The countdown to election night is on. Officials across the country are preparing to count tens of millions of ballots.
Every state reports votes differently, and that means the candidate in the lead in any race can change throughout election night and the days after.
For example, a state that reports votes from cities and suburban areas is likely to appear more Democratic in the early parts of the evening but become more Republican as rural areas report.
MILLIONS OF VOTERS HAVE ALREADY CAST BALLOTS FOR NOV. 5 ELECTION
Similarly, states that report their in-person votes first might look like they’re going for the Republican candidate. When they start reporting mail ballots, the overall Republican lead can diminish or become a Democratic lead. This was the “red mirage” in several battleground states in the last presidential election.
Counting often takes longer in highly populated states.
Fox News will make a projection of a race when the data indicates a clear winner and there is no scenario where the trailing candidate will overtake the leader.
This guide to ballot counting in the seven battleground states uses Associated Press reporting of the process in each state and aligns with Fox News’ analysis of previous returns.
Returns could look different in this year’s election. We expect fewer Americans to vote before election day, and Democrats and Republicans appear to be less divided on how they cast ballots. And as this guide explains, some states have changed their ballot counting processes since 2020.
Most importantly, every state has measures in place to ensure votes are counted correctly and securely.
Elections officials regularly test ballot counting machines, track the location of ballots, and use measures ranging from barcodes to watermarks to ensure that only eligible voters can vote.
Arizona
In Arizona, ballots cast and processed before Election Day are the first to be reported after polls close. These ballots have tended to favor Democrats, ever since the issue of early and mail voting became highly politicized during the 2020 election.
Mail ballots that are delivered on Election Day take…
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