Timeline: How Pennsylvania broke for Biden as Trump's early lead evaporated

In 2016, President Donald Trump won Pennsylvania by 44,284 votes, out of more than 6 million cast. Here are some highlights of what transpired over five days this week in the Keystone State as he tried to recreate that magic, only to have Pennsylvania declared for Democrat Joe Biden — giving him the win for the White House.

Tuesday, Nov. 3

• Polls opened at 7 a.m., with lines outside many precincts across Western Pennsylvania.
• State reports receiving more than 2.5 million mail-in ballots by Election Day. That includes nearly 350,000 in Allegheny County and 60,000 in Westmoreland.
• Polls close at 8 p.m., when first mail-in ballot tallies began to be reported.
• At midnight, Trump holds lead over Biden in Pennsylvania of around 550,000 votes.

The line at the polls at the Youngwood Fire Hall was out the door and into the parking lot at 7:15 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020.

Wednesday, Nov. 4

• Just after midnight, Biden addresses supporters in Wilmington, Del., telling them to “keep the faith” and saying, “we believe we’re on track to win.”
• 2 a.m.: Trump addresses nation from East Wing of the White House, making claims of election fraud and stating “Frankly, we did win this election.”
• By 7 a.m., Trump’s lead grows to nearly 700,000.
• Half of the more than 2.5 million mail-in or absentee ballots sent to Pennsylvania voters have been counted, state officials say.
• 10 a.m.: Trump’s lead drops to 590,000.
• 2:35 p.m.: More than 1 million mail-in ballots remain to be counted. Statewide counts show about 78% are going to Biden.
• 3:28 p.m.: President’s son Eric Trump tweets: “We have won Pennsylvania!”

We have won Pennsylvania!

— Eric Trump (@EricTrump) November 4, 2020

• 3:30 p.m.: Trump campaign says it intends to sue to stop vote count in Pennsylvania over lack of “transparency” and to intervene in a state Supreme Court ruling to allow mail-in ballots to be accepted if postmarked by Tuesday and received by Friday. Campaign also files lawsuits in Michigan and Georgia. Also calls for a recount in Wisconsin.
• About two-thirds of the 60,167 mail-in ballots returned in Westmoreland County had been counted by 3 p.m. Workers in Allegheny County had counted 238,000 of nearly 350,000 mail-in ballots received by 5 p.m.
• Evening rallies held in Greensburg, Pittsburgh by groups demanding that all votes be counted.
• Westmoreland County workers finish initial count of more than 60,000 mail-in votes.
• Trump’s lead over Biden shrinks to 196,000.

Westmoreland County Election Bureau registrars Sandy Koluder, left, and LeRee Booker, center, remove and count ballots from the ballot box after the polls closed at 8 p.m. on Tuesday night, Nov. 3, 2020, as registrar manager Sherri Link, right, watches at the Westmoreland County Courthouse in Greensburg.

Thursday, Nov. 5

• 7 a.m. Trump’s lead in Pennsylvania stands around 164,000 votes.
• Westmoreland County officials review 4,000 potentially defective mail-in ballots. Allegheny County officials pause counting until Friday due to court agreement over 29,000 mail-in ballots and state law regarding review board.
• 9:12 a.m.: Trump tweets “STOP THE COUNT!”

STOP THE COUNT!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 5, 2020

• More mail-in ballot counts in Philadelphia and elsewhere reduce Trump’s lead to around 102,000 by the afternoon.
• 6:45 p.m.: Trump steps to podium in White House to make more claims of voting fraud, stating that he “won” Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania along with Georgia. He also alleges, “If you count the legal votes, I easily win. If you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us.”
• By 7 p.m., returns show Biden passes Trump in Erie County — one of three counties the president flipped in 2016 that had twice backed Barack Obama.
• Trump’s lead dwindles to 24,000 before midnight.

A protester holds a sign that reads “Count Legal Votes” during a “Stop the Steal” rally organized by supporters of President Trump outside the City-County Building on Friday, Nov. 6, 2020.

Friday, Nov. 6

• 7 a.m.: Trump’s lead is down to 18,229 votes.
• Allegheny County swears in members of a return board to examine and count 6,800 ballots have been set aside because they were damaged or had other issues. The county has to wait until 5 p.m. to begin counting another 29,000 mail-in ballots that were reissued due to a printing error. Westmoreland County officials review as many as 4,000 ballots that had potential defects as well as count 436 ballots deposited in a courthouse drop box on Election Day.
• 8:50 a.m.: First reports of Biden taking slight lead in Pennsylvania.
• Biden takes the lead by about 5,600 votes following update of mail-in ballot count in Philadelphia, with the former vice president edging ahead with 49.4% of votes against Trump’s 49.3%.
• 11:28 a.m., Trump tweets: “This is what we know. We have to go back to the state level and how this morass came to be in the first instance. The Governor, Wolf, and the State Supreme Court, flagrantly violated the Constitution of the U.S. …”
• By 1:30 p.m., Biden’s lead increases to more than 13,000.
• Additional votes from Allegheny County in the evening push Biden’s lead to nearly 29,000.
• 10:50 p.m.: Biden addresses country from Wilmington, Del., citing leads in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Nevada. “We are going to win this race. … We are going to win Pennsylvania.”

Kristina Serafini | Tribune-Review

A member of the Return Board works to process some of the 6,800 ballots that were damaged or had some other issue in Allegheny County on Friday, Nov. 6, 2020. Approximately 29,000 other ballots that were affected by a printing mishap last month will be beging to be processed later today.

Saturday, Nov. 7

• 7:30 a.m.: Biden’s lead in Pennsylvania stands at 28,000 with some 89,000 ballots still to be counted, according the Department of State.
• 10:36 a.m.: Trump tweets “I WON THIS ELECTION, BY A LOT!“

I WON THIS ELECTION, BY A LOT!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2020

• 11:25 a.m.: The Associated Press declares Biden has been elected the 46th president of the United States, based on Biden’s lead growing to 30,000 after more votes are reported — mainly from Allegheny County and Philadelphia.
• By 3 p.m., Biden’s lead in the Keystone State stands at nearly 35,000 votes, giving him a margin of 49.7% to 49.2% for Trump. More votes remain to be counted. State law requires a recount of any elections decided by one-half percentage point or less.

Ben Schmitt | Tribune-Review

Celebrants take to the streets of Squirrel Hill after Joe Biden is declared the winner on the presidential election, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020.

Source: Tribune-Review research