Election results may take several days to emerge as states process high volumes of mail-in ballots. Experts say "slow is in the eye of the beholder" regarding these delays. Six states, including Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, only started counting these votes on Election Day, which keeps many Americans waiting for clarity.
Mail-in ballots are often slower to process in states with high volumes of them, and the count cannot begin until Election Day in some cases.
It's Election Day, an exercise in democracy that seemingly never fails to leave Americans hanging on every last ballot to be counted.
Gather your patience, and some caffeine, as experts say it may take several days, if not longer, for complete results to emerge, introducing an element of uncertainty to races that could decide control the Senate, House and governorships.
The waiting game is expected to raise a recurring question in U.S. elections: Why are some states much slower to report results than others?
"Slow is in the eye of the beholder," said David Scott, vice president of elections for The Associated Press. (Many news media outlets, including The New York Times, rely on the news organization's race calls.)
What usually causes counting delays?
Voting by mail, which gained in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic, has become increasingly common in several states, particularly in the West. But, experts said, that convenience does not always lend itself to the speed of processing and counting ballots.
Six states, including Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, do not allow election officials to begin processing those ballots until Election Day, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Subscribe to The Times to read as many articles as you like.