Election Night 2024: Expectations and Battle Ground States

In the 2024 election, one of the most crucial aspects is understanding when to expect the results to start coming in and how different states will influence the outcome. MSNBC national political correspondent, Steve Kornacki, breaks down the expectations for Election Night, focusing on the battleground states that will play a significant role in determining the winner.

Arizona's official results are expected to take 10-13 days, with larger margins possibly being projected earlier

Arizona and Nevada: A Wait-and-See Approach

Arizona and Nevada are two states that will likely take a while to reveal their results. These states have a high volume of mail-in ballots, which will not be fully counted on Election Night or the day after. This process is expected to take days, and if the count is close, it may change the outcome. As a result, these states won't be called if they're crucial to the math.

Georgia will be the first battleground state to release results, with the majority of votes counted by election night

Georgia: The First Battleground State to Release Results

In contrast, Georgia is expected to release a significant majority of its results on Election Night. The state can pre-process mail ballots, and early in-person voting is relatively easy to tabulate. The bottom line is that by the end of the night, the majority of the vote will be counted in Georgia.

The Eastern Battleground States: A Different Story

The five eastern battleground states, including Pennsylvania, will have a different timeline for releasing results. Pennsylvania, in particular, is a wild card, as it did not change its laws, and mail-in voting will still be a significant factor. However, with more experience and procedures in place, the counting process is expected to be faster than in 2020.

Pennsylvania's changes in procedures will potentially lead to faster counting, but it remains a huge wild card

Other States to Watch

Steve Kornacki also highlights other states that may have bottleneck issues or unusual procedures that could impact the counting process. For example, North Carolina has a procedure for early in-person voting that might delay results by 15-30 minutes. Additionally, Pennsylvania has made a change to provide more transparency, requiring counties to disclose the total number of mail-in votes to be counted at midnight on Election Night.

In conclusion, understanding the intricacies of each battleground state's voting process and timeline is crucial for setting expectations on Election Night 2024.