ELECTION 2020

Clay County election officials are working to be more transparent with the public to build trust in the election system.

Georgia will take center stage at Tuesday’s January 6 committee hearing.

ATLANTA – Voting precincts in Georgia closed Tuesday at 7 p.m. in what’s been the most expensive Senate race in U.S. history. After the polls closed, the state began counting vote-by-mail ballots in addition to the votes cast Tuesday. More than 3 million Georgians had voted early, either by mail or during in-person voting in December. If Democrats win both seats, they will have control of the Senate, as Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will become the tiebreaking vote. The early turnout was expected to benefit Democrats, as it helped Biden in November become the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Georgia since 1992.

ATLANTA – Georgia’s top elections official said his office plans to recertify the state’s election results Monday after a recount requested by President Donald Trump confirmed once again that Democrat Joe Biden won the state. Georgia law allows a losing candidate to request a recount if the margin between the candidates is within 0.5%. Since the results of a recount become the official results, those counties had to recertify their results. The secretary of state’s office was still waiting Monday on one county — Coffee County in south Georgia — to recertify its results. After the initial count following Election Day, Raffensperger selected the presidential race for an audit required by state law.

In Duval County, members of the Hispanic community say they saw more campaigns targeting their votes this year. “Most politicians, the wise politicians, at some point or another have addressed the Hispanic community,” said Hispanic voter Carlos Bouvier. Out of 37,496 Hispanics registered to vote in Duval County, 9,289 are Republicans, 14,597 are Democrats and 13,004 have no party affiliation. “I come from an island where we have a big government with high taxes," said Hispanic voter Emilio Ruiz. Hispanic voters say also in their minds while voting were responses to disaster relief and passing the minimum wage.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Times are tense right now and that’s made many of you upset with the coverage of the 2020 presidential election. From President Donald Trump to his top supporters, there’s a lot of doubt in the election results and the free press. This sentiment spills over into local news coverage, like what we’ve been doing WJXT for 71 years. Social media followers have dropped across the board at most local news outlets since the results of the election. They cannot rely on unfounded claims on social media.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody signed on Monday to a brief aimed at convincing the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that allowed Pennsylvania elections officials to count some late-arriving absentee ballots. Moody was one of 10 Republicans attorneys general who filed the brief in a challenge to a decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that allowed counting absentee ballots received up to three days after the Nov. 3 election. The case is one of a flurry of lawsuits filed by Republicans alleging potential ballot fraud in various states. The GOP attorneys general in Monday’s brief said the decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court “exacerbated the risks of ballot fraud” in the key swing state. The brief was filed by Moody and the attorneys general of Missouri, Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, South Dakota and Texas.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As President Donald Trump’s campaign continues to make allegations of fraud and systemic problems in last week’s election, without enough evidence in court, he will not be able to overturn his election loss to President-elect Joe Biden. News4Jax on Monday spoke with legal experts about what it will take for Trump to have any hope of overturning the election but didn’t speak with one attorney or analyst who thinks this is an easy path for the president. The most critical state where Trump would need to win a lawsuit would be in Pennsylvania. Some wonder whether Trump would have more success in the U.S. Supreme Court, where he has installed three justices during his term. There are some critical deadlines Trump’s legal process is fighting against to win in court.

The 2020 election continues to focus on Georgia. First and foremost, former Vice President Joseph Robinette Biden will become the 46th president of the United States," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. I believe the President may have legal challenges underway in five states.”While Schumer and McConnell disagree in Washington, D.C., Georgia is fighting through election controversy. Buddy Carter, who represents Southeast Georgia and was just reelected to the House of Representatives. Carter said the election dispute is about fairness -- not whether someone is Republican or Democrat.

As President-elect Biden begins his transition to take over the reins of power in January, President Trump has yet to concede the election. His campaign has already filed multiple lawsuits in swing states around the country where the vote count was close. The issue of the lawsuits the Trump campaign intends to file is complex because there are simply so many. The most critical lawsuits at this point appear to be in the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania, which President-elect Biden is beating President Trump by about 40,000 votes. Trump campaign lawyers said another lawsuit will be filed Monday.

