WATCH: Joe Biden repeats call for calm as ballot counting continues

In a speech to the nation from his home state of Delaware, Democrat Joe Biden repeated his call for calm as a high turnout, a massive number of mail-in ballots and slim margins between the two candidates all contributed to the delay in naming a winner.

Watch Biden’s remarks in the player above.

“We’re going to win this race,” Biden said.

He told American voters that democracy works and their votes would be counted.

Biden held leads in Pennsylvania, Nevada and Georgia, putting him in an ever-stronger position to capture the 270 Electoral College votes needed to take the White House.

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There was intense focus on Pennsylvania, where Biden led Trump by more than 16,000 votes, and Nevada, where the Democrat led by about 22,000. The prolonged wait added to the anxiety of a nation facing historic challenges, including the surging pandemic and deep political polarization.

Biden said he knows tensions are high, but he urged Americans to “remain calm, patient, and let the process work out.”

Biden pledged all all votes “will be counted.”

A handful of states remained in play Friday evening – Georgia, North Carolina too early to call along with Pennsylvania and Nevada. In all four states the margins between Donald Trump and Biden were too narrow and the number of ballots left to be counted too great for the AP to declare a victor.

More election coverage:

• Biden ahead in Georgia and Pennsylvania, Trump attacks process
• Explore the live election map
• Follow all of our live 2020 election updates.