Washington, November 11: Georgia, the province where Democratic Party's Joe Biden was declared winner in a cliffhanger battle against President Donald Trump, will be conducting a vote recount. Top officials in the state announced that all ballots would be recounted by hand, a process that may last for a few days. China Refuses to Acknowledge Joe Biden's Victory in US Elections, Russia Maintains Silence.

In the results which were called by CNN and Associated Press on Saturday, Biden ended up winning Georgia by a narrow margin. The counting was still underway, and the results so far showed Biden widening the lead by 14,112 votes. 99 percent of the ballots had been counted.

"With the margin being so close, it will require a full, by-hand recount in each county," Secretary of State Raffensperger said at a press conference.

Raffensperger, a Republican, has also directed officials to complete the vote count by November 20 -- by when the certificate of election results are required to be issued.

Georgia accounts for 16 electoral college votes, and is considered key in powering Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election. Trump, who is yet to concede defeat, has alleged a massive voter fraud through the use of mail-in ballots.

His campaign team has filed several lawsuits, and are also gearing up for a battle in the Supreme Court. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday claimed that he is looking forward for a smooth transition into the "second term" of Trump's presidency.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 11, 2020 11:19 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).