The other day, something strange came up in Joe Biden’s speech on democracy. It was easy to miss because it occurred toward the end of his remarks when listenership is generally much lower than at the beginning of an address. But for those who heard it – alarm bells went off:
“We know that more and more ballots are cast in early voting or by mail in America. We know that many states don’t start counting those ballots till after the polls close on Nov. 8. That means in some cases we won’t know the winner of the election for a few days — until a few days after the election. It takes time to count all legitimate ballots in a legal and orderly manner. It’s always been important for citizens in the democracy to be informed and engaged. Now it’s important for a citizen to be patient as well. That’s how this is supposed to work.”
Election Results Slowdown
Whoa, whoa, whoa -- wait a minute here. Why is the president telling the American people to expect election results in a few days? Why is he calling upon the citizenry to be patient? And why is he asserting this is how it’s supposed to work?
For years – no, decades – Americans have received timely results from the TV networks on election night, with a few notable exceptions in 2000 and 2020. These days, television outlets have their own decision desks crunching numbers. Should there be a close call, they sometimes wait to announce an individual race until the Associated Press news wire seconds the motion. Since this is an off-presidential year, there is no real reason the American people shouldn’t be able to wake up on November 9 and know who won what race.
The notable exception to that would be in the Georgia senate contest between incumbent Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker. Due to a rather arcane rule, at least one candidate must receive at least 50%+1 of the votes or face a run-off. Polls indicate a close race is expected, complicated by a libertarian candidate on the ballot. Still, other than this Peach State competition, the counting across the nation should be relatively pro forma.
Who Does the Counting?
Each state has a unique system determined by local officials. The downside to this is that chief election officials are partisan actors. In 33 states, the election authority is chosen by its people. In the other 17, the state legislature or the governor appoints someone with that authority. In most places, the secretary of state is where the buck stops.
Some may remember the Democrats were up in arms in 2000 because the presidential election ultimately came down to certification by Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris. She also served as the Sunshine state’s co-chair of the Bush-Cheney campaign. On the other side of the coin, in 2020, Republicans cried foul because so many state election officials were Democrats. In the last two years, the GOP has sought to balance that out, and now the Dems are complaining even before election day. Let’s just say neither side trusts the other to have its finger on election results in an individual state.
This year, a similar tangle is developing in the Arizona governor’s race between Secretary of State Katie Hobbs and Republican Kari Lake. The GOP is calling for Hobbs to recuse herself from the official role as the highest election official in the state due to an obvious conflict of interest. This is a close contest, but so far, Hobbs has refused to step aside, setting up the potential for a post-voting brawl in the Grand Canyon state.
Here’s How Election Counting Works
Across the U.S., counting votes takes place in three stages: First local precincts report their numbers to county or local officials with an “unofficial result.” These figures are announced on election night when the television host says, “with xx number of precincts reporting in.” This is the only number available on election day; historically, these statistics have been reliable.
Later, county authorities double-check these figures and make corrections where necessary in what’s known as the canvassing phase. Finally, these results go to the state governing official or body for certification.
One recent monkey wrench in American voting has been the advent of allowing early mail-in ballots. According to several sources, more than 15 million Americans have already voted in 2022. Most states offer an early tracking tool where a voter can log in to an online portal to check on the status of their ballot. For example, in Minnesota, optical scanners tabulate mail-in votes. These tabulators aren’t opened until election day.
The Pennsylvania acting secretary of state has already issued a warning that “vote-counting could take days in that state,” according to a prominent Washington newspaper. This prompted cries from former Trump official Richard Grenell who tweeted, “Any state which doesn’t count all the votes and announce the winner Tuesday night is incompetent.” Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch seconded Grenell’s motion with “UNACCEPTABLE” in all caps on his Twitter account.
Grenell and Fitton are not alone in their mistrust of lengthy vote counting because each day that passes beyond Nov. 8 could open the door to potential shenanigans. One voter told Liberty Nation that they hoped the midterm results would be swift and that the counting “Doesn’t suddenly stop at midnight to see how many more votes the Democrats need.”
U.S. elections are remarkably decentralized, which has historically been a good thing because the alternative would likely be a federal takeover – which could easily open another can of worms. Such as it is, the electorate expects a timely counting of the votes on the evening of Nov. 8. Considering public trust in American elections is at an all-time low, a lengthy counting process will further undermine citizen confidence.
