Why mail voting laws may slow the count in some key swing states
2 years, 1 month ago

Why mail voting laws may slow the count in some key swing states

NPR  

Why mail voting laws may slow the count in some key swing states Enlarge this image toggle caption Gene J. Puskar/AP Gene J. Puskar/AP Follow live updates and results from Election Day 2022 here. That includes the key swing states of Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, where prep work cannot start until 7 a.m. local time on Election Day. This restriction puts those states' election officials at a disadvantage in terms of turnaround times — especially when compared to states where both pre-canvassing and counting are allowed to start before Election Day. Sponsor Message Still, with close to 2 million mail-in ballots requested in Michigan as of last week — and more than 1.4 million in Pennsylvania — election officials in these closely watched states will have plenty of work left to do after the ballots are processed and ready for counting.

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History of this topic

Why Pennsylvania’s election results will take time to count
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Why Pennsylvania’s election results will take time to count

Raw Story  

The country is unlikely to know who wins the battleground state of Pennsylvania on election night. Prior to 2020, local election officials never needed to count such a large number of ballots received through the mail, and news organizations could typically announce Pennsylvania’s unofficial winner quickly. Counting may also take less time because election officials have more experience counting the …

Tracking the Status of Your Ballot in the 2024 US Presidential Election
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Tracking the Status of Your Ballot in the 2024 US Presidential Election

Hindustan Times  

The 2024 US presidential election is nearing its conclusion, with nearly 34.4 million mail-in ballots having been returned. The process of tallying these ballots takes longer and depends on the state, with final confirmation taking several weeks. However, voters can track the status of their ballots online in many states, providing a sense of reassurance and control over the voting …

Michigan may have a result much sooner in 2024 than it did in 2020
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Michigan may have a result much sooner in 2024 than it did in 2020

NPR  

Michigan may have a result much sooner in 2024 than it did in 2020 toggle caption Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images In 2020, the presidential race in Michigan wasn’t called until nearly 6 p.m. the day after Election Day — roughly 22 hours after polls closed. Changes to Michigan election law have expanded early voting in the state, and now …

Vote-counting rules in battleground states complicate when a winner is likely to be named
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Vote-counting rules in battleground states complicate when a winner is likely to be named

LA Times  

Unless polling that portends a paper-thin margin between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump is completely wrong — a possibility because of dizzying changes in how voters cast ballots as well as a pandemic-prompted overhaul of election laws — Americans should plan on going to bed Tuesday night without knowing who won the White House. It’s hard to …

This year’s vote count will be faster, but it still might take time to know who won
1 month, 3 weeks ago

This year’s vote count will be faster, but it still might take time to know who won

Politico  

“It should be sooner, but also be patient,” said Barb Byrum, the Ingham County, Michigan, clerk. The lower number of mail ballots — combined with the additional four years that election officials have had to refine their vote-counting processes — should make results available faster. But the lower number of mail ballots — combined with the additional four years that …

Trump-Appointed Appeals Court Judges Rule in Favor of Mississippi on Ballot Receipt After Election Day
2 months ago

Trump-Appointed Appeals Court Judges Rule in Favor of Mississippi on Ballot Receipt After Election Day

CNN  

A federal appeals court judges have ruled that Mississippi's post-election mail ballot receipt violates federal law. The ruling could impact legal challenges to late-arriving ballots in other states, which could make a difference in key races. The court's decision is only binding on the three Southern states covered by the circuit, and for now, the panel is not ordering that …

This year’s Electoral College map may show another ‘blue shift.’ Here’s why
2 months, 2 weeks ago

This year’s Electoral College map may show another ‘blue shift.’ Here’s why

NPR  

This year’s Electoral College map may show another ‘blue shift.’ Here’s why toggle caption Byambasuren Byamba-Ochir/AFP via Getty Images The counting of ballots can take longer in some places than in others. An analysis of the 2020 election by the MIT Election Data and Science Lab concluded that the differences in how quickly counties reported their results were “driven by …

Election experts raise alarms about vote counting delays in battleground states
3 months ago

Election experts raise alarms about vote counting delays in battleground states

CNN  

CNN — In Pennsylvania, officials are bracing for another presidential election in which the state could once again be the decisive battleground and take days to determine the winner. In Georgia, election officials can begin processing absentee ballots ahead of Election Day and a new law since the 2020 presidential election requires counties to report to the secretary of state …

1,900 New Jersey ballots whose envelopes were opened early must be counted, judge rules
6 months, 2 weeks ago

1,900 New Jersey ballots whose envelopes were opened early must be counted, judge rules

