Officials urge patience, stating that the outcome of the close race in the US election may not be known for days.
Officials are warning that it may take days to determine the winner of what might be a historically close presidential contest as voters get ready to cast their votes on election day.
Through a process known as the Electoral College, US citizens vote for 538 electors who will select the president rather than directly for a president.
The winner of the state’s popular vote receives the votes of each state’s Electoral College. bigger states receive a bigger percentage of the 538 available Electoral College votes since they have more representatives in the US Congress.
In order to surpass the halfway point and secure the keys to the Oval Office, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and her Republican opponent, Donald Trump, will be competing to reach the crucial 270 votes.
However, experts warn of an increasing likelihood of delays and problems, such as legal challenges over the vote count, as this year’s contest comes down to the wire.
More than 82 million voters—more than half of all 2020 ballots—have cast their ballots before Tuesday.
What is the duration of the count?
When the contest is close, it may take days before a winner is predicted, even if the first polls close at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time (2300 GMT).
On Saturday, November 7, 2020, US media announced Democratic candidate Joe Biden as the victor, despite polls closing the previous Tuesday.
The wait times for voters were reduced in 2012 and 2016.
Local election officials, who may be elected or appointed, process and count the votes once they are cast. The techniques used for tallying differ depending on the locale.
While Pennsylvania and Wisconsin have not modified their election laws, many states have done so to enable mail-in or abroad ballots to be counted before Election Day.
Both are potential battlegrounds for any side. Counting may be slowed because mail-in ballots cannot be handled until November 5.
Recounts can also be triggered by particularly close vote counts.
By whom is it certified?
US news organizations call races based on what they observe in the voting, rather than waiting for local officials to declare winners.
However, this procedure is not official, and all ballots must still be counted in order for the results to be confirmed at the state level.
After states have until December 11 to confirm their results, the electors chosen by each state will vote for the winner of their popular vote.
Harris, the Senate President and Vice President, must obtain the electoral certifications of every state by December 25.
Before the next president is sworn in on January 20, Congress counts and verifies the results on January 6.
What could be the reason for delays?
Although certification is merely a formality, experts caution that the likelihood of obstacles is increasing.
In a blog this month, Brookings researchers pointed out that at least 22 county election officials decided in 2022 to postpone certification in battleground states.
Compared to 2020, this represented an almost 30% rise. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington “may be in a position to do so again,” citing at least 35 election officials who “refused to certify election results.”
The campaign group cautioned that successful resistance might affect federal and state certification deadlines.
When Trump refused to concede the 2020 election, the certification process became particularly politicized and came under investigation. Covid-19 also postponed the results in 2020.
Ahead of Election Day, both parties have filed a flurry of lawsuits, which might make the counting more difficult.
