Throughout the history of presidential elections, there have been many instances in which the result was not known for days or even weeks. The infamous election of 2000 took 35 days until the Florida votes were announced in favor of George W. Bush. Most recently, the election of 2020 took four days to project a winner and it seems that the 2024 election may follow suit.
As pointed out by NBC News, “The task of counting and announcing vote results from over 100,000 precincts across the country — mostly within a few hours — requires a massive operation that involves hundreds of thousands of poll workers, election officials and observers.” Many precincts may also have their own administrative processes that can affect the efficiency of their reporting.
On election night, various news sources will begin announcing the electoral votes, and while much of this reporting is correct, it is important to note that it does not become official until later.
Due to our electoral college system, the results of the presidential election are decided by about seven states, colloquially known as “swing states.” These states are Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Pennsylvania, one of the more important swing states containing 19 electoral votes, stated in August that we more than likely would not know their election results on election night. This is due to laws regarding when mail-in ballots can be counted.
Recent polls have stated that Vice President Harris and former President Donald Trump are neck and neck; given the nature of our electoral system this makes the swift reporting of those seven states even more important.
While a tie in the electoral college has not happened since the election of 1800, with the election of the vice president that year, Congress has not decided an election since the election of 1824; However many voters are beginning to wonder if this is a possibility, given that the polls are not showing an expected winner as of yet.
In order to be elected to the office of president of the United States, the candidate must win 270 of the 538 electoral votes. If neither candidate is able to receive the required majority the election will be decided by Congress.
The delay of a winner, whether that be as a result of a tie or unreported votes, has the potential to create public frustration, skepticism or even misinformation. Early counts of votes can change as more ballots are processed, especially in states with tight races, but this doesn’t necessarily always mean that this is a result of voter fraud. The protocols that are followed in order to count in-person, absentee and mail-in ballots are extensive and time-consuming, but they are also essential for both the security of the election and the accuracy of the election.
Although for many, the process of awaiting the results of the election can produce fear and anxiety, it is also important to remember that each election is an opportunity for voices to be heard and to reaffirm our commitment to democracy, regardless of the outcome.