“Have a uniform direction, transparency across the country -- for the businesses, for the individual, across the country and county. “What we needed from the beginning, the basic things that science has taught us at this point is to wear that mask, social distance and hand hygiene." Reza said he supports a national mask mandate, something Biden advocated during his campaign. “I am, because science is going to take the lead on fighting this pandemic and that’s what we need,” Reza said. “It is not a political reason to not wear a mask or to wear a mask.

Athletes across the country were out in full force Saturday after the Associated Press declared that Joe Biden won the presidential election. Lakers star LeBron James had been particularly outspoken on Twitter in the lead up to the election, but went with humor on Saturday. Yoooo @KingJames y’all can go to the White House and celebrate y’all title G! FOE and more THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! 🇺🇸 ✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼 — Megan Rapinoe (@mPinoe) November 7, 2020Alex Morgan, another part of the U.S. women’s soccer national team, had this photo to share.

Joe Biden is promising to take the country on a very different path from what it has seen over the past four years under President Donald Trump, on issues ranging from th...

Barack ObamaFormer President Barack Obama tweeted: “Congratulations to my friends, @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris — our next President and Vice President of the United States.”Congratulations to my friends, @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris — our next President and Vice President of the United States. Now we have a President-Elect and Vice President-Elect who will serve all of us and bring us all together. #adayofcelebration — B.A.Priestly Jackson (@Priestjax) November 7, 2020Florida Democratic PartyFlorida Democratic Party Chair Terrie Rizzo released the following statement:"Congratulations to President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris. President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are ready to go to work for American families. #justsaying #PatriotsHoldTheLine #CountEveryLegalVote — Kat Cammack (@Kat_Cammack) November 7, 2020Mitt RomneySen. Mitt Romney said: “Ann and I extend our congratulations to President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.”Ann and I extend our congratulations to President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.

(Photo by John Moore/Getty Images) (2020 Getty Images)Trump supporters gather for a demonstration outside the TCF Center on Nov. 6, 2020 in Detroit. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images) (2020 Getty Images)Trump supporters gather for a demonstration outside the TCF Center on Nov. 6, 2020 in Detroit. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images) (2020 Getty Images)Supporters of President Trump hold signs and chant slogans during a protest outside the Philadelphia Convention Center. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images) (2020 Getty Images)Supporters of President Trump yell at a counter protester at the Maricopa County Elections Department office on Nov. 6, 2020 in Phoenix. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images) (2020 Getty Images)

It’s been exhausting waiting for the results of the 2020 election to come in, but there has been one good thing that has come out of all this: The memes. Specifically, the memes about Nevada. So without further ado, here are the best memes floating around the internet -- that will surely give you a much-needed laugh. Nevada: pic.twitter.com/XldmGVrex6 — 🧞‍♂️ (@JafarTheGenie_) November 5, 2020This is how Nevada counts ballots pic.twitter.com/JQFy83B2WV — Max Burns (@themaxburns) November 5, 2020Live footage of Nevada working on those ballots pic.twitter.com/14RrZ2Ce8w — Miss Cuffy, Unstable Genius🥃🔥 (@MissGFYCuffy) November 5, 2020Nevada after counting 113 ballots in one day. pic.twitter.com/JAkgsBNT2p — Erick Fernandez (@ErickFernandez) November 5, 2020And finally...

Democrat Joe Biden has been declared the winner in both Pennsylvania and Nevada, eclipsing the 270 Electoral College votes threshold to become the projected winner of the presidential race and end President Donald Trump’s tenure after just one term. Biden took the lead early Friday in both Georgia and Pennsylvania. The Associated Press called Pennsylvania for Biden on Saturday morning to give him enough electoral votes to win. Biden was on track to win the national popular vote by more than 4 million, a margin that could grow as ballots continue to be counted. With Pennsylvania’s 20 electoral votes and the six from Nevada, Biden is now at 290, according to the AP.

