When will it be known who won the election and what can delay it

By

NEW YORK CITY - The result of the presidential elections on the night of the vote on November 3 may not be known: it is an unusual election due to several factors, mainly the coronavirus pandemic.

Arm yourself with patience

"We're used to the instant gratification of knowing the results on Election Night," says Ben Hovland, chairman of the United States Election Assistance Commission (EAC). 

“But if you take into account the means by which you are voting in the elections, if the first data shows that it is a tight result,

and count the ballots with precision, "he added.

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It is a key point on which Charles Wheelan, founder of Unite America, an organization "that seeks to rebuild the political center so that it can govern more efficiently" also agrees. 

"In the United States we are used to getting everything fast

: the food, the answers, the news ... And we are used to seeing the elections and having an answer right after the polls close in California.

, he pointed.

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Wheelan points out that the behavior of the two candidates, Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden, as well as the media, will be key for the country to remain calm.

"We have never been through something like this

. And there has never really been anyone like Trump, who is willing to say things that I think are not always the most responsible. So I really don't know if people will be patient," he said.

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In the 2000 election, it was unclear whether the Florida winner had been Republican George W. Bush or Democrat Al Gore, and it was the Supreme Court that decided.

"The citizens were quite patient and we had to wait a month for the name of the president," Wheelan recalled.

All eyes on Florida

As then, Florida is again key this year, not only because it is a pendular state, which can be tilted by one game or the other, but because in the primaries it showed that it could give a very exact result the same night of the elections.

"Florida is likely to measure up, since the state can begin to count the vote by mail until 22 days before the elections," explained the representative of the EAC, who recalled that "almost all roads" to the victory of Trump "imply the need to win there."

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Wheelan agrees: 

. "If it is very close, or if Trump wins Florida, then we will have to wait a couple more days," he adds.

He further notes that Florida could give an idea of ​​how some groups are going to vote: "We don't really know what proportion of voters who vote by mail are Democrats or Republicans ... If Biden wins a higher proportion of older Americans. So, even if we don't have results from other states, we could use that to predict their behavior. "

Voting by Mail in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is another key state in these elections and it is arguably the opposite of Florida when it comes to vote counting.

In this state, which has 20 electoral votes, first the votes in person will be counted and then the votes by mail

, which can arrive at the polls until November 6, as long as the postmark on the envelope is dated November 3. November or earlier.

"I think it will likely take a lot longer for Pennsylvania to recognize the winner," Hovland said.

Pandemic turns voting day into a month

The coronavirus crisis has seen this vote take historic steps to ensure that all American citizens can vote safely.

Some states have lengthened early voting periods, and others have changed their laws so that citizens can vote by mail without justification.

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Therefore, unlike other years, this election does not take place only in one day, but in one month, which can increase participation.

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"We have had to conduct

. In many places we will see record numbers of vote-by-mail. But most jurisdictions are not just conducting just one election-by-mail, but also a face-to-face one. In both cases, the most important thing is that it be as safe for voters and workers, "noted the president of the United States Electoral Assistance Commission.

A participation never seen

"Now, we are already in record numbers of early voting. The last number I heard was 82 million. It is already more than half the number of people who voted in 2016," said Hovland, who is going to vote on November 3.

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Texas has 38 electoral votes, only behind California, with 55. And in Texas the total of votes cast in 2016 has already been exceeded. Four years ago 8,969,226 Americans voted in this state, a number that was a historical record.

Vote by mail and anonymously

"In a normal year, like 2016, a little less than 25% of the votes were by mail and I think this year we will see 40 or 50%," Hovland said.

For his part, Wheelan noted that one of the challenges of voting by mail is

.

"The way it normally works is that the voter fills in their ballot, which does not have their name; it goes in an envelope that does have their name on it. And then everything goes inside a sealed envelope that is mailed to whoever goes to count the vote, "he explained.

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The Postal Service indicated in a statement sent to Noticias Telemundo that since the elections began, it has sought to

.

"With a record number of people across the country voting by mail, the Postal Service's number one priority between now and the November elections is the safe and timely delivery of the nation's election mail," he said.

In this sense, the national mail server has implemented additional measures in its service between October 26 and November 24 "to speed up the delivery of ballots."