Election Experts Oppose Trump’s Quick Election Night Deadline \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Donald Trump is pressing for a swift declaration of the presidential race’s outcome on Election Night, advocating for results even before all votes are counted. This push aligns with his 2020 tactics, where he prematurely claimed victory. Experts warn, however, that delays in final counts, especially in swing states, are normal and help ensure election accuracy. Trump’s demand clashes with state-specific rules and the reality of a decentralized voting system.
Trump Pushes for Election Night Result Quick Looks
- Premature Declaration: Trump demands race results before full vote count, echoing 2020 actions.
- Experts Weigh In: Election specialists say secure, accurate counts take time, especially in close races.
- Swing State Dynamics: Key states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin have laws that delay mail ballot counting.
- U.S. Voting Complexity: Decentralized U.S. elections involve nearly 10,000 jurisdictions with complex ballots.
- Early Voting: Although Republicans lead early voting in some states, it doesn’t predict final results.
Deep Look
However, there are several reasons that a quick declaration is unlikely this Election Night. Swing states with substantial mail-in ballots, such as Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, have restrictive laws that prevent election officials from processing these ballots before Election Day. As a result, it may initially appear that Trump leads, since in-person ballots are typically counted first, but this “red mirage” could shift once mail ballots, which tend to favor Democrats, are processed. Experts point out that close elections inherently require more time to count every vote accurately and securely.
Election experts stress that prioritizing an accurate tally over immediate results is essential to the democratic process. “There’s nothing nefarious about it,” said UCLA law professor Rick Hasen. “The time delay is to protect the integrity of the process.” Hasen noted that while Trump’s demands focus on speed, they fail to acknowledge the time zones across the U.S., where polls close at different hours from coast to coast.
David Becker, an election expert and co-author of “The Big Truth,” further explains that Trump’s changing stance on counting votes is strategically inconsistent. “When he’s behind, he’ll say continue the count. When he’s ahead, he’ll say stop the count,” Becker said. He added that it is impractical for election officials across the country to “instantly snap their fingers and count 160 million multi-page ballots” in an election where results must be both secure and thorough.
Trump has often compared the U.S. voting process unfavorably to countries like France and Argentina, where single-race results are typically available within hours of polls closing. However, these countries do not handle decentralized, large-scale voting on multiple races simultaneously, as the U.S. does. American elections are conducted in nearly 10,000 jurisdictions, each overseeing local races in addition to the presidential contest. Consequently, each jurisdiction processes ballots differently, adding to the time needed to accurately tabulate the final count.
Election analysts point out that the Associated Press and other news outlets call a race only when the margin makes it statistically impossible for the trailing candidate to catch up. If the election outcome is close, it could take days to count every ballot, particularly in key battleground states. The 2018 U.S. Senate race in Florida, for example, was not called for Republican Rick Scott until the completion of a recount nearly three weeks later due to his narrow lead.
The count is often slowed by provisional ballots, overseas and military votes, and mail-in ballots that require verification for accuracy and legitimacy. Some states, including Arizona, allow voters five days to resolve issues with signatures on mail ballots, which further delays final tallies. Election rules also vary widely; in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, mail ballots cannot be processed before Election Day. Election officials in these states have consistently requested legislative changes to speed up the counting process, but state Republican lawmakers have declined to amend the laws.
“The public should listen to chief election officials, who provide accurate results,” advised Jen Easterly, director of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Easterly emphasized that election officials aim for secure results, not speedy calls, cautioning against premature conclusions.
Several Trump allies are advocating an even bolder approach, urging him to declare victory if preliminary results appear favorable. Steve Bannon, Trump’s longtime adviser, recently expressed regret that Trump didn’t declare victory earlier on Election Night in 2020. “President Trump came up at 2:30 in the morning and talked,” Bannon noted. “He should have done it at 11 o’clock.” Bannon’s comments, along with Trump’s own rhetoric, indicate a push to create a sense of inevitability about a Trump victory early in the evening, regardless of incomplete results.
Despite strong early voting by Republicans in some swing states, this surge does not guarantee victory. Early voting only tracks who has voted, not how they voted. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign has worked to attract Republicans dissatisfied with Trump. In states with high numbers of nonpartisan voters casting early ballots, any shift in support from independents to Harris could neutralize Republican early voting leads.
In the end, the only reliable method to determine the presidential winner is to allow time for an accurate count. Election experts continue to stress that rushing results compromises the process’s integrity, and that complete results—while potentially delayed—ensure that every vote is accurately counted. Only after enough ballots are processed will a clear and credible winner emerge, regardless of initial projections.
