Don’t Rush: Count every last vote this November
State election officials
November’s elections will be unlike any we’ve seen before. And if this summer’s primaries have taught us anything -- it’s that it may take a while to get the final results.
That’s because we’re expecting a high volume of mail-in ballots this year, which take a little longer to count due to how diligent election officials are. So it could take days -- or even weeks -- to secure an accurate final result.
That means we likely won’t know who the winners are on Election Night. And that’s okay.
Because ensuring that every vote is counted is far more important than getting results quickly. If election officials are needlessly pressured to declare a winner on Election Night, we risk disenfranchising the millions of Americans who voted by mail -- and denying them their right to be heard in our democracy.
Election officials need to hear that we won’t settle for hasty, inaccurate election results. In most years, an unofficial winner is announced on Election Night -- and after all absentee ballots are counted, the results are certified.
But this year -- when millions of voters will cast an absentee ballot -- we can’t let this partial result cause chaos and confusion. We must demand that every last vote is counted before a winner is declared, even if it takes extra time.
ADD YOUR NAME: All votes must be counted this November for a fair and full election -- even if we don’t get results on Election Night.
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To:
State election officials
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[Your Name]
Every eligible voter who casts a ballot this fall has a right to have their vote counted and their voice heard -- whether they voted by mail or in person.
We can’t let incomplete or partial results cause confusion or chaos on Election Night. That’s why journalists and election officials have a duty to wait for a full count before reporting results -- even if it means we don’t know all of the winners on Election Night.