Wisconsin 2020 election results: Joe Biden wins key battleground state

Joe Biden has secured the key battleground state of Wisconsin with a marginal majority of 0.6 per cent. The state has been called for Biden with 99 per cent of the estimated vote reported.

In anticipation of Biden's win, the Trump campaign announced early on Wednesday that they will request a recount in the state of Wisconsin, with campaign manager Bill Stepien claiming "reports of irregularities". A recount is permitted in Wisconsin if the winning margin is one per cent or below, and would need to be completed with 13 days of the request having been made.

One of three northern industrial states where Mr Trump most surprised the Democrats four year ago, Wisconsin was still tallying the ballots on Wednesday.

In nationally broadcast remarks delivered in his home city of Wilmington, Delaware, Joe Biden said: "It ain't over until every vote is counted."

The former vice president told the crowd: "We're feeling real good about Wisconsin and Michigan.

"And by the way, it's going to take time to count the votes but we're going to win Pennsylvania."

City at centre of racial protest

In the days leading up to the election, President Donald Trump rallied in Kenosha, the Wisconsin city at the centre of racial protests this summer, in a final hour bid to prove the polls wrong and retain the White House.

On the eve of Election Day in the tensest race in recent memory, Mr Trump flew to five rallies in four swing states, hammering home the dark message that his Democratic opponent will bring anarchy and that attempts are being made to rig the result against him.

The choice of Kenosha for his penultimate rally underlined his push to make right-wing anger over nationwide anti-racism protests a keystone of his campaign.

It was here in August during a botched arrest that police shot a Black man at close range while his children looked on, sparking riots and inflaming widespread anger already spreading across the United States.

"We brought law and order to Kenosha," Mr Trump said to cheers, as soon as he took the stage. "They're waging war on our police."

Read more: US election 2020 live updates

Covid-19 could also be a factor in deciding the race in Wisconsin, where new cases doubled last week.

Mr Trump urged the state's Democratic governor to lift restrictions that aim to slow the virus's spread. Most in the crowd of several thousand did not wear masks.

"You've got to open up your state and you've got to do it fast!" Mr Trump said at a rally.

Legal issue of mail-in ballots

Part of the delay of the result came about following a legal issue surrounding mail-in ballots.

Wisconsin election officials cannot count mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day, a conservative majority of the US Supreme Court ruled on October 26.

The 5-3 ruling left in place a decision by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which said it was too close to Election Day to make significant modifications to the voting process.

Liberal Justice Elena Kagan dissented, saying the majority's decision would "disenfranchise large numbers of responsible voters in the midst of hazardous pandemic conditions."

Read more: 2020 election state-by-state results map