The presidential race has almost been run, but after election day, patience may be needed.
We may not find out who’s won on Tuesday. In fact, it could be days before the result becomes clear.
That’s not unusual by historical standards though, and it’s common practice for votes to be counted after election day.
The coronavirus pandemic has complicated matters as well. The increase in mail-in voting is expected to push back the release of full results in many key states.
This is because states start pre-processing and tabulating, or tallying, their votes on different dates. Some states, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin for example, do not begin pre-processing ballots until election day, meaning their results may take longer.
The core message is: be wary of the numbers. A candidate who takes an early lead may end up being overtaken as postal or in-person votes are tallied.
