On Tuesday, November 3, millions of people across the United States headed to the polls to participate in the 2020 elections. The Democratic ticket of former Vice President Joe Biden and California Senator Kamala Harris defeated Republicans Donald Trump and Mike Pence. Following numerous days of intense and closely-watched vote counting, Biden and Harris were declared the winners. Most across the United States and around the world are in consensus, pointing out that the Biden-Harris ticket won legitimately. Following the election, Trump refused to admit that he lost and began waging a series of legal suits in order to maintain his grip on power.
During the November election, voters also decided who would fill 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the U.S. Senate. In the House, Democrats have maintained a majority, winning 218 seats compared to the Republicans 201 seats. While they have kept control over the House, some races have yet to be called. In the Senate, Republicans are in the lead with 48 seats compared to the Democrats 46 seats. A total of 51 seats are needed to form a majority. Party control of the Senate will likely be decided by January 2021, with two runoff elections taking place in Georgia. Races in North Carolina and Alaska also remained uncalled.
The 2020 elections were unprecedented in many ways. First, this election was the first since 1992 in which an incumbent president failed to win re-election to a second term. Second, with more than 75 million votes, Biden won the most votes ever cast for a candidate in a U.S. presidential election. And third, this election also had the highest voter turnout since the election of 1900. About 160 million people were estimated to have cast their votes in 2020, bringing voter turnout to more than two-thirds of the countrys 239.2 million eligible voters.
Today, we bring you a special on the 2020 elections and the impact of poor people and communities of color. During todays program, you will hear a post-election message to the nation delivered by the Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, Co-Chair of the Poor Peoples Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival. Rev. Theoharis discusses the results of the election and what they mean for those of us most impacted. Then, you will hear an exclusive speech delivered by the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, Co-Chair of the Poor Peoples Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival. Rev. Barber discusses the power of voting in the lead up to the election and the importance of unleashing the participation of poor people and communities of color. Rev. Barber also argues that organizing among the poor, around an agenda that represents the concerns of the poor, can fundamentally change the political map of the United States and lead to policies that are just and representative for all people.
