It’s Election Day in America.
Voters are heading to the polls in one of the most consequential elections in American history. In a politically polarized country, potential delays in reporting results might further fuel conspiracy theories that have spread widely.
Across the country, more than 77 million voters already cast their ballots during the early voting period. State election officials in presidential battleground states such as Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina and Wisconsin have praised record turnout.
Millions more voters on Tuesday will cast ballots at polling places, where trained poll workers will ensure the process runs smoothly. Poll monitors and observers from political parties or nonpartisan groups will keep a close eye on that process, seeing that voters and officials follow the law.
There may be complications, however. During key times throughout the day — when polls open, at lunch or at the end of the workday — lines could be long, although anyone in line when polls close will be able to vote. And there could be other issues, such as power outages, jammed voting machines, a shortage of ballots or aggressive poll watchers harassing voters.
If voters face any problems, they can call 866-OUR-VOTE, a nonpartisan election protection hotline. Volunteer lawyers and members of voting rights groups will work with voters who call and with local election officials to resolve problems. If a voter in any state is questioned about their eligibility, they have the right under federal law to cast a provisional ballot and later prove eligibility.
It’s also not too late for many Americans who would still like to register to vote and cast a ballot in this election. Same-day voter registration is available at polling places in 22 states and the District of Columbia. Citizens can check vote.gov to find state-specific election information, including when polls close.
Election officials and experts caution voters to be patient and expect results in the coming days.
“Election Day is not Results Day,” Virginia Kase Solomón, president and CEO of the voting rights organization Common Cause, told reporters last week. “Every vote must be counted, and that will take time.”
Later, she added: “Democracy is worth waiting for.”
Timelines for counting
In Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, two states that could seal the race for the presidency, local election officials cannot start opening and counting mail-in ballots until 7 a.m. on Election Day, so many results might not come in until days later, as was the case in 2020. But in most states, election officials have been able to open and process mail-in ballots before Election Day.
If there are issues with Pennsylvania ballots, such as a missing signature or date, local election officials can reach out to voters to correct it on Election Day by casting a provisional ballot, the state Supreme Court ruled in October.
Last month, the Nevada Supreme Court ruled that local election officials should count mail-in ballots received up to three days after Election Day.
It’s important to keep these timelines in mind, said Trevor Potter, president of the Campaign Legal Center, a D.C.-based bipartisan nonprofit. In 2020, The Associated Press — considered the gold standard of election results reporting — declared Joe Biden the winner on Saturday, four days after polls closed on Election Day.
“I do not expect to go to bed on election night knowing who won,” Potter, a Republican former chairman of the Federal Election Commission, said on a recent call with reporters.
Election officials also have been busy reminding voters that election equipment is not connected to the internet, and that American elections are not vulnerable to widespread voter fraud. In the run-up to this election, local officials tested ballot tabulation machines. And afterward, they will conduct audits.
States such as Michigan have dedicated webpages that address misconceptions about the voting process and correct common conspiracy theories.
Disinformation risk
But it can be difficult for election officials to keep up with disinformation, especially this late in the game. In recent weeks, tech billionaire Elon Musk, a surrogate for former President Donald Trump’s campaign, has been one of the most active distributors of election lies on X, his social media platform formerly called Twitter.
Musk also allows election disinformation to run rampant on his platform, said Barb Byrum, the Democratic clerk for Ingham County, Michigan. She is active on X, tamping down falsehoods when she sees them.
“It is imperative that citizens listen to election administrators and know that they are the trusted sources of information,” she said in an interview.
Much of this disinformation is fueled by foreign adversaries, such as Russia. The U.S. intelligence community has warned that the Kremlin will actively push lies about the American voting process on Election Day and in the coming weeks, as election officials tabulate votes and certify the results.
In October, the feds announced Russia was behind a falsified video claiming to show someone ripping up ballots in Pennsylvania. Local officials in Bucks County, where the video was purportedly taken, quickly debunked the video.
Last week, feds launched an election security website that updates voters on the nation’s threat environment. The latest warning, on Friday, advises that Russia is behind a fake video claiming to show Haitians voting in Georgia. Federal law enforcement officials are also concerned that lies around election fraud could fuel political violence.
Around the country, election officials have been vehement in asking voters to check with them and other trusted sources, instead of relying on rumors and hearsay they see on social media.
Justin Roebuck, the Republican clerk for Ottawa County, Michigan, has reminded his residents over the past week to be vigilant in finding accurate information on Election Day and its aftermath.
“There are people with a very vested interest in us as Americans not trusting our process,” he said in an interview. “That’s what we have to guard against as Americans, to be able to say, ‘Wait a minute, I do need to take a step back for a second, check the facts before I repost this or share this information with my friends.’”
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