Think you’ll know election results tomorrow night? Think again
A record number of mail-in ballots and early voting will delay results
It’s easy to imagine we’ll know who won the presidential election tomorrow night. After all, that’s how it’s always been done. But this year will be different because of the coronavirus pandemic.More than 100 million people voted early or by mail for this election — far more than ever before. That means it will take longer to count the votes. Many states won’t even start counting mail-in ballots until Election Day. So we may not know the results of the election for days, or even weeks, after the polls close.
This doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with the election. It’s simply a reflection of the fact that more people are voting by mail this year because of the pandemic. We can expect a similar delay in future elections as voting by mail becomes more popular.
What does this mean for you?
If you’re used to knowing the election results on election night, you’ll need to be patient this year. It may take several days, or even weeks, to know who won. Don’t be surprised if the results are still in doubt on Wednesday morning.
It’s also important to remember that there is no evidence that mail-in ballots are more likely to be fraudulent than in-person ballots. In fact, studies have shown that mail-in ballots are just as secure, if not more so, than in-person ballots.
So what can you do?
The best thing you can do is to be patient. We can expect a delay in the election results this year. But that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with the election. It’s simply a reflection of the fact that more people are voting by mail this year because of the pandemic.
