The announcement of the results of the American elections … Why would it be delayed?

As the evening of November 3, 2020 approaches, American citizens and others find themselves in front of an unforgettable historical setting in the history of the American presidential elections, and the date of the announcement of the name of the winner in the race to the White House has become an “expected event” in light of the changes brought about by the Corona pandemic.

In previous elections, the first results were released on election night, that is, hours after the polls closed.

For example, in the 2016 election, Republican President Donald Trump declared victory at 2:30 a.m.

But it may be different this time, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, which will change the voting pattern of tens of millions of Americans.

In the past, voting by mail was restricted to specific cases, such as patients, but is now available in expensive US states due to the pandemic.

In the 2016 US presidential election, a quarter of the votes came by mail, and this election is expected to reach 80 million, double the previous election.

In addition, the precautions imposed by the epidemic can lead to long lines at polling stations, as fewer people will be allowed in each time, which means more delays.

Three vital transition states, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, do not allow ballots to begin by mail until Election Day.

Americans began voting in the US elections last September, in what is known as early voting, but the decisive day in the elections is the third, November 11, when most of them vote.

The first polling stations close at 7 pm EST.

After the polls close in the United States on Election Day, the counting process begins, which can be expected to take days and possibly weeks.

But are Americans and the world waiting for the official announcement?

Americans are always waiting for the announcement of the preliminary results, which are presented by the media on election night, and consequently the winning candidate declares victory and does not wait for the official announcement that is issued after one or more several days.

In the 2016 elections, the official results were announced one day after the vote.

Federal law allows until December 8 for states to resolve a dispute over their representatives in the electoral college that elects the president.

In the final analysis, the members of the electoral college meet in December to vote on the election of the next US president. In the past it happened that some party members betrayed their candidate and voted for the other candidate.

The British newspaper “The Independent” says that Americans must come to terms with the fact that the result may not be immediately apparent, due to the circumstances imposed by the Corona pandemic.