Election 2024: Patience With the Process

People have told me, “I can’t wait until the election is over.”

That tells me there’s a lot of emotion connected to Tuesday, November 5th!

But I’m quick to remind people it may take some time to resolve all of the issues after Election Day. While we may have some answers on the morning of November 6th, be prepared to have some patience with the process as the election unfolds.

It's a complex process. Each state has different rules for counting ballots. Here’s a snapshot of the rules that seven states must follow:

Pennsylvania:  State officials can start processing absentee ballots on the morning of Election Day but cannot record any vote totals until after polls close. 

Wisconsin: Officials start processing mail-in ballots on Election Day.

Georgia: Officials have already started working on mail-in ballots, which means there may be at least partial results by the time polls close on Election Day. 

North Carolina: Officials can begin counting absentee ballots on Election Day before the polls close. 

Arizona: State officials start tabulating mail-in ballots when they are received, even if that’s prior to Election Day. But they must wait until the polls are closed to collect ballot boxes.

Michigan: Lawmakers can start counting absentee ballots before Election Day in some towns.

Nevada: Officials can start counting absentee ballots before Election Day and as they come in on Election Day.  

Bottom line: Financial markets don’t like uncertainty, and there may be some issues as each state reports results. So, it's best to prepare for some market volatility before and after the election.

^{Forbes.com, October 23, 2024.  “These Key Swing States Don’t Count Mail Ballots In Advance—Results May Take Days”}