Staff Reports
As Election Day approaches, the political landscape is tightly contested, with the Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump practically running neck and neck. Some might be tempted to focus on the suspense, but let’s be clear: whether results are declared promptly or slowly is just another chance for political theatrics, something both sides seem to relish. Given the trajectory of past elections, it’s nearly certain there won’t be a definitive victor announced until at least later this week—and isn’t that just poetic?
Rewind to 2020, a year when it seemed like election results needed a personal assistant just to keep up with delays, and you’ve got the makings of a dramatic sequel. The entire nation held its breath while Biden’s victory was finally confirmed a lifetime later on a Saturday following Election Day. Fast forward to the 2022 midterms, where even the House of Representatives decided it was better to take a four-day vacation before announcing the victor. It appears the new tradition of election suspense is here to stay, folks, and it hardly seems to favor anyone wanting a swift conclusion.
Polling data from 538 has found that two crucial factors will affect how soon results might roll in. The first is the actual closeness of the race—which, let’s face it, feels a bit like predicting which of your neighbors’ cats will jump onto the fence first. The second stumbling block? The snail’s pace at which mail-in ballots are counted and verified. One can’t help but think this has become a made-for-TV saga, complete with cliffhangers and last-minute twists, illustrating how votes are counted in a tapestry of varying state laws. It’s enough to make even the most patient minds long for some good ol’ fashioned in-person voting.
.@beckerdavidj to CBS: "On election night, don't expect to know the winner. We probably will have a pretty good idea of who won the presidency maybe around Thursday or Friday." pic.twitter.com/54WdtrD4Lz
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) October 31, 2024
Take Iowa, where Harris is reportedly making gains—evident from a new poll showing her in the lead against Trump. This is a state that Trump dominated in 2020, and if the trend continues, it could flip the electoral maps upside down faster than you can say “election fraud.” Meanwhile, the Harris camp has already warned supporters to brace themselves for a drawn-out process, with results from several battleground states potentially staying hidden until later in the week. If they’re expecting a nail-biter, it would be wise to stock up on popcorn.
But amid all the political posturing, Harris’s camp is already acting like it’s the final countdown—complete with a legal team ready to hit the ground running should anything, and we mean anything, look remotely suspicious. That’s right, for all the talk about election integrity, it seems that both sides are anticipating the legal wranglings and potential recounts that every dramatic election cycle tends to deliver. After all, jumping into the courtroom seems to have become the 21st-century version of a political strategy meeting.
With a highlight reel of voting rules outlined for each state, it’s clear that function will follow form—where some states will report results faster than others, creating a patchwork of victory parades and leaderboard updates. It just goes to show that Americans impatient for a conclusion have a long wait ahead, proving once again that when it comes to elections, suspense, and spectacle will reign over swift resolutions. In this political circus, one thing is crystal clear: regardless of the outcome, voters will be left with plenty to talk about, from barbecues to water coolers, long after the last ballot is cast.
