While the 2020 election has been unique as a record 98 million people have already voted through mail-in ballots and early voting, the results may not be clear until after the midnight.
President Donald Trump has frequently raised concerns over legitimacy of the process if the results were to be delayed. His rival Joe Biden‘s campaign is also bracing for a possible court battle.
For instance, Trump, in a rally in Pennsylvania, warned of a “dangerous situation” as the state plans to count ballots that are received up to three days after the election day.
Republicans are putting up aggressive efforts to legally challenge the veracity of ballots they deem as fraudulent. One such effort failed to pass muster the legal test when a federal judge refused to nullify 127,000 votes that were cast in Houston in a drive-through polling station. Houston is a Democratic stronghold.
Both the contenders have made a last-minute push in the key battleground states that could tip the balance of the electoral battle. A win in these key swing states will lead to an easy victory. Trump will hope to repeat his 2016 run in swing states when he swept them, thereby ensuring a majority in electoral college even if his overall tally fell short of Hillary Clinton’s popular vote count.
Whichever way the battle unfolds, media organisations might be cautious to call the race on election night. However, that scenario could change if either of the candidates secures a decisive mandate in key states.
The 2020 election has been fiercely fought so far with both sides engaging bitterly on a host of election issues with the coronavirus pandemic taking centrestage. The recent surge in the number of cases bolsters Biden’s chances as the Democrats have accused the Trump administration of being lackadaisical in its approach in tackling the virus situation.
Both the campaigns are bracing themselves for a long-haul in the even of the fight dragging on until after the election night is over.