Dueling demonstrations appear outside Pennsylvania ballot counting place

Dueling demonstrations appeared outside of the Philadelphia Convention Center on Thursday where the state’s votes are being counted as officials say the state nears the completion of counting ballots. 

The demonstrations come after a “stop the count“ protest appeared in Detroit on Wednesday and an anti-Trump group — Republicans for the Rule of Law — launched more than 100 billboards in Pennsylvania calling on officials to “count every vote.” 

In footage of the demonstrations, dozens of protesters in support of President Trump can be seen crowded directly outside of the convention center holding Trump-Pence flags and signs. Across from them, counter-protesters supporting Democratic nominee Joe Biden can be seen advocating for ballot counting to continue.

Other footage shared with Twitter from Vice News shows demonstrators from both sides having discussions. Neither of the rallies appeared to turn violent.

There are 100 or so people advocating for counting ballots. There is less than half that on the side supporting Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of illegal voter fraud.

Here, people from both sides are having conversations. @VICENews pic.twitter.com/sSNQBX6R7S

— Alexis Johnson (@alexisjreports) November 5, 2020

Vote counting is still ongoing in the Keystone State, and the president currently has a slight lead over Biden in vote totals in the state. Biden has surged to close the gap as mail-in votes and votes in heavily Democratic counties have continued to come in. 

No projected winner has been declared in the state as of Thursday afternoon.

Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar said Thursday that the “overwhelming majority” of ballots will have been counted by days end, which could give a clearer picture of who will win the most critical swing state left on the electoral map.

At this point, the president cannot win reelection without the state. 

“It’s looking like we’ll have the overwhelming majority counted by today,” she said.

The Trump campaign on Wednesday filed a lawsuit to stop Pennsylvania’s ongoing ballot-count amid a multistate legal fight to not have votes counted beyond election day. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) called the lawsuit “simply wrong.” 

“It goes against the most basic principles of our democracy. It takes away the right of every American citizen to cast their vote, and to choose our leaders,” Wolf said during a press conference Wednesday evening. “Our election officials at the state and local level should be free to do their jobs without fear, without intimidation, without attacks. These attempts to subvert the democratic process are simply disgraceful.”

The campaign was granted one legal victory Thursday, in which a court gave it more leeway to watch the vote count. The Philadelphia County Board of Elections has appealed the decision to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. 

According to The Associated Press, Biden has already amassed 264 electoral votes over Trump’s 214. A win in Pennsylvania would give Biden the White House.