In Pennsylvania, officials are preparing for another presidential election where the state could play a crucial role in determining the winner, potentially leading to delays in announcing the results. A Republican city commissioner in Philadelphia stated that the chances of knowing the winner on election night are almost zero. Similarly, in Wisconsin, a Democrat who chairs the state's election commission mentioned that the final tally might not be available until the morning after the election.
While some states have implemented measures to expedite the vote count since the post-election chaos of 2020, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin have faced political obstacles preventing them from allowing the opening and processing of mail-in ballots before Election Day. This delay in counting mail ballots raises concerns among election observers, as it could create a misleading impression of the election outcome. The scenario of a 'red mirage,' where GOP candidates appear to be leading initially before more Democratic-leaning absentee ballots are counted, could fuel false narratives about election fraud.
In Georgia, a controversial rule change was approved that mandates workers to manually count the number of ballots cast at precincts on Election Day, potentially causing delays in announcing the presidential election results in another critical swing state. The Secretary of State in Pennsylvania, a Republican, expressed concerns about the uncertainty during the counting process, highlighting how such periods could be exploited by malicious actors to undermine public confidence in the election outcome.
