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Trump camp loses bid to stop vote count in Pennsylvania, both parties allowed 60 observers during ballot tally

US District Judge Paul S Diamond suggested that each of the parties be allowed 60 observers from their side at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in downtown Philadelphia
UPDATED NOV 6, 2020
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

Although President Donald Trump did not exactly get what he wished for when his campaign filed a motion to stop the vote count in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, November 5, even as the POTUS' lead over Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the state boiled down from hundreds of thousands to a few tens of thousands, a district judge has allowed both sides to observe the fraught tally. 

US District Judge Paul S Diamond suggested that each of the parties should be allowed 60 observers from their side at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in downtown Philadelphia, according to The Sun. Pennsylvania is expected to continue the count of mail-in ballots well into Friday, which is the deadline for submitting a final vote tally for the state. 

Whoever is declared the projected winner of the state gets to add 20 electoral votes on their side and could be the deciding factor in determining who gets to rule the Oval Office for the next four years. After Biden was seen flipping key swing states like Michigan and Wisconsin blue, a win in Pennsylvania became all the more imperative for Trump if he wants to win the election. As of 3.30 am EST on Friday, Trump was leading Biden by just over 18,000 votes in the state. 

The Philadelphia City Commissioners released a statement on the judge's ruling, confirming that the federal court had denied the Trump motion. "The City Board of Elections agreed to keep the barrier for all observers where it is — at six feet for now, and to continue to admit observers in compliance with the law, but no more than 60 per side," it read "The President and his campaign representatives had falsely claimed throughout the day that their representatives were not allowed in the room."

Supporters of US President Donald Trump hold signs and chant slogans during a protest outside the Philadelphia Convention Center as votes continue to be counted following the 2020 US presidential election on November 5, 2020, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Getty Images)

The office then revealed that the Trump camp was eventually forced to admit that they actually had "several representatives in the room." "In fact, they had at least 19 party representatives as observers in the Convention Center this afternoon, and more than 15 in the room while the case was being heard this evening," the stinging statement continued. "These representatives were already allowed to view the canvas from a close distance, and nothing changed in that regard as a result of this hearing. We currently await a decision from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on this exact issue."

Their statement concluded that The Board of Elections "will oppose efforts to slow down the ongoing count in court and will continue to treat all parties equally." "The Board has been completely transparent in its election process and the Trump campaign has had certified canvas observers in the Convention Center to view the counting operation all day long today as it has since the pre-canvas began on Tuesday at 700 am," it added.

Meanwhile, there were reports that the Philadelphia police are investigating an alleged plot to attack the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Thursday, November 5. According to a 6abc Action News report, police were tipped about a group, possibly a family, driving up from Virginia in a Hummer to launch an attack at the Convention Center where votes are being counted in Philadelphia.

The report says a man was taken into custody, but it's not confirmed how or if the man is connected with the investigation. Police say they recovered a weapon and believe they recovered the Hummer they received a tip about, said the report. No injuries have been reported.

RELATED TOPICS PHILADELPHIA NEWS PENNSYLVANIA NEWS
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