Oh, look! An official in another swing state thinks the presidential results won’t come in until the day after Election Day.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson made the statement on Face the Nation this morning:
BENSON: Well, you know, in 2020, we had the results of our highest turnout election in Michigan history within 24 hours of the poll’s closing. The unofficial results were completed by 08:00 p.m. on Wednesday. So we’re tracking that again this year. We do have more options to process ballots sooner than Election Day, which is where we were restricted in 2020. So I’m optimistic we could see results even sooner, but I would estimate end of the day on Wednesday as the best guess on how we’ll perform.But that said, we will always prioritize accuracy and security over efficiency, understanding how much people will want those results.We’re still going to make sure the process is secure and accurate before we put anything out to the public.But that said, we understand people’s energy and excitement, and we’ll be working hard to ensure those results are ready as soon as possible.
Michigan can start counting mail-in ballots two days before Election Day.
In Pennsylvania, counties cannot count mail-in ballots until 7 AM on election day, which caused a fiasco in 2020.
Ballotpedia tells us how each state processes mail-in ballots. For example, Florida counts mail-in ballots upon receipt.
County officials have been begging state officials to change the process to avoid conspiracy theories and get results ASAP. From The Philadelphia Inquirer:
After four years, state lawmakers are unlikely to make changes before Election Day, which adds additional stress for county officials and sets up a scenario to again put the state at the center of conspiracy theories and controversies in a close election between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.“They should be ashamed of themselves,” said Forrest Lehman, director of elections in Lycoming County. “Counties have been asking repeatedly for some of this relief for years and we still can’t get it and then everyone seems fine with letting us take the blame for it.”
Wisconsin cannot count mail-in ballots until the polls open on Election Day.
The state’s election officials have also begged the state to change the process so they can get results in sooner.
I have a better idea. Move Election Day to a Saturday.
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