Associated Press  

Follow live: Updates from AP’s coverage of the presidential election. TRENTON, N.J. — A state judge on Friday ruled that some 1,900 mail ballots in a New Jersey county whose envelopes were prematurely opened should be accepted and counted. Superior Court Judge Michael J. Blee ruled from the bench in the case involving 1,909 mail ballots in southern New Jersey’s …

Nevada can start tabulating ballots earlier on Election Day for quicker results
7 months ago

Nevada can start tabulating ballots earlier on Election Day for quicker results

Associated Press  

RENO, Nev. — Nevada election officials can start tabulating in-person Election Day votes as they come in, rather than waiting for polls to close in an effort to get results out quicker, Democratic Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar said Wednesday. Aguilar cited state law in making the recommendation to county election officials that also include tabulating mail ballots as early …

Democrats advance election bill in Pennsylvania long sought by counties to process ballots faster
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Democrats advance election bill in Pennsylvania long sought by counties to process ballots faster

Associated Press  

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a bill long sought by counties seeking help to manage huge influxes of mail-in ballots during elections in the presidential battleground state and to avoid a repeat of 2020’s drawn-out vote count. Counties have sought that kind of a provision for years, even before 2020’s presidential election, to give them …

Election 2024: Why does each state in the U.S. have different voting rules?
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Election 2024: Why does each state in the U.S. have different voting rules?

Associated Press  

In Louisiana, any voter can cast a ballot in person during early voting ahead of Election Day. A voter enters Tuscaloosa County Ward 5, Montgomery Fire Department, to vote during a primary election, Tuesday, March 5, 2024, in Northport, Ala. A voter drops off a vote-by-mail ballot on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, during the presidential primary election in Vancouver, Wash. …

'Thousands of mail ballots not counted': PA fixing issue that disenfranchised 17K voters
1 year ago

'Thousands of mail ballots not counted': PA fixing issue that disenfranchised 17K voters

Raw Story  

Pennsylvania played a key role in deciding the last two presidential elections, and appears poised to be similarly decisive in the 2024 race. According to WPSU, Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro is now working in conjunction with Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt to fix issues with Pennsylvania's mail-in ballot system that can be confusing for some voters. Currently, commonwealth law …

Why it could take weeks to get final L.A. election results. ‘We aren’t sitting on ballots’
2 years, 1 month ago

Why it could take weeks to get final L.A. election results. ‘We aren’t sitting on ballots’

LA Times  

Ballots are received, sorted and verified at the L.A. County ballot processing facility in the City of Industry, then trucked to another facility in Downey to be counted. Vote-by-mail ballots take longer to process, particularly when a massive number of them arrive all at once on election day, officials and experts said Wednesday. “We aren’t sitting on ballots,” said county …

Midterm voting mostly problem-free in battleground states, voting advocates report
2 years, 1 month ago

Midterm voting mostly problem-free in battleground states, voting advocates report

Raw Story  

As of midday Tuesday, voting across the country has largely gone smoothly without any major issues or incidents of voter intimidation, voting rights advocates said. In Maricopa County, Arizona, one of the nation’s largest voting jurisdictions in a critical battleground state, election workers Tuesday morning reported issues with ballot tabulators at about 20 percent of vote centers. In a morning …

Nearly 46 million votes have been cast in the midterms, but it’s unclear what it means for election day
2 years, 1 month ago

Nearly 46 million votes have been cast in the midterms, but it’s unclear what it means for election day

LA Times  

James Griepsma Jr. studies his choices at a ballot marking device while voting at the office of the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022 in Norwalk. The pandemic prompted several states in 2020 to implement universal ballot delivery or change their laws to allow for early voting or voting by mail for the first time, said …

Be patient: This election is probably going to go on a while
2 years, 1 month ago

Be patient: This election is probably going to go on a while

NPR  

Be patient: This election is probably going to go on a while Enlarge this image toggle caption Sean Rayford/Getty Images Sean Rayford/Getty Images Election Day is Tuesday, but with early voting, the more accepted use of mail voting and the prospect of razor-thin races, it's really Election Season. Enlarge this image toggle caption Sean Rayford/Getty Images Sean Rayford/Getty Images Recent …

Early in-person voting starts in Wisconsin amid lawsuits
2 years, 1 month ago

Early in-person voting starts in Wisconsin amid lawsuits

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — In-person early voting began Tuesday in battleground Wisconsin amid ongoing lawsuits affecting which ballots can be counted or tossed, recently ordered bans on drop boxes, and restrictions on who can return ballots. The opening of the in-person voting period marks the beginning of the final two-week push to Election Day in the swing state where both Republican …