The state’s voters are facing two key deadlines: the cure ballot deadline and an absentee ballot deadline for military and citizens living overseas. Voters in the peach state can cure absentee and provisional ballots until the end of the day. Georgia law says voters with cure ballot issues can be contacted by email or phone call. Meanwhile, 8,899 absentee ballots from military and overseas voters have not yet been returned to election office as of yesterday morning. Gabriel Sterling, who oversees the state’s electronic voting system, said it’s federal law that ballots which meet those requirements are counted.

A handful of pivotal states remained in play Thursday in the tightly contested U.S. presidential race. But there are outstanding ballots left to be counted in the coming days. North CarolinaThe situationWith ballots left to count, the race is too early to call. As long as those ballots are postmarked by Nov. 3, state election officials have until Nov. 12 to count them. And when it comes to mail ballots, Biden was outperforming Trump.

We found the following 11 photos from Getty Images, and we thought they were worth a share. (Getty Images)Pierre, a 5-year-old basset hound, apparently is a loyal fan of then-President Johnson -- and was happy to pose with a campaign button. (Getty Images)A dog wears a campaign sticker for Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden during a campaign stop at the Buttercup diner on March 3, 2020 in Oakland, California. This photo was taken in front of the White House as the pups wore campaign buttons for Lyndon B. Johnson for President. (Getty Images)In Honolulu, Hawaiian women are seen casting their votes during a presidential election -- and even a dog doesn't dare peek.

There are some major changes for the Clay County school district. There has also been a major shift on the Clay County School Board. Longtime School Board member Carol Studdard, who has been a board member for almost three decades, lost to Beth Clark. The other headline of note in Clay County is Studdard losing her re-election bid for the first time. District officials tell News4Jax wanted this new tax hike to be a sales tax so it wasn’t specifically funded only by property owners in Clay County.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida voters approved an amendment raising the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour over the next six years. On Wednesday, News4Jax spoke with a couple of small business owners about the impact that the change will have on business. Amendment 2, which was approved by a supermajority of Florida voters, will raise Florida’s minimum wage gradually over the next six years. 2 - Raising minimum wage Raises the state’s minimum wage to $10 per hour effective Sept. 30, 2021, and increase it each Sept. 30 thereafter by $1 until the minimum wage reaches $15 per hour on Sept. 30, 2026. From that point forward, future minimum wage increases shall revert to being adjusted annually for inflation.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Even though Duval County finished the overall counting of ballots, the canvassing board is still working to make sure every legitimate vote is accepted. By Saturday, the elections results in Duval County have to be certified and sent to the state. The canvassing board is also looking at vote-by-mail ballot where signatures don’t match the signature on file. That could have put a kink in Duval County elections results. Chris Hand, a lawyer for the Duval County Democratic Party, was one of those who raised the objection.

Elections results versus pre-election polls are two very different showings. Several polls had former Vice President Joe Biden winning the election and even him turning Florida blue. While we still do not know the winner of the 2020 presidential election, we know Florida did not go blue. This includes the results to many pre-election polls. Florida is a battleground state that some polls anticipated could flip from red to blue.

There’s no doubt that Election Day this year was one for the books. After record-setting early voting, people still showed up in droves on Election Day to cast their ballot. Below are 10 photos -- all from Getty Images -- that give an indication of how different this Election Day looked. (2020 Getty Images)Protesters march through the streets around Black Lives Matter Plaza on Nov. 3 in Washington DC. (2020 Getty Images)Did you feel things were different this year?

