Majority Expect Delays in Election Results

Both candidates in the U.S. presidential election are questioning whether the other will accept the results of the November election. A new survey shows this back-and-forth is having an effect on how voters are perceiving election day results, with a majority expecting a sizable delay in reporting the winner after Nov. 3.

In a new poll from YouGov, just 22 percent of U.S. adults say the results of the election on Nov. 3 will be known and a winner will have been decided. 35 percent believe the results will be decided a day or a few days after, while 31 percent believe it’ll be a few weeks to a month before the true results of the election are known.

The perception of integrity in the upcoming U.S. election is at a very low point with less than 50 days to go. While both Republicans and Democrats fear the other side could delay a victory, officials from the Department of Justice are also raising the alarm on ongoing threats from Russian operatives to influence the election. The COVID-19 pandemic is also presenting challenges for in-person voting, with many facilities across the country saying they’ll remain closed for the Nov. 3 election. On top of this, President Trump is still calling into question the legitimacy of mail-in voting from the USPS, while at the same time pushing to defund and contract the institution with less than two months until the election.