In-person voting starts in Minnesota, 3 other early states
2 years, 3 months ago

In-person voting starts in Minnesota, 3 other early states

Associated Press  

MINNEAPOLIS — In-person voting for the midterm elections opened Friday in Minnesota, South Dakota, Virginia and Wyoming, kicking off a six-week sprint to Election Day in a landscape that has changed much since the pandemic drove a shift to mail balloting in the 2020 presidential contest. “I like to vote early because you never know what might happen on Election …

Mail ballot fight persists in key states, sure to slow count
2 years, 3 months ago

Mail ballot fight persists in key states, sure to slow count

Associated Press  

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Former President Donald Trump and his allies seized on the drawn-out vote processing and counting in Pennsylvania during the 2020 election to fuel his false claims that fraud cost him victory in the battleground state — and election officials worry that a replay could be on the horizon in November’s crucial Senate and governor’s races. Efforts since …

EXPLAINER: How mailed ballots slow results in Pennsylvania
2 years, 7 months ago

EXPLAINER: How mailed ballots slow results in Pennsylvania

Associated Press  

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Counting of mailed ballots in Pennsylvania is drawing renewed scrutiny amid a too-close-to-call U.S. Senate primary between Republicans David McCormick and Dr. Mehmet Oz. He has relentlessly criticized the state’s voting procedures since his loss in Pennsylvania two years ago, when it took several days to tally the results from all mailed ballots. The head of the …

One-by-one: So Why is the US Vote Count Taking So Long?
4 years, 1 month ago

One-by-one: So Why is the US Vote Count Taking So Long?

News 18  

A slow grind of ballot counting has held the United States and the world in suspense since Tuesday’s presidential election. In preparation for the mail-in surge, a number of states stretched out the time after the November 3 election day that mailed ballots could be received. Then the ballots have to be removed from the envelopes, and in many states, …

Trump Claims US Election Win Even as Votes are Being Counted. Bernie Sanders Predicted it Last Month
4 years, 1 month ago

Trump Claims US Election Win Even as Votes are Being Counted. Bernie Sanders Predicted it Last Month

News 18  

Even though the US Presidential Elections 2020 were conducted on November 3, the votes are still being counted. It seems he can as is evident from his speeches at the White House where Trump has been claiming victory even as the counting of mail-in ballots in four states remains underway. The Democratic socialist leader who dropped out of the race …

EXPLAINER: A long night, or more, before president is known
4 years, 1 month ago

EXPLAINER: A long night, or more, before president is known

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Americans won’t know the winner of the 2020 U.S. presidential election until well into Wednesday — if not beyond that. In North Carolina, beginning five weeks before the election, county boards insert approved ballots into a voting machine, allowing for a prompt tabulation on Election Day. But other states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, all with Republican-led …

What to expect on US election night and beyond
4 years, 1 month ago

What to expect on US election night and beyond

Live Mint  

The coronavirus pandemic, an unprecedented number of ballots cast early, the lack of consistency about how these votes will be counted, and ongoing legal battles have made the outcome of the 2020 US presidential election one of the hardest to predict. Some of these states do not begin to count early votes until after polling stations close, and some allow …

Presidency hinges on tight races in battleground states
4 years, 1 month ago

Presidency hinges on tight races in battleground states

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The fate of the United States presidency hung in the balance Wednesday morning, as President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden battled for three familiar battleground states — Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania — that could prove crucial in determining who wins the White House. With neither candidate securing the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the …

2020 Election Results, News And Analysis
4 years, 1 month ago

2020 Election Results, News And Analysis

NPR  

Pennsylvania: Where The Race Stands Election officials are cautioning that Pennsylvania — and its highly sought-after 20 electoral votes — may not be ready to deliver complete voting results on Wednesday. “This is a stress test of the ideals upon which this country was founded and the basic rule of one person, one vote – that still carries and it …

AP Explains: The election result may be delayed. That’s OK.
4 years, 1 month ago

AP Explains: The election result may be delayed. That’s OK.

