With the U.S. presidential election less than two weeks away, Americans may be looking forward to the end of a tumultuous political campaign season. However, if past trends are any indication, November 5 could be just the beginning.
“There’s a good chance we won’t know the outcome on Election Day,” says John Emerson, vice chair of Capital Group International and a former U.S. Ambassador to Germany. “If the presidential election is close, and most polls suggest it will be, then it could take many days to count the votes — particularly mail-in ballots, which have become increasingly popular since the pandemic-influenced 2020 election.”