to-eye counts completed as a test to ensure voting equipment read the voter's choices accurately.”

Visit the North Carolina State Board of Elections’ website for more information.

7:47 p.m. - Polls are beginning to wrap-up.

7:39 p.m. - North Carolina State Board of Elections extends voting at additional polling places

Election officials voted Tuesday night to extend voting at six precincts. Officials say each polling site experienced interruptions.

RELATED: NC State Board of Elections extends voting at additional polling places

7 p.m. - WFMY will have the latest updates through the night on Election 2020

Live Election Day coverage from across North Carolina. We’ve got the latest presidential, NC governor and all the hot races results in our state throughout the night

Coverage will start at 7 p.m. and continue through midnight. You can watch it live in this story.

6:58 p.m. - WFMY's Tanya Rivera is ready to report the latest on Election 2020

6:20 p.m. WFMY's Alma McCarty will have the latest updates on the race for North Carolina's governor and North Carolina's seat in the U.S. senate

RELATED: Hotly-contested North Carolina governor’s race heats up as Roy Cooper takes on Dan Forest

RELATED: Tillis vs. Cunningham: Battleground race in North Carolina

5:45 p.m. - Businesses in downtown Greensboro board up on Election Day as a precaution. 

RELATED: Businesses in downtown Greensboro board up on Election Day

Credit: WFMY News 2
Businesses board up on Election Day in downtown Greensboro

5:25 p.m. The march to the polls event in Graham continues well past the Graham Recreation Center polling site into downtown. WFMY's Grace Holland reports the march has reached Graham Presbyterian Church

4:15 p.m. WFMY's Grace Holland was live as voters marched to the polls in Graham after some were arrested and pepper sprayed Saturday

Watch the live video from WFMY's Facebook page.

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

RELATED: Election Day March to the Polls planned for Graham after marchers pepper sprayed, arrested over the weekend

RELATED: Graham police, demonstrators hold clashing press conferences about pepper spray, arrests at rally

2:10 p.m. Election night 2020 might stretch into election week! 2 Wants To Know breaks down how long it could take to find out the winners. 

RELATED: Be prepared! It might take a while to know who won

10:30 p.m. NC Board of Elections reveals that they will meet later today to consider extensions for a few poll locations. They also stated that most opening issues were minor, due to late poll workers, etc. 4 locations, 1 in Guilford County opened around 15-30 minutes late. Based on previous information from Elections Director Charlie Collicut, we believe that polling station could indeed be Bluford Academy. 

10 a.m. NC State Board of Elections Executive Director, Kristen Bell speaks on Election Day voting. 

8:35 a.m. We're talking with NC State Board of Elections Executive Director, Karen Brinson Bell at 10 a.m. Bell will discuss the first few hours of voting and take questions virtually. 

RELATED: 10 tips for North Carolina voters on Election Day

7:56 a.m. After GMS is live on Election Day! 

7:48 a.m. Charlie Collicutt with the Board of Elections says there was an issue getting Bluford Academy polling site open this morning. Poll workers did not get equipment set up in time and instead of starting to process voters while they finished setup, they made people wait outside. The polling site is now open and the issue has been resolved. According to Collicutt, there have been no other issues getting polling sites open this morning.

6:48 a.m. Wondering how to get election results on Election Day? Then wonder no more! WFMY News 2 will have the latest election results and live election coverage beginning on our website and social media at 7 p.m.

RELATED: How to get election results on Election Day, watch live coverage

6:34 a.m. Election day will be sunny with a high of 62. Tonight will be clear with a low of 37 with areas of frost possible.

RELATED: A warmup is on the way

6:32 a.m. North Carolina has 15 electoral votes up for grabs. A presidential candidate needs at least 270 to win! 

RELATED: Presidential Race: Who will win North Carolina as Trump battles Biden for the battleground state?

6:30 a.m. The polls are now open! According to the North Carolina Stae Board Of Elections, polling places will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. 

RELATED: When do polls close on Election Day? A guide to voting times in all 50 states

RELATED: Frequently asked election questions

President

Donald Trump, R vs. Joe Biden, D  

US Senate 

Thom Tillis, R vs. Cal Cunningham, D

U.S. House 

Dist.6 Lee Haywood, R vs. Kathy Manning, D 

Democratic candidate Kathy Manning won the seat in Congressional District 6

Dist.13 Tedd Budd, R vs. Scott Huffman, D 

North Carolina 

Governor 

Roy Cooper, D vs. Dan Forest, R

Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper won against Republican challenger Dan Forest

Attorney General

Jim O'Neill, R vs. John Stein, D

Commissioner of AG 

Steve Troxler, R vs. Jenna Wadsworth, D 

Steve Troxler won the seat as NC Commissioner of Agriculture.

Lt. Governor

Mark Robinson, R vs. Yvonne Lewis Holley, D

Republican Mark Robinson won the race for lieutenant governor of North Carolina. Robinson will be the state's first-ever African-American lieutenant governor.

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