While most Americans continued awaiting the presidential election results, history was silently being made in Delaware. Sarah McBride, 30, made history on election night by becoming the first openly transgender person to be elected to the state Senate in U.S. history. “I hope tonight shows an LGBTQ kid that our democracy is big enough for them, too,” McBride tweeted Tuesday night after the election was called. McBride is a former spokesperson for the LGBTQ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign and also became the first trans person to speak at a major political convention. McBride will represent parts of Bellefonte, Claymont and Wilmington, the state’s largest city.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Despite record numbers of mail ballots and early voting, Florida’s secretary of state said the state saw medium to high turnout on Election Day. She said the election went smoothly here, but there were isolated issues. Florida Secretary of State Laurel Lee reported the state’s election systems were not compromised by cyberattacks and called the election a success. “And what we have seen today is an example of incredible teamwork between Florida’s voters, our poll workers and our supervisors of elections,” Lee said. Lee also noted voters were well mannered and respectful at the polls.

Florida voters on Tuesday approved raising the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour over the next six years, which advocates say will lift the pay for hundreds of thousands of workers in the state’s service-heavy economy. A supermajority of Florida voters approved the amendment to the Florida Constitution that will raise Florida’s minimum wage from the current $8.56 an hour to $15 an hour by 2026. Although Florida’s current minimum wage is higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, supporters of Amendment 2 said it is impossible to live on that wage given the state’s cost of living. Raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour will increase the income of a quarter of Florida’s workforce, according to the Florida Policy Institute. Florida joins seven other states that have made plans to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour over the next several years.

JACKSONVILLE, Fa, – Republican Jody Phillips defeated Democrat Jimmy Midyette in the race for Duval County clerk of court. It was one of the few local races on the ballots of Jacksonville voters this year. Phillips' margin of victory was 51% to 49%. Duval County Clerk of the Court Ronnie Fussell, who has served as clerk since January 2013, is term-limited and cannot seek re-election. Phillips will take over for outgoing Court Clerk Ronnie Fussell, who could not seek reelection after eight years in office.

A half-cent sales tax measure to benefit schools in Clay County was passed by voters on Tuesday, bringing the county much-needed relief for improvements to schools there. The measure, which passed 56% to 44%, will increase the sales tax in Clay County to 7.5 cents beginning Jan. 1, 2021. Coordinator of Planning and Intergovernmental Relations Head Jim Fossa said that Clay County expects to need five to seven new schools in the next five to 10 years due to growth in Clay County. Here’s a look at how that half-cent sales tax will benefit area schools. It is the second major funding boost that Clay County voters will have approved for schools in recent elections.

Celebrities -- they’re just like us. Well, not really, but they definitely vote, and they definitely post selfies on Election Day with their “I Voted” sticker. Here are a few celebs who have let social media know they are exercising their constitutional right to have their voice heard. Laura DernSnoop DoggJessica AlbaNatalie PortmanJennifer LopezCharlize TheronBlake Lively and Ryan ReynoldsDemi LovatoDrew BarrymoreLizzoMariah CareyKerry WashingtonAshlee Simpson RossReese WitherspoonHalle BerryNick JonasSelena GomezBrittany SnowJimmy FallonJoe Jonas

The former vice president is competitive in all the battleground states Trump carried in 2016, and has put a handful of traditional Republican states, including Georgia and Arizona, in play. Grab the binoculars and focus on these 10 states as election returns start rolling in:Florida: 29 electoral votesAll eyes are on Florida, a swing state known for razor-thin election tallies. If Trump doesn’t win Florida, he’s going to have a rough time capturing enough states to stay in office. As early voting began in the state, Biden expanded his ad buys into every corner of Ohio. Trump won Arizona in 2016, but it is no longer an ironclad GOP stalwart.

Most Trump voters say he has changed Washington for the better; most Biden voters say he's changed it for the worse. About half of Trump voters called the economy and jobs the top issue facing the nation, while only 1 in 10 Biden voters named it most important. A majority of Biden voters — about 6 in 10 — said the pandemic was the most important issue, more than twice the share of Trump voters. Trump voters were more likely than Biden voters to say they agreed with their candidate all or most of the time, 81% versus 74%. Biden voters were somewhat more likely than Trump voters to say they’ve felt the impact in at least one of those ways, 73% to 62%.

