Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden edged closer to victory on Saturday, with his lead in the battleground state of Georgia increasing and vote counts still under way in several other states.
Biden’s lead over President Donald Trump grew to 7,248 votes on Saturday morning, up from 4,430 a few hours earlier, media outlets including CNN reported, citing US election authorities.
With a margin this narrow, votes are almost certain to be recounted in Georgia, though the momentum indicates a recount would probably confirm Biden’s lead.
If Georgia is called for Biden and he retains his lead in Arizona, he would have enough votes to pass the critical 270 mark in the Electoral College and take the presidency.
Results are still too close to call in several states, where crucial mail-in votes are being counted, though Biden is favoured by the tabulations.
In Pennsylvania, the Democrat has 28,833 more votes than Trump. In Nevada, Biden’s advantage grew to 22,657 votes while his lead decreased slightly to 29,861 votes in Arizona.
If Biden wins either Georgia or Arizona, he would need only one more state to secure enough votes to win the White House – while a win in Pennsylvania would take him straight to the presidency.
Trump has made baseless claims that the vote has been rigged. Numerous election officials, including members of both major parties, have said bluntly that there is no widespread fraud.