Michigan is expected to go blue for Joe Biden as of Wednesday afternoon. The former vice president gained an advantage on Wednesday morning, and that advantage over President Donald Trump slowly increased throughout the day. Now, Michigan’s 16 votes have been unofficially assigned to Biden. If Arizona and Nevada both hold their Biden leads, he will have enough electoral votes to clench the presidency.
Heading into Election Day, Biden was favored to win the race, per extensive data analysis by FiveThirtyEight. A Michigan win for Biden would all but secure his path to victory, the site reported, as there are very few paths to victory for Trump that don’t include a Michigan win.
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The final presidential polls for the 2020 election consistently showed Biden in the lead, with many of them reflecting an advantage beyond the margin of error. A Morning Consult poll, conducted from October 22 to November 1, reflected a 7-point advantage for Biden, with Biden receiving 52% to Trump’s 45%.
Similarly, a Research Co. poll conducted from October 31 to November 1 revealed 53% support for Biden, compared to 45% for Trump, indicating an 8-point lead.
Both candidates have visited Michigan in recent weeks. On Monday night, Trump visited Traverse City and told the crowd, “If we win Michigan, it’s over.”
Similarly, Biden and former President Barack Obama held a drive-in car rally in Flint over the weekend. Obama was videotaped nailing a 3-point shot in a basketball gym in Flint during their visit. The video has since gone viral:
Additionally, vice presidential nominee and Senator Kamala Harris visited Detroit early on Election Day. After touching down at Detroit Metro Airport, Harris said, “We just want to remind everybody the polls close at 8 o’clock tonight. It’s important everyone votes. It determines the path to the White House and who will be the next president of the United States.”
Harris added, “We’re here to remind the people of Detroit that they are seen and heard by Joe and me.”
Michigan Went Red for Trump in 2016; It Went Blue for Obama in 2008 & 2012
Michigan is considered one of a few swing states that could determine the trajectory of the election. In 2016, it went red for Trump, but just barely — the state was split nearly in half, with 47.5% of votes going to Trump, and 47.3% of votes going to Hillary Clinton. That .2% advantage was enough to secure all 16 of Michigan’s electoral votes for Trump.
In 2012, Michigan went blue for Obama, with 54.2% support, compared to 44.7% support for Senator Mitt Romney. In 2008, Obama received an even higher margin of victory from Michigan, with 57.4% of support, compared to John McCain’s 41%.
You can read more about Michigan’s presidential election history at 270toWin.
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