$2.75 DESIGNATED AREAS HIGHER © 2020 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2020 latimes.com STILL COUNTING RACE HANGS ON SEVERAL KEY STATES d APP DRIVER MEASURE AHEAD IN CALIFORNIA By Mark Z. Barabak President Trump and challenger Joe Biden battled into Tuesday night with no clear winner, as major contests re- mained too close to call and prospects grew that a decision in the presidential race would await an ongoing count of votes cast before election day. The president asserted without evidence that Democrats were trying to steal the election and tweeted, “We will never let them do it.” “Votes cannot be cast after the Poles are closed!” he said, misrepresenting the tallying of votes cast before election day. (He subsequently corrected the spelling of “polls.”) Twitter immediately ANALYSIS flagged Trump’s statement with a disclaimer saying it was “disputed and might be misleading” about the No blue election. Both candidates staked a series of victories where they were expected to prevail, as wave Biden claimed a lead in the popular vote. Indeed, the po- litical map was shaping up to look a good deal as it did four as tally years ago. In perhaps the least sur- prising development of the night, the contest appeared goes on to narrow to the three Great Lakes states — Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — that delivered the presi- By David Lauter dency to Trump in 2016. But this time, it could take days to know the outcome. WASHINGTON — As Biden easily won Califor- the country settles in for a nia as part of a West Coast prolonged count to deter- sweep and carried other mine the winner of the 2020 Democratic strongholds, in- election, this much is clear: cluding Minnesota — which Democratic hopes for a wave Trump narrowly lost in 2016 of votes that would sweep — as well as Biden’s home away barriers to progressive state of Delaware. policy changes have suffered Trump once again won a significant setback. Carolyn Cole Los Angeles Times Florida — the campaign’s Joe Biden continues to FORMER VICE PRESIDENT Joe Biden, with his wife, Jill, speaks to a drive-in rally overnight in his home- biggest battleground — and have a strong chance of win- town of Wilmington, Del. “I’m here to tell you tonight we believe we’re on track to win this election,” he said. prevailed throughout most ning the presidency by car- of the GOP-leaning Deep rying the big industrial ■■■ INSIDE ■■■ South and other Republican states of Pennsylvania, bastions. He also won the Michigan and Wisconsin, as A yearning for Republican-leaning states well as Arizona, where he calm amid clamor of Ohio and Texas, where holds a strong lead. The Biden made a late play. party will also retain control Their duty fulfilled, vot- That left just a handful of of the House and probably ers across the nation sit states that will decide who add to its majority by at least back and wait. A4 claims the 270 electoral col- a few seats. lege votes needed to win the But in the final weeks of No mail ballots White House. the campaign, favorable to be left behind Biden was ahead in Ari- polls and a flood of cam- A federal judge orders zona. Trump was leading in paign money had raised USPS to check for unde- the rest: Georgia, North Car- Democratic hopes of a sig- livered envelopes. A10 olina, Michigan, Pennsylva- nificantly larger victory, one nia and Wisconsin. that would decisively repu- Gascón has early But millions of early diate the Trump-era Repub- lead in D.A. race votes — which are likely to fa- lican Party, expand Demo- vor Biden — remained to be crats’ House majority, give Incumbent Jackie Lacey tabulated. them clear control of the trails ex-prosecutor who That was precisely the Senate and open the way to has touted reform. B1 nightmare scenario many passage of long-stalled legis- Challenger ahead Democrats feared. lation on voting rights, cli- Biden addressed sup- mate change, immigration in council contest porters shortly before mid- reform and other Demo- If Nithya Raman defeats Brian van der Brug Los Angeles Times night in his hometown of cratic priorities. incumbent, she’d be first A TRUMP supporter stands in front of a line of Beverly Hills police in Beverly Wilmington, Del., express- Instead, the election re- in 17 years to do so. B1 Gardens Park. Despite fears of election violence, Tuesday was mostly peaceful. [See Presidential, A6] [See Analysis, A5] PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION Prop. 22 passing but 270 electoral votes needed to win Control of Senate BIDEN TRUMP UNDECIDED rent control sputters 225 213 100 remains up for grabs legacy of the iconic tax-cut- out a win, Democrats’ path By John Myers By Janet Hook and ting law, Proposition 13. 