The American public may face a wait of several days after Election Day on Nov. 5 to know the outcome of the presidential race, Reuters reported Friday.
Several critical swing states, including Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, could be unable to declare final results for days due to processing delays, especially if the race is as close as current polls suggest. This scenario mirrors the 2020 election, where President Joe Biden was declared the winner four days post-Election Day.
READ: Florida Republicans Lead In Early Voting, Democrats Dominate Mail-In Ballots
Pennsylvania, considered a pivotal state, restricts the processing of mail-in ballots until the morning of Election Day. According to Reuters, this could result in a prolonged counting process, with former President Donald Trump currently leading by less than one percentage point in RealClearPolitics’ polling averages. Similarly, Wisconsin faces potential delays due to similar ballot processing rules and the practice of counting large batches of mail-in ballots at centralized locations, which could lead to late night vote updates.
In both states, the delays could create a scenario where Trump appears ahead initially, as mail-in ballots—traditionally favoring Democrats—are counted later, potentially altering the lead in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris.
READ: Chinese Hackers Allegedly Target Trump, Vance Cellphones Amid Election Cybersecurity Concerns
Conversely, states like North Carolina allow early scanning and processing of mail ballots, which could expedite initial counts. However, state laws permit the counting of ballots arriving after Election Day, up to 10 days later, which could delay the final outcome, much like the 2020 election.
Georgia anticipates counting all early and Election Day votes by midnight on Nov. 5, but military and overseas ballots can still be counted for three days after, which could impact the results in a close race. Nevada, another battleground state, has adjusted its rules to allow counting of early votes on Election Day, but will still accept mail-in ballots postmarked by Nov. 5 for up to four days.
Michigan has also modified its rules, enabling officials in larger jurisdictions to start processing mail ballots eight days before Election Day, aiming for a quicker result announcement this cycle. However, as with other swing states, if the margins are tight, the final tally may still take days to finalize.
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