Election 2020 updates: Biden warns of 'dark winter,' pushes masks in pandemic plan
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.
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Trump golfed on Sunday
The president was back Sunday at Trump International Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia. Trump was also there on Saturday when ABC News characterized Biden as the apparent winner in Pennsylvania, giving the former vice president the electoral votes he needs to capture the presidency.
Pa. AG tells Supreme Court all counties segregating late ballots, as directed
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro has informed the Supreme Court that, contrary to Republican concerns, all of the state's counties have been complying with the Secretary of State's guidance to segregate late-arriving mail ballots.
"At the time Secretary of the Commonwealth Kathy Boockvar filed her Response in Application to the Republican Party of Pennsylvania’s Emergency Application for Injunction earlier yesterday, 63 of Pennsylvania’s counties had affirmatively confirmed their understanding and intention to follow the Secretary’s October 28, 2020 and November 1, 2020 guidance, as noted in the Response," he wrote. "The Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth has confirmed that the remaining four Pennsylvania counties have similarly confirmed their understanding and intention to follow that guidance. We would appreciate if you would circulate copies of this letter to the Justices of the Court. "
Shapiro seems to suggest that Justice Samuel Alito's order late Friday was not necessary given that the counties were already doing the segregation, notwithstanding the unfounded GOP speculation that they might not have been.
-ABC News Senior Washington Reporter Devin Dwyer
George W. Bush, world leaders congratulate Biden
Former President George W. Bush said in a statement that he spoke with Biden and congratulated him on the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
Bush said in the statement that he also spoke with Kamala Harris, who he congratulated for “her historic election to the vice presidency.”
“Though we have political differences, I know Joe Biden to be a good man, who has won this opportunity to lead and unify our country,” the statement read.
On Sunday, several more world leaders, such as South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the Saudi royal family and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, also congratulated Biden on his apparent win.
Iran hopes the US will rejoin the nuclear deal
Ahead of Election Day in the United States, the biggest question for Iran was the future of the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The current Iranian government, led by President Hassan Rouhani and his Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, have indicated they are willing to revive the deal and assemble the current signatories to negotiate a new agreement.
Looking ahead to a Biden administration, Rouhani said Sunday, "the next U.S. administration should use the opportunity to make up for the past mistakes against Iran."
Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency reported that just the day before, Rouhani expressed hope that the new administration would rejoin the nuclear deal.
Rouhani said the Iranian people faced "economic terrorism" in the past three years and showed "competent resistance and patience."
He said Iran will continue its "patience" and "resistance."
“We hope that conditions alter in a way that those who have imposed sanctions will come to realize that they have moved along a wrong path, and that they will not attain their goals at all as they should take a lesson from this 3-year experience," he continued.
-ABC News' Christine Theodorou
ABC News interactive election map
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.