WASHINGTON (AP) — How soon will we know the results of the U.S. election?
A shift to mail voting is increasing the chances Americans won't know the winner of the 2020 presidential race on election night, Nov. 3. But that doesn’t mean the results will be flawed or fraudulent.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly raised unsubstantiated fears of fraud involving mail-in voting, which is expected to be more widely used in the November election out of concern for safety given the coronavirus pandemic.
Election officials in some battleground states have warned it might take days to count the votes given what they expect will be a surge of ballots sent by mail.
Deadlines for returning absentee ballots by mail:
November 2:
- Louisiana
November 3: (Election Day)
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Maine
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Vermont
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
November 4:
- Texas
November 6:
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Massachusetts
- North Carolina
- Pennsylvania
- Virginia
November 9:
- Iowa
- North Dakota
- West Virginia
November 10:
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New York
November 13:
- Alaska
- Washington, DC
- Maryland
- Ohio
November 17:
- Illinois
- Michigan
- Utah
November 20:
- California
November 23:
- Washington