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(Reuters) – The US presidential election will be decided by a dozen states that could be tipped by President Donald Trump, a Republican or Democratic challenger Joe Biden.
These states will play a critical role in delivering the 270 electoral college votes needed to win the White House. Due to an increase in voting by mail amid the coronavirus pandemic, as well as different state rules on when ballots can be counted, the results may not be known on Election Day, 3 May. November.
FLORIDA
Electoral votes: 29
Polls close: 7 pm ET (several counties in northwest Florida are an hour behind the rest of the state).
Qualification in the presidential race: Toss-up
Other key careers: Competitive races of the US House of Representatives in Districts 15 and 26
Vote Counting: Florida has no excuse to vote absentee. Election officials can begin scanning ballots more than three weeks before Election Day, but results cannot be generated until after the polls close. All ballots must be received before polls close on Election Day to be counted. However, ballots marked for signature errors can be corrected until 5 pm on November 5.
GEORGIA
Electoral votes: 16
Polls close: 7 p.m. ET
Qualification in the presidential race: Toss-up
Other key races: Both US Senate seats are up for grabs and are considered competitive.
Vote Counting: Georgia has no excuse to vote absentee. The clerks must receive the ballots before the polls close on Election Day. Ballots can be opened and scanned once received, but cannot be counted until after the polls close on November 3.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Electoral votes: 4
Poll closings: between 7 p.m. ET and 8 p.m. ET, depending on jurisdiction
Qualification in presidential race: Democratic Leans
Other key races: Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican, looks poised to win reelection.
Vote Counting: New Hampshire state officials have said all voters can cast an absentee ballot if they have concerns about COVID-19, and ballots must be received by 5 p.m. on Election Day. Ballots can be pre-processed in some jurisdictions beginning October 29, but will not be counted until the polls have closed on November 3.
NORTH CAROLINA
Electoral votes: 15
Polls close: 7:30 pm ET
Qualification in the presidential race: Toss-up
Other key careers: Competitive Governor and US Senate contests.
Vote Counting: North Carolina has no excuse for absentee voting. Absentee ballots can be scanned weeks in advance, but the results cannot be counted before Election Day. The Trump campaign has asked the United States Supreme Court to block the state’s plan to count ballots that are postmarked November 3 and arrive before November 12.
OHIO
Electoral votes: 18
Polls close: 7:30 pm ET
Qualification in the presidential race: Toss-up
Other Key Careers: Competitive US House Contest 1st District
Vote Counting: Ohio has no excuse to vote absentee. Ballots can be scanned, but not counted, starting October 6. Absentee ballots are the first to be counted on Election Night. Mailed ballots must be postmarked no later than November 2 and received no later than 10 days after the November 3 election to be counted.
MICHIGAN
Electoral votes: 16
Polls close: 8 p.m. ET
Qualification in presidential race: Democratic Leans
Other Key Careers: Competitive US Senate Contest
Vote Counting: Michigan has no excuse to vote absentee. Although there are ongoing legal challenges to changing the rules, currently ballots must arrive at the clerks’ offices before the polls close on Election Day. Some densely populated jurisdictions in the state can open and sort absentee ballots beginning Nov. 2, but the vast majority will not. Clerks can begin scanning and counting absentee ballots at 7 am on November 3.
PENNSYLVANIA
Electoral votes: 20
Polls close: 8 p.m. ET
Qualification in presidential race: Democratic Leans
Other Key Careers: Competitive US House Contests in Districts 1 and 10
Vote Counting: Pennsylvania has an unexcused absentee vote, and vote counting can begin at 7 a.m. on Election Day. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled Sept. 17 that state officials can accept mail-in ballots three days after the Nov. 3 election, as long as they are postmarked by Election Day.
TEXAS
Electoral votes: 38
Polls close: 8 pm ET (two West Texas counties are one hour behind the rest of the state).
Qualification in the presidential race: Leans Republican
Other Key Careers: Competitive US Senate Contest
Vote Counting: Texas voters must qualify to vote by mail, for example, by being over the age of 65, ill or disabled, or not being present in their voting county during the early voting period until 9:00 p.m. elections. All voters can vote early in person. The population of a county determines when elections officials can pre-process and count mail-in ballots. If the county has more than 100,000 people, the ballots can be counted after the polls close on the last day of early voting in person in the state, which is October 30. Ballots will continue to be counted if they are postmarked by November 3rd. and received before 5 pm the day after the election. For military and overseas voters, that deadline runs until the end of operations on November 9.
WISCONSIN
Electoral votes: 10
Polls close: 9 p.m. ET
Qualification in presidential race: Democratic Leans
Other key races: There are no races for governor or US Senate.
Vote Counting: Wisconsin has no excuse to vote absentee. Ballots must be received before the polls close on Election Day and cannot be counted until the polls open on November 3.
MINNESOTA
Electoral votes: 10
Polls close: 9 p.m. ET
Qualification in presidential race: Democratic Leans
Other Key Careers: Competitive Competitions for the US Senate and US House in Districts 1 and 7
Vote Counting: Minnesota has no excuse for absentee voting and ballots must be pre-processed within five days of receipt. As of October 20, ballots can be opened and registered, but results are only tabulated after polls close on Election Day. Ballots will be counted as long as they are postmarked by November 3 and received by November 10.
ARIZONA
Electoral votes: 11
Polls close: 9 p.m. ET
Qualification in the presidential race: Democrat leaning
Other Key Careers: Competitive US Senate Contest
Vote Counting: Arizona has no excuse to vote absentee. All ballots must arrive before the polls close on Election Day. Ballots can be scanned and tabulated as of 14 days prior to November 3, but results are not reported until after polls close on Election Day.
NEVADA
Electoral votes: 6
Polls close: 10 p.m. ET
Qualification in presidential race: Democratic Leans
Other key races: No US Senate or Governor races on the ballot
Vote Counting: Nevada has no excuse for absentee voting and ballots can be processed upon receipt. Nevada officials will begin scanning and recording ballots 14 days before the election, but the results will not be released until election night. Ballots postmarked November 3 will be counted as long as they arrive within seven days of the election.
IOWA
Electoral votes: 6
Polls close: 10 p.m. ET
Qualification in the presidential race: Toss-up
Other Key Careers: Competitive US Senate Contest
Vote Counting: Iowa has no excuse to vote absentee. Ballots must be received before the polls close on Election Day or before noon the following Monday if they are postmarked November 2. Election officials can begin opening the ballot envelopes the Saturday before the election and can begin scanning and tabulating them. The 2nd of November.
(Report by Michael Martina; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Jonathan Oatis, and Lincoln Feast.)
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