Democratic candidate Joe Biden says the numbers show he will win the race for the presidency. He is leading in Pennsylvania and Georgia.

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has once again urged people in the United States to remain patient and calm, as ballot-counting continues in a handful of states that hold the key to the White House.

In an address from Wilmington, Delaware late Friday evening, Biden said “We do not have a final declaration of victory yet, but the numbers are clear we will win this race.

“Look at the national numbers we are going to win this race with a clear majority and the nation is behind us. We’ve gotten over 74 million votes,” he said.

Biden took the lead on Friday in Pennsylvania and Georgia, two states that are still counting ballots, and edged closer to a victory in the closely contested presidential contest against President Donald Trump.

The Associated Press news agency says both states, as well as Nevada, North Carolina and Alaska, are still too close to call.

Despite that, Biden appears confident the final numbers will be in his favour.

“We’re going to be the first Democrats to win in Arizona in 24 years. We’re going to be the first democrats to win Georgia in 28 years,” he said.

He said he wanted all ballots to be counted.

Biden is currently projected to win 264 Electoral College votes, according to AP, compared with 214 electoral votes for Trump. To take the presidency, a candidate needs 270 Electoral College votes. Biden has a clearer, easier path towards victory at this point than Trump does.

“We are on track to over 300 Electoral College votes,” Biden said, in his brief address. He said he and his running mate, Senator Kamala Harris were not just waiting for vote results, but were meeting with health and economic experts, and have a plan to handle the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout for when they take office.

Trump addressed the nation on Thursday from the White House, where he repeated baseless claims that widespread voter fraud has taken place in the election.

On Friday, Trump – who falsely claimed he had won the election in the early hours of Wednesday – tweeted that Biden “should not wrongfully claim the office of the president” because legal proceedings were just beginning.

The Trump campaign has filed lawsuits in several states demanding the vote count be suspended, while also signalling its intention to demand a recount in Wisconsin, which AP projected Biden to have won.

Courts have already rejected some those legal challenges, and experts have said they do not believe the lawsuits would significantly affect the outcome of the vote.

Biden said he hoped he would address the nation again on Saturday.