If you were hoping to know the winner of the presidential election before you go to sleep on Nov. 3, you're almost definitely going to be disappointed. That's because, due to the large amount of absentee ballots and extended deadlines in some cases, the results in several states may not be tallied until a few days after the physical polls close. Of course, there are a number of things that dictate whether or not waiting for every ballot to be counted will be necessary (the 270 electoral votes needed to win could be achieved before a full count is finished). But if the race is close, it's likely the winner won't be announced for days.
In four key states, the margin of victory is expected to be particularly narrow, so it may be hard to know who won until their ballots are fully counted. And in some of these states, the absentee votes won't be in in full until as late as Nov. 12. Read on to discover the states that are most likely to delay election results. And for more on the places where votes are of particular importance, check out This Is How Every Swing State Is Expected to Vote in the 2020 Election.
Read the original article on Best Life.
1 | Michigan
ShutterstockAs of the morning of Nov. 2, election officials in Michigan are allowed to open and organize absentee ballots in cities with more than 25,000 residents. However, they can't begin counting them until the day of the election. And due to the fact that a big chunk of the state's population is expected to vote this way, getting to the final tally may take a couple of days.
"Absentee ballots take longer to process and count than ballots cast at polling places," Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said in a statement. "And unlike other states, Michigan law provides very limited ability for clerks to prepare them ahead of Election Day. Because of this, and the significant increase in voters casting absentee ballots, it could take until Friday, Nov. 6, for all ballots to be counted. Depending on how close the races are, this likely means that outcomes will not be determined on Tuesday."
2 | North Carolina
ShutterstockIn North Carolina, ballots that arrive by as late as Nov. 12 will be counted so long as they were postmarked by Nov. 3, according to NPR. And just like Michigan, if the race is close enough and those late-arriving absentee ballots are necessary to determine a winner, the final result would remain unclear for several days after the election. And for more up-to-date information delivered to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
3 | Pennsylvania
ShutterstockSimilar to North Carolina, election officials were granted an extension by the Supreme Court to accept absentee ballots up to three days after the election, as long as they are postmarked by Nov. 3. According to a statement from Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar, the "overwhelming majority" will be counted by Friday, Nov. 6.
4 | Wisconsin
ShutterstockWhile Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers says he hopes that the results will be available sometime before the end of Election Day, it's likely to be closer to the following day, according to Julietta Henry, the Milwaukee County elections director. Henry estimates her country will be done counting absentee ballots between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4.
"If it takes longer than that, we just ask that you be patient because we want to make sure every vote is counted and is counted accurately," Henry told NPR last week. "We'll be here til it's done." Wondering how to navigate the polls safely? Check out The One Thing the CDC Says Voters Shouldn't Do During Election Day.
