San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
What to expect from Election Day results
Although the outcome of many races may be clear on election night, the increase in mail ballots this year may affect the timing of results in others, including the presidential race.
Here’s what we know — and don’t know — about how Election Day may unfold and what you can expect to see in the Union-tribune:
Q: When is the San Diego County Registrar of Voters expected to release results?
A: The registrar expects the first upload of results to come between 8:05 and 8:15 p.m. on election night. Those will include mail ballots and ballots cast at polling locations over the weekend. A second upload is expected between 9:30 and 10:30 p.m., with a third release of data between 11 and 11:30 p.m. Updated results would then be expected every 30 minutes until all the poll locations have reported. After election night, updates on close races will be posted each business day after 5 p.m.
Q: Will there be election results in the paper on Wednesday?
A: That will depend on how quickly results come in. A new state law that allows for earlier processing of mail ballots will likely mean more results on election night than is typically the case. Some races may be decided before the print deadline at 11 p.m. on Tuesday, but others will be far too close to know a result. Stories will continue to be updated online at sandiegouniontribune.com after the print deadline.
Q: Does the Union-tribune “call” races?
A: No. We report what we know and the numbers that are available, but we do not speculate about the outcome of a race or make projections.
The Associated Press, one of our primary news services, does declare winners in national and state races, but only if its team of analysts and researchers can definitively say that a candidate has won.
From the Associated Press: “Only when AP is fully confident a race has been won — defined most simply as the moment a trailing candidate no longer has a path to victory — will we make a call.”
Q: When will we know the winner of the presidential election?
A: It may not be on the night of Nov. 3 or even the next day. That’s because of the large numbers of mail-in ballots and various states’ rules about how and when those ballots are counted. Results reported on election night are always unofficial — it takes weeks for official results to be certified. Media organizations project winners and results based on the vote count, polling numbers and historical trends, and losing candidates typically concede before official results are reported.
Q: How complete will the results be on election night?
A: Even once the early and in-person ballots are counted, a significant number of votes could still be outstanding. Only eight states expect to have at least 98 percent of unofficial results reported by noon the day after the election. Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia allow postmarked ballots to arrive after Election Day, so the timing will depend on when voters return them.
New York and Alaska will not report any mail votes on election night. (Rhode Island had also planned not to report mail votes that night, but its election board voted Monday to begin releasing them at 11 p.m.) Officials in Michigan and Pennsylvania, two key presidential battleground states, have said full official counts could take several days.
As many political and election experts have pointed out, not having a definitive winner declared on election night is not an indication that there is a problem or something nefarious is at work. It may simply be that the race is close and/or it is taking longer to process and tally the votes.
Q: Why do mail-in ballots take longer to count?
A: Before a voter’s mailed ballot is tabulated, election officials must verify the signature on each ballot, open it, flatten it and scan it. Some states, including some swing states, can’t begin that process until Election Day. California counties were allowed to begin processing mail-in ballots 10 business days before Election Day.
Q: What if there is a problem at a polling place on Election Day?
A: If you witness a problem at a polling place or are concerned about suspicious activity, call the Registar of Voters (858565-5800), the Secretary of State (1-800-345-VOTE) or the San Diego Law Enforcement Coordination Center (858-495-7200). Also, various community groups have formed a coalition to respond to Election Day issues and have a hotline (866-OUR-VOTE) for “election protection.”
Local law enforcement agencies and election officials have been coordinating efforts to ensure that voting — whether by mail or in person — will be safe and fair.