DELAWARE & SANTA MONICA – Peace on earth and goodwill to all. Election day is proceeding as usual and there isn’t anything out of the extreme ordinary.
The race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump is anticipated to be close. Results may not be evident by nightfall due to usual delays in processing and verification of mail-in and early votes.
Early mail ballots favoring Harris will likely be counted first in many states, creating a “blue mirage” that could shift as in-person votes from Election Day are tallied. Republican voters are expected to favor in-person voting.
Key battlegrounds like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Nevada have different ballot counting procedures that could delay outcomes by days, particularly if races in these states remain tight.
Citizens across the country consider this election to be pivotal for the future. The race’s intensity has drawn many early voters, and both campaigns have prepared for legal disputes in case of contested results. Should the results come down to a razor-thin margin, further legal challenges, reminiscent of the 2000 Bush v. Gore scenario, which lasted more than five week. Observers anticipate potential delays during the vote certification process.
According to AP, in 2020, nearly two-thirds of voters cast their ballots early, a significant increase spurred by the pandemic and part of a long-term trend toward early voting. Every state now offers options for casting ballots ahead of Election Day. Alabama was the first state to distribute mail-in ballots for the 2024 election, beginning September 11. As of today, 83,852,398 advance ballots have been returned across the U.S. for the 2024 general election.
Some referential content courtesy of AARP, Ben Hickey, The Mint, Standard and Politico.
