You have probably heard that there is an election coming up. It will be on November 5, 2024. American citizens over the age of 18 will get to choose who they want to be president. Voters will also make their choices for many other leaders such as governors, senators, and representatives. Usually, we know the winners the night of the election, but sometimes it takes days or weeks to learn who won an election. To understand why, we must look at the election process.
In elections, some people vote early, some people mail in their votes, but most people go to the polls on election day. Voting polls are run by county or parish governments, who follow rules that are set by state laws. Ballots, or record of each voters’ choices are taken to a voting center to count the votes. It is very important to count the votes correctly. Even after the votes are counted, they are verified [checked to make sure they are correct]. They are then brought to state officials to be certified [to swear that the vote count is true and accurate].
This process can take weeks or months. On election nights, the media likes to announce a winner. When a winner of an election is announced, it is usually based on an early, or preliminary, count. The votes are still verified and certified. The results usually do not change. When an election is extremely close, however, nobody will be declared the winner until officials are sure.
Several elections this year are expected to be close. This includes the election for the president of the United States. Early votes and mail-in votes might also make it take longer to know the winner. In most states, election workers are allowed to count these votes before Election Day. However, some states, such as Pennsylvania, make their workers count these votes on Election Day. This can take a very long time to count. During the last presidential election, it took four days to declare a winner. This year, it is possible it will take as long as this year. Check back at IMPACT News to find out the results in November.
What Do You Think? What do you think is more important, getting quick election results or getting accurate election results? Explain your answer.
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