Close Races, New Rules, Mail-in Ballots and Election Deniers Mean Election Night is Not Likely to Be Results Night



Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

Election night is unlikely to be “results night”.  Irresponsible candidates may exploit an extended time to declare a winner and say there’s something illicit about the process.  In fact, it’s our patriotic friends and neighbors who serve as poll workers, taking the time needed to get it right.  

Mail-in ballots require extra steps for election officials, as the ballots are checked-in, outer envelopes opened, and identification documents verified. During 2020, folds in mail ballots slowed the tabulation process.  New rules streamlined processing in some states, allowing mail ballots to be processed before election day.  But in some state more layers of ID have been added, and counting can’t take place until election day.

There are also likely to be more challenges to voter eligibility from partisan poll watchers, a voter suppression tactic expanded by some state legislatures under the guise of “election integrity.”  Addressing challenges consumes election officials’ time.

Close races may also trigger an automatic recount, or a candidate may request a recount.  These generally take place after election night, but delay the results, often for days. Such recounts generally start with a second run through a tabulator, then a hand count, if necessary.  

We need to give the checks and balances of our system the time to work, supported by our heroic poll workers.  Find out more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Reuters – Explainer: Why we may not know the winner of the US presidential election on Nov. 5

538.comWhen Will We Know 2024 Election Results?
The Hill – When will we know the results of the presidential election?
CNN – How news outlets are bracing for an election night cliffhanger
Washington State Standard – Final results may lag in deadlocked presidential contest, anxious election officials warn
Protect Democracy – The 2024 Vote Count:  What to Expect


Groups Taking Action:
Protect Democracy, Common Cause, Election Official Legal Defense Fund, Public Citizen

Check Your Voter Registration:


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