Here’s why these states will take the longest to count 2024 presidential election votes

Election Day is group to move into Election Week, aliases moreover Election Month, for millions of voters astir nan country.

In 2020, nan past polls closed connected Tuesday, Nov. 3, but it took 4 days — until Saturday, Nov. 7 — for President Biden to beryllium projected nan victor owed to delays successful ballot tabulation, starring to unsubstantiated claims of fraud by Donald Trump and his friends that continue to reverberate.

This clip around, moreover without nan wrinkle of a world pandemic, Republicans and Democrats will still beryllium waiting a while for respective states to find their results.

While immoderate of these states’ slowness won’t beryllium important to nan result of nan statesmanlike race, they could hold calls successful cardinal down-ballot races — arsenic good arsenic nan conflict for power of Congress.

Here are immoderate of nan slowest slowpokes among nan 50 states.

Alaska

Polls close: 12 a.m. ET Wednesday successful astir of nan state, 1 a.m. Wednesday successful parts of nan Aleutian Islands.

Despite having nan third-smallest organization of immoderate authorities successful nan union, nan Last Frontier is notorious for being 1 of nan past to get its ballots counted acknowledgment to its peculiar predetermination rules and its scattered, mostly agrarian population.

State rule requires early votes turned successful astatine location elections offices connected aliases earlier nan Thursday anterior to Election Day (Oct. 31, successful this case) to beryllium counted connected predetermination night.

However, absentee ballots and early votes formed aft that clip framework must beryllium tallied up by 7 days aft polls adjacent (Nov. 12), according to nan Alaska Division of Elections.

That intends that nan House title betwixt Democratic incumbent Mary Peltola and Republican challenger Nick Begich III, could beryllium among nan past to beryllium called.

Arizona

Polls close: 9 p.m. ET

Arizona permits predetermination officials to statesman processing mail-in ballots aft early voting originates — but crucially requires officials to hold until aft polls adjacent to count them.

During nan 2022 midterms, immoderate 20% of mail-in votes were dropped disconnected connected Election Day, requiring time-consuming verification procedures to guarantee nan ballots were legit.

The bulk of ballots will beryllium formed successful Maricopa County, which includes metro Phoenix and contains astir three-fifths of Arizona’s population. In 2022, it took predetermination officials location until nan Sunday aft voting time to complete ballot processing.

There’s besides nan imaginable for litigation that could origin further delays successful declaring a consequence not conscionable successful nan statesmanlike race, but successful nan 1st Congressional District, presently held by Republican David Schweikert and declared a “toss-up” by nan Cook Political Report.

Biden won Arizona complete Trump by 0.3% 4 years ago.

California

Polls close: 11 p.m. ET

The nation’s astir populous authorities has a notorious history of taking days and moreover weeks to decorativeness disconnected nan rudimentary task of counting ballots.

This is mostly owed to nan truth that astir Californians ballot by mail. During nan 2020 cycle, 72% of votes were from mail-in ballots. During nan 2024 primary, that fig roseate to 89%, per data from California’s Secretary of State Office.

The Golden State requires region officials to acquisition an extended signature verification process and allows precincts 30 days to count ballots — a overmuch longer clip framework than nan 7 days fixed by astir different mail-in states.

Vice President Kamala Harris (a Bay Area native) is each but definite to scoop California’s 54 electoral votes successful nan statesmanlike election. But nary less than 5 House Republicans (John Duarte, David Valadao, Mike Garcia, Ken Calvert and Michelle Steel), could look a very anxious Thanksgiving waiting to spot if they’ll beryllium backmost successful Washington successful January 2025.

Nevada

Polls close: 10 p.m. ET

The Silver State was nan third-to-last authorities to beryllium called for Biden 4 years ago, and has taken steps to guarantee they’re a small quicker this clip around.

Nevada allows mail-in ballots to beryllium counted up to 4 days aft nan election, provided that they are postmarked connected aliases earlier Election Day.

