After the US presidential election, it could take days or weeks to find out whether Joe Biden or Donald Trump won. Millions of Americans are more likely to vote by post due to the coronavirus, which means the delay in counting all the votes will be greater.
When we will get a result of US election 2020?
The result of the election is usually called election day night, which is November 3 this year. Different states stop voting at different times. The first election will end at 19:00 (00:00 GMT) local time on the East Coast.
After this the total votes run as they are counted in each state. Major US media outlets “call” a state when they believe a candidate has an invincible lead. This is an estimate, not the end result. The same happens when the whole election is called for a candidate.
American presidents are not determined by a national vote, but by winning enough states. In each state the winner takes a certain number of “electoral votes” based on its population size. The White House needs 270 electoral votes to win.
Following his victory in Wisconsin in 2016, elections were called for Donald Trump at approximately 02:30 EST (07:30 GMT) on the required 270 election votes.
Why is postal voting delaying the US election result?
It has been common in the past to restrict voting by post to certain people, such as those over 65, those who are ill, or those who are out of state. But this method is now widely allowed in the majority of states. In the 2016 U.S. presidential election, nearly a quarter of the votes came through posts.
As states aim to prevent meetings to limit the spread of the coronavirus, 80 million postal ballots will arrive this time around – more than doubling in 2016. The budget is undergoing cuts. President Trump has blocked additional funding. There is concern that this service can withstand the size of the ballots and many will delay delivery.
How are postal votes counted?
Postal votes take longer to count once they arrive. Different states have different rules for how and when to calculate them. Most states only have postal ballots that arrive on election day at the end of the election.
Postal ballots take longer to count because each vote must have a unique signature on the registration card. Some states, such as Florida, begin counting postal votes before Election Day – but most states do not begin counting them until after the election. . In 2016, it took more than a month to count the total number of final votes. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton claimed her lead in the popular vote across the country, but Mr Trump has already won enough states to win the presidency.
Can there be delays at polling stations?
Standing in a line at a polling station is still the most common way American voters cast their ballots. However these voters also face problems due to the epidemic. Some states have already begun voting individually and there have been heavy reports of queues.
States like Massachusetts have drop boxes for early postal voting. More people will vote on November 3, and there are concerns that fewer polling stations will be open than usual and that there will be a shortage of workers. Known issues such as faulty voting machines are also possible.
Do Trump and Biden agree on the outcome?
The early leader on election night is more likely to not win – more likely by postal voting. Mr Biden said he would accept the full result, but insisted “count every vote”. Hillary Clinton Trump, who stood against the president in 2016, said Mr Biden should not admit on election night that “I think it pulls out under any circumstances”.
President Trump says the November election will be “extremely fraudulent” because of postal ballots – despite little evidence of this. He refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he lost.
What happens if the election result is not accepted?
President Trump has said he believes the election result will end in the U.S. Supreme Court. This has happened before. In the 2000 election, Democrat Al Gore claimed that his narrow defeat in Florida would lead to a recount.
It took 36 days and the Supreme Court to decide against the recount to settle the contest in favor of Republican George W. Bush. Various legal challenges may arise this year – from recognition requirements for postal voting, to voting on the legality of Covid-related changes. News from
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