Associated Press  

We may not know who won the presidential election on Tuesday night. Without a head start, there’s virtually no way to process and count all the mail votes on Election Day, while also counting all the in-person votes. Results in those two states on election night could give hints about what lies ahead in the critical Rust Belt states that …

When Will Mail-In Ballots Be Counted? See States' Processing Timelines
4 years, 2 months ago

When Will Mail-In Ballots Be Counted? See States' Processing Timelines

NPR  

When Will Mail-In Ballots Be Counted? See States' Processing Timelines Enlarge this image toggle caption Ethan Miller/Getty Images Ethan Miller/Getty Images Updated on Wed., Oct. 28 at 11:40 a.m. to reflect the most recent rules for processing and counting ballots, per information from each state elections office gathered by NPR. A record number of voters are expected to cast their …

Pennsylvania polls: Supreme Court allows mail-in ballots to be counted three days after election in swing state
4 years, 2 months ago

Pennsylvania polls: Supreme Court allows mail-in ballots to be counted three days after election in swing state

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors …

In Swing States, Officials Struggle To Process Ballots Early Due To Strict Local Laws
4 years, 2 months ago

In Swing States, Officials Struggle To Process Ballots Early Due To Strict Local Laws

NPR  

In Swing States, Officials Struggle To Process Ballots Early Due To Strict Local Laws Enlarge this image toggle caption Laurence Kesterson/AP Laurence Kesterson/AP Even before the coronavirus pandemic, Tina Barton knew counting mail ballots would become a problem. Barton is the city clerk of Rochester Hills, Mich., and after a 2018 state constitutional amendment meant that all voters in Michigan …

Mail-in ballot requests pass 2.6M in Pennsylvania
4 years, 2 months ago

Mail-in ballot requests pass 2.6M in Pennsylvania

Associated Press  

HARRISBURG, Pa. — With three weeks to go before the Nov. 3 election, more than 2.6 million registered voters have applied for a mail-in ballot in Pennsylvania, a battleground state hotly contested by President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. In the meantime, partisan lawsuits over Pennsylvania’s poll-watching restrictions, the deadline to receive mail-in ballots and counting mail-in …

Federal judge upholds Minnesota’s extended ballot counting
4 years, 2 months ago

Federal judge upholds Minnesota’s extended ballot counting

Associated Press  

MINNEAPOLIS — A federal judge has upheld a Minnesota state court agreement that allows the counting of absentee ballots received up to seven days after Election Day. Republicans had asked U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel to block the seven-day extension that said ballots postmarked on or before Election Day must be counted. Before the consent decree, state law required absentee …

Talks to update Pennsylvania’s mail-in voting law show life
4 years, 2 months ago

Talks to update Pennsylvania’s mail-in voting law show life

Associated Press  

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Closed-door talks on updating Pennsylvania’s fledgling mail-in voting law showed signs of life Wednesday amid warnings that doing nothing will risk a dragged-out vote count in the high-stakes presidential election in the battleground state. House Republicans held an internal conference call to discuss the idea of giving counties four or five days to process mail-in ballots before …

Whitmer approves earlier processing of absentee ballots
4 years, 2 months ago

Whitmer approves earlier processing of absentee ballots

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — Clerks in Michigan cities or township of at least 25,000 people can start processing a surge of absentee ballots a day before November’s presidential election under legislation signed by Gov. Benson cautioned that because absentee ballots cannot begin to be counted until 7 a.m. on Election Day, the count may not be final until three days after …

Delays in verifying mail-in ballots will slow election tally
4 years, 2 months ago

Delays in verifying mail-in ballots will slow election tally

Associated Press  

Voters awaiting results in some of the key presidential battleground states on election night should be prepared to keep waiting, thanks to obstacles that will slow the count for what is expected to be a crush of mailed-in ballots amid the coronavirus pandemic. “I wish I had three days so we could spread it out and not be so stressed.” …

Pennsylvania counties push for changes to mail ballot law
4 years, 2 months ago

Pennsylvania counties push for changes to mail ballot law

Associated Press  

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania’s counties pressed lawmakers and Gov. The debate is happening amid President Donald Trump’s persistent attacks on the legitimacy of mail-in ballots, including his comments Saturday evening in a rally in Pennsylvania that Democrats are “going to try to steal the election.” Demand is rising for mail-in ballots because of the coronavirus, and could surpass 3 million, …

2 Republicans challenge Minnesota plan for late mail ballots
4 years, 3 months ago

2 Republicans challenge Minnesota plan for late mail ballots

Associated Press  

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A Republican state representative and a GOP activist are challenging an agreement to accept mail-in ballots in Minnesota that arrive up to a week after the November election, adding to the nationwide legal fight over voting rules before the presidential election. The lawsuit states the agreement by Secretary of State Steve Simon, a Democrat, violates federal …

Rule Changes In Swing States Mean More Votes Will Count, Results May Take Longer
4 years, 3 months ago

Rule Changes In Swing States Mean More Votes Will Count, Results May Take Longer

NPR  

Rule Changes In Swing States Mean More Votes Will Count, Results May Take Longer Enlarge this image toggle caption Gerry Broome/AP Gerry Broome/AP Voters in a number of swing states this November will have more leeway in getting their mail ballots back in time to count, should rule changes announced in the past week hold up to legal challenges. In …