117TH CONGRESS to a majority would narrow Jennifer Haberkorn In all, political action HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES significantly. SACRAMENTO — Cali- committees spent more 218 seats to control the House Democrats had headed fornia’s most expensive bal- than $785 million to support DEMOCRATS REPUBLICANS UNDECIDED WASHINGTON — into election day favored to lot measure campaign sea- or oppose the 12 Democrats’ hopes of sweep- win a slight majority in the son ended Tuesday with a propositions on the Novem- ing to a Senate majority be- Senate, but returns were split decision on the year’s ber ballot, according to an gan to fade as marquee con- mixed early on. most high-profile proposals, analysis by The Times. Four 174 169 92 tests stretched into over- Sen. Cory Gardner of Col- with voters appearing to of the 10 most costly ballot SENATE time and some of the most orado was beaten by Demo- grant companies such as measure campaigns in Cali- vulnerable Republican in- cratic former Gov. John Uber and Lyft the right to fornia history were weighed 51 seats to control the Senate cumbents remained in con- Hickenlooper, whose candi- keep their drivers as inde- by voters in this election, led DEMOCRATS REPUBLICANS INDEPENDENT tention as the vote counts dacy was boosted by Presi- pendent contractors but re- by the $226 million in con- dragged on. dent Trump’s unpopularity jecting a plan to expand rent tributions either for or Sens. Thom Tillis of in the state. But Gardner control to more homes and against Proposition 22, the 44 47 2* North Carolina and Susan had been Democrats’ eas- communities. effort led by Uber and Lyft to Collins of Maine, whose de- iest target, and their gain of Election night returns of- ensure the companies’ driv- * Previously caucused with Democrats. feats had been considered [See Senate, A8] fered no clear sign for a fierce ers aren’t classified as com- 7 Senate races undecided. Results as of 11:15 p.m. Pacific time essential building blocks of a battle to raise business pany employees. new Democratic majority, property taxes, a bitter cam- Proposition 22 main- held narrow leads over their paign that surfaced long- tained a steady lead in Tues- MORE ONLINE opponents in nearly com- simmering tensions over the [See Propositions, A14] Visit latimes.com for up-to-the-minute coverage. plete results. If either eked A2 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2020 LATIMES.COM PERSPECTIVES ■■■ ELECTION 2020 ■■■ LETTER FROM WASHINGTON Legitimacy for our democracy was on ballot DOYLE McMANUS tions that the voting proc- ess is “rigged” and his refus- America is al to promise a peaceful a divided transition of power if he nation — loses. and the A president who wins by presidential underhanded means will campaign rightly appear illegitimate. only made He may claim a mandate, the condi- but he won’t have one. tion worse. The runner-up needs to Partisan- acknowledge reality and ship has spiked. Armed give a concession speech — militias showed up at cam- the more graceful, the bet- paign rallies. Gun sales ter. That’s how the losing soared. side acknowledges that the In New York, Los Ange- winner is legitimate. If the les, Washington and other losing candidate refuses to cities, shop owners nailed do it, other leaders in his plywood over their windows. party should do it for him. In a Gallup poll last month, Step two is working to a record 64% of people said bring the country together, they were “afraid of what as earlier presidents did will happen” if their favored after divisive campaigns. candidate didn’t win. That means a serious “You just don’t want to attempt to revive bipartisan talk to people anymore,” deal making in Congress, Mary Jo Dalrymple, a 56- starting where the two year-old retiree in Greens- parties share similar goals burg, Pa., told me. “You’re — another economic relief Alex Brandon Associated Press afraid it will be unpleasant.” bill to help the country SEEMA VERMA, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, has taken every step imaginable This isn’t normal — not through the pandemic, for to hamper the nation’s premier public health programs, such as promoting work requirements for Medicaid. in decades, perhaps not example. since the Civil War. It also requires granting Even with nearly a quar- your opponents the pre- ter-million deaths, and sumption of legitimacy, no 100,000 infections a day, our matter how much you dis- most durable problem isn’t like their policies. the COVID-19 pandemic; a Biden, who spent 36 The brazen harm inflicted vaccine can solve that. Nor years in the Senate, has is it the recession; the econ- already said he would try to omy probably will recover work with Republicans in once the virus is quelled. Congress if he’s elected.