High Voter Turnout in Election, Several Swing States Remain Undecided
On Election Day, a few issues were reported as in-person voting saw higher numbers compared to 2020, while mail-in voting declined.
Despite votes still being counted in crucial battleground states, neither former President Donald Trump nor his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, had a definitive lead on election night.
Reports of heavy voter turnout came in from various parts of the country, especially rural areas. However, critical swing states anticipated taking several days to complete the counting process, leaving the final outcome uncertain.
As of 9 p.m. ET, The Associated Press had given Trump a 69 percent chance of victory with 280 electoral votes, an increase from 60 percent and 272 votes on Tuesday morning. The winning candidate needs at least 270 electoral votes.
Trump enjoyed a significant lead in his home state of Florida, with over 95 percent of votes counted, giving him a 13-point advantage over Harris.
He also held a lead of more than five points in Georgia, although the Democrat-heavy Atlanta could still impact the final outcome in the state where only 68 percent of votes were tallied by 9 p.m.
By 9:30 p.m., Harris had secured Illinois with an 18-point lead with half of the votes counted.
Key swing states like Michigan and Pennsylvania reported leads of eight points and 20 points in favor of Harris, but only 11 percent and 20 percent of votes had been counted by 9 p.m.
Candidates were neck and neck in Virginia with 54 percent of the votes tallied by 9 p.m.
Less by Mail, More in Person
Compared to 2020, mail-in voting decreased by more than one-third due to reduced COVID-19 concerns that previously kept voters away from polling stations. Approximately 67 million mail-in ballots were distributed, with less than 40 million returned by election night.
According to data from the U.S. Elections Project led by Michael McDonald, a political science associate professor at the University of Florida, about 58 percent of Republicans voted by mail, in contrast to less than 52 percent of Democrats in states with accessible data.
This shift in mail-in voting patterns was a reversal from four years ago, indicating stronger early in-person and Election Day turnout.
Issues and Hiccups
While most voting processes went smoothly, some minor issues arose at polling stations.
In Peach County, Georgia, an election management system was replaced on Election Day morning after being damaged by a space heater. However, voting operations were unaffected.
Less than a dozen precincts in Georgia received bomb threats from Russia, leading to brief voting delays in the morning.
The State Board of Election in North Carolina extended voting hours in specific precincts due to technical difficulties.
Candidates Awaiting Results
On Nov. 4, Harris concluded her campaign with an optimistic speech in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, emphasizing a fresh start and unity for the country.
On the same night, Trump delivered his final campaign rally speech in Grand Rapids, Michigan, focusing on his core promises and criticizing the existing political system.
