Election Finale Arrives, but Winner May Not Be Declared for Days

Voters cast their ballots at an early vote location at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center in North Charleston, S.C., on Oct. 16, 2020. Logan Cyrus/AFP via Getty Images

Tens of millions of Americans are casting their votes on Nov. 3 in an election that has already broken turnout records before the polls opened on Election Day.

More than 95 million people had already voted early by the eve of the election. More than 60 million of the early votes were cast by mail, increasing the likelihood that the final outcome won’t be clear due to the delays some states allow for the receipt, processing, and counting of ballots.