As thousands of voters travel to the polls for 2024 Election Day, a number of factors could delay finalizing the results.
The race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump is tighter than in past elections, so the results could take longer to determine. Voters expect the winner to be declared within hours of poll closure, but several determining factors could cause delays.
Most polls close at 7:30 pm ET, and with the race being neck and neck for weeks now, media outlets may delay announcing the winner longer. If the results show narrow margins, a recount could be granted. Something similar happened during the 2020 election cycle. A recount may be required in Pennsylvania if there is a half-percentage-point difference between the candidate votes to determine the winner.
The margin was just over 1.1 percentage points in 2020. President Joe Biden wasn’t declared the official winner until four days after Election Day when Pennsylvania results became more apparent.
Legal measures also get in the way of determining the winner at a crucial time. During the 2024 election period, over 100 pre-election lawsuits have already been filed by members of the Republican Party, with some being geared toward voter eligibility and voter roll management. According to WDSU, rules against mail-in ballots play a significant role in result delays, especially in swing states. “Election officials have to process all absentee ballots –- in Milwaukee, Green Bay -– all the ballots are sent to a central location, and then processed,” Common Cause Wisconsin member Jay Heck said.
“Election results will not be known until after midnight.”
Following past issues with voter fraud, both election and state officials have issued statements prepared to defend the results on their own turf and nationwide. “I stand ready to defend the results of the election with election officials all across the states,” Republican Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said. Michigan’s Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson followed suit, saying, “We’ll be there to make sure accuracy and security is prioritized over efficiency.”
Voter turnout has been high in most states due to early voting and mail-in ballots. However, election poll workers will be busy on Election Night, especially in battleground states. Top election officials in Georgia anticipate close to 75% of votes will be counted within the first two hours of polls closing. In Nevada, results could take days to determine. The state allows mail-in ballots to be counted if they were sent on Election Day and don’t arrive after Nov. 9.
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