We have this idea that we should be able to know the results of an election as soon as the polls close. It is just another example of instant gratification that shows up throughout our society. We know that local elections are easier to count than State-wide elections, but computers are fast so larger elections shouldn’t take forever – right? Well, maybe not. With this election during the Coronavirus Pandemic we will see a much greater use of vote-by-mail than we may have ever seen during our lifetime and that could mean delay.
Different States have different laws when it comes to counting the votes so if you are not sure how the process works in your State it would be good to find out the truth rather than get all upset for nothing. Once you know how the ballots get counted in your State, you should consider all the things that could slow the vote counting down. There will be lots of envelopes to open and lots of signatures to verify. There will be lots of trays of ballots that will have to be moved and fed into the tabulating machines. Each of these steps will probably be observed by security officials and, in some cases, by representatives from each political party so we can be confident that any apparent irregularity will be fully and quickly investigated and that will add time to the counting.
As all of these steps take place, there will be someone paying attention to be sure that all the ballots get counted once and only once. But what about those ballots that may not have arrived at the counting location before the end of counting on election night? Your State has something in the law that explicitly defines what happens to those ballots in terms of how they are handled and processed and counted and added to the election results before the election can be certified.
Certification is the final step of an election where the election officials effectively audit the processes that have taken place in terms of how the ballots have been handled and counted. The certification is that final step that makes it all official. The certification is the final step that makes our democracy a democracy. The discipline that leads to the final certification is what makes our peaceful transition of power the envy of many other governments around the world.
Now, what if the election outcome is overwhelming in favor of one candidate? Usually, that candidate will be the recipient of a phone call from the opponent conceding the election, but maybe not this time. What if the election outcome is close? The counting rules define the criteria for a recount and they will be followed to determine the outcome. Finally, what happens if something untoward is alleged to have taken place that wasn’t resolved during the vote counting? Well, that is when the lawyers get involved and you can be confident of more delay. This election could very well have some lawyering involved before we are done, but don’t worry because there will be no shortage of observers to verify the outcome.
The important thing for all of us to remember is that our laws must be followed if we are to have a proper result and, this year, following the law may well mean a delayed result, but a delayed result will eventually be certified as the official result so we should all be patient and let the professionals do their work.
This election promises to be memorable for many reasons so please pay attention, be patient and make sure you have your facts straight so you can tell your grandchildren all about the Presidential Election of 2020.
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