The Winner Might Not be Known for Months: Trump on Mail Ballots

Donald Trump, US President

(Photo: The Quint)

Launching yet another attack on mail ballots that could be used by a significant number of voters, President of the United States Donald Trump on Friday, 25 September, said that the winner of the upcoming presidential elections might not be known for months due to usage of this method of voting, according to news agency Reuters.

Trump was referring to an expected delay in declaration of results after elections on 3 November this year, as officials would have to count mail ballots that would arrive after election day.

Addressing a rally in Virginia, Trump said that he would like to know quickly whether he won or lost and not, which would not be possible as counting of mail ballots would take time.

"I like watching television and have, 'The winner is', right? You might not hear it for months, because this is a mess," he said.

“It’s very unlikely that you’re going to hear a winner that night...I could be leading and then they’ll just keep getting ballots, and ballots, and ballots and ballots. Because now they’re saying the ballots can come in late.”

Donald Trump, US President

Court rulings in states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and North Carolina have held that ballots that arrive after 3 November to be counted, as long as they were dispatched on election day.

According to opinion polls, more Democrats than Republicans are likely to vote through mail amid the coronavirus pandemic.

(With inputs from Reuters.)