Political teams across Graham Media Group are watching “battleground” races in Texas, Florida, Michigan and Virginia. TEXASThe entire state of Texas itself is something of a battleground with Democrats holding onto a longshot hope of turning the long-red state blue. Here’s a report from KPRC2 in Houston and KSAT in San Antonio on competitive districts in the Lone Star state:Follow all Texas results on Click2Houston and KSAT.com. Follow all Florida results on News4Jax, ClickOrlando and Local 10 (Miami). Follow Virginia results on WSLS.com.

Not far from where her son was shot and killed, Wanda Cooper-Jones cast her vote. “I couldn’t miss the election for nothing,” she said after voting in Glynn County on Tuesday. McMichael, his father, Gregory, and William Bryan face murder and various other charges in relation to Arbery’s death. Arbery’s death became a major national story after video of the encounter was released in early May. Former President Barack Obama called Arbery’s murder an “injustice.”In the following months, his first name alone became enough to evoke passionate and emotional responses.

Here’s what voting across the nation looks like today -- one of the most historic election days in recent history. (2020 Getty Images)Would-be voters learn they are not registered at their precinct at the O.P. (2020 Getty Images)Voters cast their ballot at The Orpheum Theater on Nov. 3 in Madison, Wisconsin. (2020 Getty Images)Voters stand in ballot boxes at the Kentucky Exposition Center on Nov. 3 in Louisville, Kentucky. (2020 Getty Images)

If you need help with WJXT’s or WCWJ's FCC public inspection file, call (904) 393-9801. Copyright © 2020 News4Jax.com is managed by Graham Digital and pubished by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings.

Fla. – One of the amendments you will vote on this year is a minimum wage initiative, Amendment 2. Floridians can decide to raise the minimum wage over time. The minimum wage in Florida now is $8.56 an hour. If voters approve the measure by sixty percent, the state minimum wage goes up to $10 in September 2021. The debate over raising the minimum wage in the state has largely pitted employers against workers.

Some people think that celebrities should stay out of politics, but that hasn’t stopped these famous people from throwing their support behind Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden or current President Donald Trump. Celebs supporting Trump:Kirstie AlleyThe outspoken actress tweeted a couple weeks ago that she was supporting the incumbent president in the upcoming election. Celebrities supporting Biden:Taylor SwiftAfter staying silent about who she was voting for in the 2016 election, Swift has made it very known that she is supporting Biden in this year’s race. Chris EvansCaptain America himself has been working around the clock, it seems, to get people motivated to get out the vote this election. He has critiqued the current administration on Twitter and thrown his support behind Biden.

It doesn’t matter who or what you’re voting for in the 2020 election, if anything is clear, it’s that Americans are STRESSED about the results.

As Election Day finally arrives it is going to be easy to feel overwhelmed by the volume of information being aimed at every single voter in the country. As polls open here are five things to watch for on Election Day 2020:Many, many reports, photos, and videos of long lines. You can also share what you are seeing with the Trust Index team and we’ll get to work on it. Use the Trust Index form to send it to trained fact-checkers for review and possible debunking on a newscast or online. The Trust Index team fact checks questionable information circulating on social media and in our communities.

We understand documenting that you’ve voted is important to a lot of people — especially when you get that “I Voted” sticker. You should be proud of yourself for casting your vote, but know that there are strict rules in some places when it comes to taking pictures at polling places. “No photography is permitted in the polling room or early voting area, except an elector may photograph his or her own ballot,” the Florida Legislature website states. Voters should always practice courtesy and common sense, and you can always ask a poll worker to specify what the rules are. When in doubt, just wait until you’re back in your car to snap that “I Voted” sticker selfie.