US election: Mail voting in battleground states in spotlight
4 years, 3 months ago

US election: Mail voting in battleground states in spotlight

Al Jazeera  

Policies in states expected to have razor-thin margins could affect number of rejected ballots and tallying time. While President Donald Trump has largely sought to keep attention on unfounded claims that voting by mail leads to higher rates of fraud, voting advocates have instead highlighted an array of changes to how states process votes by mail that they say could …

Wisconsin election clerks rush to mail ballots after delay
4 years, 3 months ago

Wisconsin election clerks rush to mail ballots after delay

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — Election clerks across the presidential battleground state of Wisconsin rushed to mail absentee ballots Tuesday, less than 24 hours after the state Supreme Court lifted a temporary freeze on sending them while it considered a legal challenge. “Oh, we’re busy,” said Wendy Helgeson, the Town of Greenville clerk who also serves as president of the Wisconsin Municipal …

Wolf, Republicans at odds over Pennsylvania election law
4 years, 3 months ago

Wolf, Republicans at odds over Pennsylvania election law

Associated Press  

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Gov. Tom Wolf and Republican state lawmakers remained at odds Thursday over how to update Pennsylvania’s voting laws to handle an expected avalanche of mail-in ballots in November’s presidential election in the battleground state, even as Philadelphia moved ahead with an ambitious election plan. “Everything we do, Republicans, Democrats, everything we do should be focused on increasing …

Gray area of mail-in voting law up to Pennsylvania court
4 years, 4 months ago

Gray area of mail-in voting law up to Pennsylvania court

Associated Press  

HARRISBURG, Pa. — With a federal lawsuit from President Donald Trump’s campaign on hold until October, it could be up to Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court to settle crucial questions of election law in the presidential battleground, including whether to count mail-in ballots returned without secrecy envelopes. The Democratic Party’s lawsuit, among other things, asks the courts to order counties to count …

Fixing Pennsylvania mail-in vote glitches goes down to wire
4 years, 4 months ago

Fixing Pennsylvania mail-in vote glitches goes down to wire

Associated Press  

HARRISBURG, Pa. — With barely three weeks to go before counties can begin mailing out ballots, lawsuits are filling the vacuum of action to fix problems or ambiguities with Pennsylvania’s mail-in voting laws after a primary election that saw record-smashing numbers of mailed-in votes amid the coronavirus pandemic. Postal Service’s warning about its delivery times when it asked the state …

Mail-delivery concerns put spotlight on ballot deadlines
4 years, 4 months ago

Mail-delivery concerns put spotlight on ballot deadlines

Associated Press  

Postal Service warnings that it can’t guarantee mailed ballots will arrive on time have put a spotlight on the narrow time frames most states allow to request and return those ballots. In letters to state election officials late last month, the Postal Service warned many of the deadlines for absentee ballots and ballot applications “may be incongruous with the Postal …

Pennsylvania says votes arriving up to three days after election will be counted
4 years, 4 months ago

Pennsylvania says votes arriving up to three days after election will be counted

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. "Ballots mailed by voters on or before 8pm on Election Day will be counted …

Pennsylvania asks court to extend mail-in voting deadlines
4 years, 4 months ago

Pennsylvania asks court to extend mail-in voting deadlines

Associated Press  

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Citing a warning by the U.S. Tom Wolf’s administration is asking the state Supreme Court to extend deadlines for mail-in ballots to be received in the November election when Pennsylvania will be a premier presidential battleground. But Wolf’s administration pointed out that state law allows voters to apply for a mail-in ballot up until a week before …

'Swing County, USA' Prepares For Unprecedented Influx Of Ballots By Mail
4 years, 5 months ago

'Swing County, USA' Prepares For Unprecedented Influx Of Ballots By Mail

NPR  

'Swing County, USA' Prepares For Unprecedented Influx Of Ballots By Mail Enlarge this image toggle caption Fatma Tanis/NPR Fatma Tanis/NPR The county government cafeteria in Northampton County, Pa., is a large, airy room with big windows and, for now, lunch tables separated by plexiglass. It's just a little more work," says Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure Jr. "Based on our …

Court: Absentee ballots that come after election won’t count
4 years, 5 months ago

Court: Absentee ballots that come after election won’t count

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan appeals court denied a request to require the counting of absentee ballots received after the time polls close on Election Day, ruling that the battleground state’s deadline remains intact despite voters’ approval of a constitutional amendment that expanded mail-in voting. The League of Women Voters of Michigan and three voters sued in May, seeking a …

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