A record-shattering 100 million people have already voted ahead of election day, meaning the 2020 presidential election pitting Joe Biden against Donald Trump will be the first in history in which more people vote in advance of election day than on it.
That could make for some election night irregularities: results may come in more quickly than usual in some places while being egregiously delayed in others.
A terrible new coronavirus wave could also slow voting, and counting. And Trump has spent weeks riling up supporters with false accusations of voter fraud and ballot burglary. Unforeseeable actions on election day by Trump or his surrogates could disrupt the process.
US elections officials and media organizations that usually call races on election night say there is a good chance that the winner of the election will not be clear by midnight on Tuesday. That would not be unusual – the count has gone past midnight in three of the last five elections, in 2000, 2004 and 2016.
On the other hand, we might have a result in the presidential race by the end of the night if either candidate achieves decisive wins in key states. And the data from the huge early voter turnout could provide important insights on how the election is unfolding.
Here’s a rough guide to how the night could play out:
6pm ET (3pm PT, 11pm GMT, 10am AEDT)
Source: US Politics - theguardian.com
