Every Vote Must Be Counted

Election night this year will probably not end with a victory speech by either candidate. And it shouldn’t. This election, like most of 2020, has been anything but normal. From a global pandemic to face masks, to plexiglass at a debate, the campaign trail looks different from any previous election year. 

The same goes for voting.

Voters choosing to mail-in their vote does not mean it counts less or isn’t counted at all. In all elections, counting all the votes is a vital part of the democratic process. 

The timing of when states begin tabulating mail-in ballot votes differs from state to state. In some states, officials are unable to verify ballot signatures and open envelopes until election day. And in other states ballots cannot be counted until the polls close. With millions of Americans voting by mail this year, it could take a while before the election is decided. 

Counting all the votes is important, and in this crucial election, and it’s not something to be skirted. Neither candidate should be able to declare victory until every vote is counted. 

As votes are tabulated and television networks, try to read tea leaves on election night, it’s extremely important for Americans to prepare themselves for not having a definitive winner on election night. There is no question that Trump will try to declare the election in his favor, but we must protect the results and insist all the votes are counted. 

In a recent survey by Pew Research Center, 82% of voters think it’s important for the country to know who won within a day or two of Nov 3. But only 50% are confident that this will happen. This data shows an increasingly nervous electorate, and experts along with election officials are sharing this sentiment while telling everyone to expect delays in the presidential election results.

The biggest reason for the likely delay is mail-in ballots. The delay in results should not be confused with a misstep in democracy. It’s the opposite. Ensuring every voice is heard, and every vote is counted is how democracy works.

On November 3, Americans will anxiously gather around their television sets to watch the returns trickle in on local, state, and national races. The excitement of election night will permeate through the country, but we must ensure we are not too caught up in the excitement so as to accept a winner before the results have been certified by the states. 

As much as people want to see the end of this election and turn the page on a new year, Americans should not accept a premature declaration of victory from a candidate before all the votes have been counted. 

2020 has been a rollercoaster of a year, from a global pandemic to murder hornets, and now the election looms with American democracy in the balance. On November 3, we must prepare to not know who won the presidential election. This goes against every fiber of what past election nights have yielded, but this election is too important to allow Trump to bully his way into another four years.