The president-elect emphasized how he would handle the pandemic response.
Joe Biden is set to become the 46th president of the United States, capping a tumultuous and tension-filled campaign during a historic pandemic against President Donald Trump. ABC News characterized Joe Biden as the apparent winner of his home state of Pennsylvania, putting him over the 270 vote threshold needed to capture the presidency.
The hard-fought battle against the president was set against the backdrop of racial unrest and the coronavirus pandemic and bitter divisions among the electorate.
Trump had falsely declared on election night, when he held a lead in several key states, that he won the contest and alleged without evidence, after the count started to swing the other way, that the election was being stolen from him and that fraud had been committed.
Painting the election as a "battle for the soul of the nation," Biden won on a message of unity over division, compassion over anger, and reality over what he called Trump's "wishful thinking" as the coronavirus pandemic cast a heavy shadow over the campaign.
The 2020 election has shattered voting records with votes totaling 147 million and counting, surpassing the 138 million who voted in 2016.
The polls are opening in South Carolina, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Massachusetts, Maryland, Georgia, Florida, District of Columbia, Delaware, Missouri, Louisiana and in several counties in Tennessee.
The polls are opening in West Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina.
The polls are opening in Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Maine, Kentucky, Connecticut, Indiana and New Hampshire.
Forecast if Trump or Biden will win the 2020 presidential election with ABC News' interactive election map.
Also, check out the final 2020 presidential election forecast, Senate forecast and House forecast from FiveThirtyEight.