We’ve heard of people out in droves who voted early or sent a mail-in ballot. Lines at early-voting precincts have had some crowds waiting hours -- but to cast a ballot, many find the time well-spent. Pflughoeft was fascinated with politics and determined to vote in the 2020 General Election, so she mailed in her ballot early. All the other states have various stipulations as to whether they will allow the ballot of a deceased person to count, such as when the person died and when the death is learned. However, if past elections are any indication, votes from people who pass away before Election Day generally don’t have an impact on the results, according USA Today.

Both the Duval County and Clay County school districts are hoping voters will approve half-cent sales taxes meant to fund school building improvements and security upgrades. Duval County half-cent sales taxIn Duval County, a half-cent sales tax on sales would rake-in nearly 1.72 billion over its 15-year life. NEWS4JAX VOTER’S GUIDE | Duval County Amendment 2: half-cent sales tax for schools | Clay County: School sales taxClay County half-cent sales taxIn Clay County, a half-cent sales tax would collect more than $13.46 million a year, but this one would have a 30-year lifespan -- doubling Duval County’s. And, despite being a third of the size of DCPS, Clay County District Schools has twice the amount of portable classrooms. News4Jax also put together a map that plots all the schools in the Clay County school district with planned expenditures.

BRUNSWICK, Ga. – With one day of voting left to go, Georgia has already shattered voting records from 2016. In Glynn County, election workers said they’ve already surpassed the number of voters they had after Election Day 2016. In Brunswick, Deborah Alcantara dropped off her father’s mail-in ballot on the day before Election Day. “For two months, he’s been unconscious with pneumonia and COVID. Already the county has surpassed the number of votes counted by Election Day in 2016.

Opponents contend it’s not the time for such a tax yet and that institutional changes need to be made first. One of those opponents is Chris Oliver, father to a preschooler in the school district. “It’s not that this doesn’t need to be passed, but it doesn’t need to be passed quite yet," Oliver said. News4Jax constructed an interactive map showing where the district is planning to invest the tax revenue if the referendum passes. A similar ballot measure is being weighed by voters in Clay County’s school district.

It can sometimes be difficult to know what in your social media feed is legitimate news or opinion and what is there to purposely misinform you. Fergus Bell, one of the founders of Fathm who helped News4Jax establish the Trust Index, was on The Morning Show on Monday to talk about how to look for misinformation and disinformation on Election Day and beyond. We’ve seen elsewhere in the world that people have died because of misinformation that has been shared on social media. If you have questions about any information you are seeing, you can always send it to the News4Jax Trust Index Team. For more examples of claims we have already explored, check out the Trust Index page.

Trust Index: How you can become a fact-checker on Election DayPublished: November 2, 2020, 10:34 amFergus Bell, one of the founders of Fathm who helped News4Jax establish the Trust Index, talks about how to look for misinformation and disinformation on Election Day.

The only way to cast a ballot now is to drop off a mail-in ballot if you haven’t or, more likely, show up in person at your precinct Tuesday. Read the News4Jax Voter’s GuideFind your precinct and know what you needUnlike early voting, Election Day voters can only vote at their precinct. In order to vote at the polls, citizens must show a current and valid picture and signature identification. How to get your last-minute mail-in ballot countedIf you requested a vote-by-mail ballot and haven’t returned it already, the U.S. If your mail-in ballot was rejectedOne of the most common reasons a mail-in ballot is rejected is because of a problem with the signature.

ATLANTA – The most competitive election cycle in decades could confirm Georgia as a swing state or leave Republicans still in control. Williams, a state senator and chair of the Georgia Democratic Party, wants to use federal power to provide more subsidized health care and guarantee voting rights. The race in Atlanta’s northern suburbs centers around arguments about health care, abortion, support for police and gun control. Bourdeaux, a public policy professor, says government needs to do more to provide access to health care and solve people’s problems. Pandy pledges a bipartisan little-guy approach, saying his priorities include better access to health care, a higher minimum wage and an end to tariffs.