In the 2020 elections, seven key states, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, did not have a clear winner the day after the voting. It was a long process due to the counting of mail-in ballots, which was increased by the pandemic, taking three days to know the results from other states. Finally, on Saturday, November 7, it was confirmed that Joe Biden won in Pennsylvania, which led him to the presidency.
This year, the results may also take time to be known due to the recounting of mail-in ballots. Although traditionally it was known who won on election night, this has changed since 2020 due to the increase in mail-in voting and the partisan differences in its application. Therefore, we could have a final result that takes several days to clarify, as seen in the previous elections.
While some states have modified their laws to expedite the processing of mail-in votes, there are still partisan disparities in the voting system. Some states will close their polls between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern Time, and the first indications about the result could arrive shortly after.
In 2020, Donald Trump unexpectedly won the presidency the morning after the elections. This year, uncertainty persists, and the result could be defined in a few days, depending on how close the contest is. It is possible that early and mail-in voting is less politically biased than in 2020, which could influence a quicker definition of the results.
