Election dates to know: When ballots are due, when we might know who won and more

Those who are eager to learn whether President Donald Trump or challenger Joe Biden comes out on top Tuesday might be in for a disappointment.

“Election experts say that everyone — the candidates, the media, and voters watching the results roll in — needs to prepare for the possibility of delayed returns,” reports Poynter, a nonprofit journalism school and research group.

A record number of Americans are casting absentee ballots during the coronavirus pandemic, and some of ballots won’t be counted for days after the election. In 22 states and Washington, D.C., officials can count postmarked ballots received after Election Day, The New York Times reports.

That could prove crucial in battleground states, including Pennsylvania, which could determine the outcome of the election.

Close margins in some states could pave the way for legal battles, The Washington Post reports.

Here are some key dates to keep in mind:

Nov. 4: Absentee ballots are due in Texas, where Biden and Trump are are in a tight race, according to polling site FiveThirtyEight.

Nov. 6: The deadline for counting absentee ballots in Pennsylvania, the result of a Supreme Court ruling last month. Biden is leading Trump in the state by 5.3 percentage points as of Monday, according to FiveThirtyEight.

Nov. 12: The deadline for counting absentee ballots in North Carolina, marking another Supreme Court decision. Biden and Trump are neck-and-neck in the battleground state as of Monday, FiveThirtyEight says.

Dec. 8: The day election results must be certified in each state.

Dec. 14: The Electoral College votes.

Jan. 6: Congress counts the electoral votes and declares an official winner. “If one of the tickets has received a majority of 270 or more electoral votes, the Vice President announces the results, which “shall be deemed a sufficient declaration of the persons, if any, elected President and Vice President,” according to the Congressional Research Service.

Jan. 20: Inauguration Day, as set by the 20th Amendment of the Constitution.

This story was originally published November 2, 2020 at 7:52 AM with the headline "Election dates to know: When ballots are due, when we might know who won and more."