There's something special about this time of year. The changing leaves, the chill in the air, the lines forming outside polling stations in communities all over the country. Yes, it’s election season! Millions of people have already voted early, millions more have voted by mail, and Election Day is here.
Many of us are hoping that we’ll know who won and who lost by the time we go to bed tonight. The truth is, though, that we probably won’t. Election night is NOT results night. Counting every ballot and making sure every voice is heard is essential—and time consuming!
Here’s what to expect over the coming days and weeks.
Counting votes could stretch out for days, or possibly even weeks! Why? Because it takes time to follow and uphold the demanding system of checks and balances that protects the fairness and accuracy of our elections.
Every vote must be counted—including the millions of mail-in ballots. And some states allow absentee and overseas ballots to come in weeks after Election Day! In fact, we should really start to think of it more as Election Week, not Election Day.
Our advice? Stock your freezer full of pints and settle in: This could be a while.
We’ll all be eager to know who won, but democracy is worth the wait. Elections officials take an oath to protect the democratic process and ensure that everyone’s voice is heard. The standards that they’re accountable to are the reason we can trust the process and have faith in the results.
Elections officials and poll workers are working hard, in a very challenging environment, to count every vote—including yours! They’re our family members, friends, and neighbors. They’re Republican, Democrat, and independent. And one thing they absolutely have in common is a love for their communities and our democracy.
All that work (upwards of 20 hours a day through this crucial period) is to ensure that we’re able to cast our ballots safely and successfully—and to make certain that every single vote is counted.
We’re inspired by all the people who’ve already sent in their ballots or showed up to vote early. And we’re inspired by all the elections officials and poll workers who are making this election possible.
If you haven’t voted yet, it’s not too late to make a plan for the polls! More than 1/5 of polling places have closed over the past decade, so find your polling place now—and then double check before you head out (hopefully with a friend or family member in tow) today!
Let’s trust the (democratic) process, America. We’ll get through this together!
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