The Harris-Walz campaign and their defenders have been issuing demands that people remain patient while key swing states count their results, a process that could take days. Katie covered on Monday how Harris campaign chair Jennifer O'Malley Dillon and Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), a campaign surrogate, have stuck to such a point. Now, former President Barack Obama has issued such a reminder on Tuesday afternoon.
"It took several days to count every ballot in 2020, and it’s very likely we won’t know the outcome tonight either," Obama posted to X. He then went on to ask people to "please keep a few things in mind."
In addition to calling on voters to "respect" election workers and a directive to not "share things before checking your sources," Obama also again stressed how the results could take some time. "Let the process run its course. It takes time to count every ballot," he insisted.
It took several days to count every ballot in 2020, and it’s very likely we won’t know the outcome tonight either. So please keep a few things in mind as you make your voice heard today:
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 5, 2024
– Thousands of election workers around the country are working hard today. Respect them.…
In less than three hours, Obama's post has received 18,000 replies, with many expressing frustration with the amount of time it takes to find out the results in certain key states, as well as how this leads to concerns about stolen election results.
This is what people say when they’re trying to steal an election
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) November 5, 2024
Why is it that we were always able to have all the votes counted on election night, but suddenly in 2020 and onwards we magically couldn't/can't count all the votes in one night?
— Leftism (@LeftismForU) November 5, 2024
OMG here you go. Yes, 2020 and this election for some reason are the only two that the ballots can't be counted on Election Day.
— MAZE (@mazemoore) November 5, 2024
Obama has been less than helpful on the campaign trail, including as he sought to bully black men into voting for Harris. We'll find out soon enough if such a tactic may have backfired, especially if former and potentially future President Donald Trump emerges victorious, and does so with historically high support from black voters compared to past Republican nominees.
The key swing states close at varying times. Georgia closes at 7pm, while North Carolina closes at 7:30pm. At 8pm, the polls close in Pennsylvania and parts of Michigan, while they close in the rest of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Arizona at 9pm. At 10pm, polls in Nevada will close.
If the race indeed turns out to be as close as polls have predicted, it could take some time to call these races, especially with slow voting and shenanigans we've already seen. The polls may have underestimated Trump though, and the momentum looks to be with him and Republicans.
Stay tuned with Townhall for election coverage, including our live blog!