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Donald Trump wins the key battleground state of Florida, weakening Joe Biden’s path to victory

ABCB NEWS November 4, 2020

Victory in Florida is deemed crucial for President Trump’s chances for a second term, after he won the state by just over one per cent in 2016.

Joe Biden faces an uphill battle against the US president, with Donald Trump locking in early gains to win the key battleground state of Florida.

The Trump campaign claimed victory there after US media reports showed him capturing swaths of the Latino vote that had previously been loyal to Democrats.

“President Trump wins Florida,” the campaign tweeted over a picture of Mr Trump giving the thumb’s up.

People wait in line to cast their votes at Northern High School, on 3 November, 2020 in Owings, Maryland.

Getty Images North America

Victory in Florida is widely seen by voting experts as crucial for President Trump’s chances for a second term, after he won the state by just over one per cent in 2016.

The state has 29 Electoral College votes, seen as vital for his re-election chances. Mr Biden still has multiple paths to the 270 electoral votes he needs without Florida.

Florida broke records with nine million ballots cast before Election Day, with polls indicating a tight race between him and Mr Biden. Contrary to other states, Florida is counting mail-in votes before election day votes.

Mr Biden appeared to outperform Hillary Clinton in the state, outside the Miami-Dade County that swung it towards Mr Trump.

President Donald Trump arrives to speak at the Trump campaign headquarters on Election Day.

AAP

The county includes much of Florida’s Cuban-American community, which the president had pinpointed as a voter population that could help him carry the state again.

Part of Mr Trump’s strength in Florida also came from an improved performance with the state’s large Latino population, relative to the 2016 election.

Mr Biden was leading in counties where Hispanics make up more than 20 per cent of the population, but Mr Trump’s share of the vote in those counties was larger than four years ago.

More than four in 10 Hispanic voters in Florida said they cast a ballot for Mr Trump, according to an Edison Research exit poll.

Other states that will play a critical role in delivering the 270 electoral college votes needed to win the White House include Georgia (16 votes), North Carolina (15 votes), New Hampshire (four votes), Ohio (18 votes), Michigan (16 votes), Pennsylvania (20 votes), Texas (38 votes), Wisconsin (10 votes), Minnesota (10 votes), Arizona (11 votes), Nevada (six votes) and Iowa (six votes)

SBS Additional reporting by Reuters, AFP.

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