Election Help Desk: 12/10/20
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Today is our final edition of Help Desk.  Ballotpedia's 2020 Election Help DeskDecember 10, 2020Welcome to Ballotpedia's Election Help Desk Newsletter. We're tracking results for more than 9,000 elections held on Nov. 3. Today, we cover:
Today's issue is our final edition of Help Desk. To stay on top of ongoing election law developments, sign up for The Ballot Bulletin, our monthly newsletter on all things involving election policy. Days Since the Election: #38
Election Results ProgressClick here to read how Ballotpedia calls races. Click here for Ballotpedia's coverage scope. Ballotpedia is tracking results in 9,756 elections, including each state in the presidential election. Here's the status of these elections as of 12 p.m. on Dec. 10, subject to change as more results come in:
Presidential Election UpdateAs of 12 p.m. on Dec. 10:
Noteworthy DisputesHere's the latest on noteworthy recounts, lawsuits, and other election disputes. LawsuitsTo date, we have tracked 70 post-election lawsuits. Of those 70 lawsuits:
Either the Trump or Biden campaigns are litigants in 20 of these lawsuits, 16 of which have fully concluded. For complete details on all of the lawsuits we have tracked, click here. Pennsylvania: On Dec. 8, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene and block certification of Pennsylvania's election results. The court announced its decision in an unsigned order. There was no noted dissent. Background: On Nov. 21, a group of state Republican officials, candidates, and voters filed suit in the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, alleging the state law allowing all voters to cast their ballots by mail was unconstitutional. The plaintiffs asked the court either to order election officials "to certify the results of the election based solely on the legal votes" or to direct "that the Pennsylvania General Assembly choose Pennsylvania's [presidential] electors." State officials appealed McCullough's order to the state supreme court. On Nov. 28, the state supreme court unanimously ruled to vacate McCullough's order and dismiss the case with prejudice On Dec. 1, the plaintiffs petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to temporarily block the state supreme court's order pending appeal. However, the plaintiffs subsequently withdrew this application. On Dec. 2, they petitioned the state supreme court to stay its decision pending a determination by the U.S. Supreme Court on whether it would take up the case. The state supreme court declined to stay its decision on Dec. 3. This triggered the second filing with the U.S. Supreme Court, which prompted the court's Dec. 8 order. Texas: On Dec. 8, the U.S. Supreme Court directed interested parties to respond to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's (R) request for permission to sue the states of Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Paxton alleges the presidential elections in these states "suffered from significant and unconstitutional irregularities … [that] violate one or more of the federal requirements for elections." Paxton is asking that the court "enjoin the use of unlawful election results without review and ratification by the Defendant States’ legislatures and remand to the Defendant States’ respective legislatures to appoint Presidential Electors." Upcoming certification deadlineOne state (California) is scheduled to fully certify its election results on Dec. 11 (the state certified its slate of presidential electors on Dec. 5). Forty-nine states and the District of Columbia have already certified their election results: Alabama (Nov. 25), Alaska (Nov. 25), Arizona (Nov. 30), Arkansas (Nov. 18), Colorado (Nov. 30), Connecticut (Dec. 3), Delaware (Nov. 5), District of Columbia (Dec. 2), Florida (Nov. 17), Georgia (Nov. 20), Idaho (Nov. 18), Illinois (Dec. 4), Indiana (Nov. 24), Iowa (Nov. 30), Kansas (Dec. 1), Kentucky (Nov. 23), Louisiana (Nov. 10), Maine (Nov. 23), Maryland (Dec. 8), Massachusetts (Nov. 18), Michigan (Nov. 23), Minnesota (Nov. 24), Mississippi (Nov. 13), Missouri (Dec. 8), Montana (Nov. 30), Nebraska (Nov. 30), Nevada (Nov. 24), New Hampshire (Dec. 2), New Jersey (Dec. 8), New Mexico (Nov. 24), New York (Dec. 7), North Carolina (Nov. 24), North Dakota (Nov. 20), Ohio (Nov. 24), Oklahoma (Nov. 10), Oregon (Dec. 3), Pennsylvania (Nov. 23), Rhode Island (Nov. 30), South Carolina (Nov. 11), South Dakota (Nov. 10), Tennessee (Dec. 2), Texas (Dec. 3), Utah (Nov. 23), Vermont (Nov. 10), Virginia (Nov. 18), Washington (Dec. 3), West Virginia (Dec. 3), Wisconsin (Dec. 1), and Wyoming (Nov. 11). And a final Dose of CalmRemember to breathe. 
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