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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsQuestion about vote-counting and calling the election
Don't all votes have to be in before the race can be called? I keep hearing, "count every vote" but does that mean we won't know who won until every vote is tallied?
Statistical
(19,264 posts)The states will eventually CERTIFY the votes but that hasn't happened in any of the 50 states yet. It won't happen for the earliest state for almost a week and the last one might take a month.
So any map you see of red and blue states are states called based on projections. That is what we are waiting for now. If you want to wait for certified results you might as well turn off your TV and browser for at least two weeks.
ailsagirl
(22,837 posts)That makes sense
MoonchildCA
(1,301 posts)They will likely wait until the amount we lead by exceeds the votes left to be counted.
ailsagirl
(22,837 posts)SleeplessinSoCal
(8,992 posts)The Associated Press and other news outlets can call a race. Nothing is absolutely settled until the electors convene in December.
ailsagirl
(22,837 posts)and notice that they have Biden at 264 and dump at 214-- I don't think any other outlet has those numbers. Evidently they're pretty certain they've got their numbers right.
SleeplessinSoCal
(8,992 posts)Arizona could cause the most ire by Republicans because Fox News called it first. And in the end it may well go red.
frazzled
(18,402 posts)for the candidate who is behind to overcome the gap, even if they were to win 100% of those outstanding votes, the race could be safely called.
Right now, there are still enough votes uncounted in the close states that we can only predict how they might be allocated. Once we get to the point where there are, say, 2000 remaining ballots and Biden has a lead of 3,000, then the jig is up for Trump and the race can be safely called.