Earlier this year, Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar informed officials that they tin statesman tallying up in-person early votes arsenic ballots travel successful connected Election Day alternatively than waiting until aft nan polls close, meaning we should person a clearer image of nan authorities of nan title arsenic Tuesday turns into Wednesday.

However, pinch polls showing a tight title betwixt Harris and Trump, who hopes to beryllium nan first Republican since George W. Bush successful 2004 to return Nevada, it’s apt to beryllium a agelong hold for some nan Democratic and GOP camps.

North Carolina

Polls close: 7:30 p.m. ET

In 2020, North Carolina was not called for Trump until 10 days aft nan predetermination (only Georgia took longer to task a winner).

While it whitethorn not return that agelong to prime a victor this time, nan Tar Heel State has a caller argumentation that would make ballot processing moreover slower than before.

Unlike 4 years ago, officials are nary longer allowed to count early votes until aft nan polls adjacent Nov. 5, owed to a state law put into effect past year.

Pennsylvania

Polls close: 8 p.m. ET

The authorities that galore deliberation will determine nan presidency does not licence immoderate ballots to beryllium counted anterior to Election Day, which has historically led to delays successful projecting a result.

Four years ago, astir media outlets called nan Keystone State for Biden connected Nov. 7, mounting disconnected chaotic celebrations among his supporters.

This clip around, officials will beryllium hoping for an result akin to 2016, erstwhile Trump was projected to triumph nan authorities successful nan early hours of Wednesday morning.

Wisconsin

Polls close: 9:00 p.m. ET

History doesn’t needfully propose Wisconsin will beryllium rather arsenic slow arsenic immoderate of nan others connected this list. But nan results whitethorn not beryllium fresh travel predetermination night.

Under Wisconsin law, ballots cannot beryllium counted until Election Day. Complicating matters is that nan Badger State appears to beryllium 1 of nan fewer wherever early and absentee voting has not dropped disconnected post-COVID pandemic, even causing delays astatine immoderate in-person sites past week.

Four years ago, Wisconsin was not called for Biden until nan time aft nan polls closed.

Will Georgia struggle again?

Polls close: 7 p.m. ET

Georgia was nan very past authorities to beryllium called 4 years ago.

Since then, lawmakers successful nan Peach State person taken steps aimed astatine speeding up nan reporting of results and reforming nan predetermination process.

The biggest measurement was transition of nan Election Integrity Act of 2021, which Democrats led by Biden maligned arsenic elector suppression, pinch nan president describing it arsenic “Jim Crow 2.0.”

The caller rule was meant to streamline and bolster resources for ballot processing and verification. Absentee ballots now require nan past 4 digits of a Social Security number aliases a transcript of recognition to minimize nan complexity of signature verification.

Despite nan controversy, Georgia’s elections went disconnected without a hitch successful 2022. This year, voters person already shattered early vote turnout records, pinch much than 2.1 cardinal ballots already formed and different 320,000 absentee ballots requested, per data from Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office.

“All early votes and each early accepted ballots, they each will person to person their results reported by 8 p.m.,” Raffensperger told CBS’ “Face nan Nation” earlier this month. “That’s 70, possibly moreover 75% of each nan ballot totals will beryllium reported nary later than 8 p.m. connected predetermination night.”

Also boding good for a accelerated Georgia consequence is nan truth that a Fulton County judge recently enjoined a late-stage norm by nan Georgia State Election Board that mandated officials parse done ballots by hand.

What astir Michigan?

Polls close: 8 p.m. ET successful astir of nan state, 9 p.m. ET successful parts of nan Upper Peninsula

Another authorities that was called for Biden connected Election Wednesday successful 2020, Michigan has taken steps toward quicker reporting of results, allowing precincts pinch much than 5,000 voters to commencement counting mail-in ballots Oct. 28.

As a result, Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is predicting that her state will person unofficial results nary later than 1 time aft nan last votes are cast.