Final election results may not be known tonight amid razor-thin polls
Despite states implementing new rules to streamline voting systems, it’s likely that results from key states will not be known by the night’s end. While news networks will attempt to call races throughout the night, it can take days or even weeks for election officials to finish counting ballots and release official results. This year’s timeline rests on seven key swing states — many of which held up results in the last election — including Arizona and Nevada, the two swing states most likely to create delays. In Arizona, the popularity of mail-in ballots, combined with new guidelines for when and how they are counted, means that results may not be clear for several days. Similar conditions may create delays in Nevada, where mail-in ballots can be received as late as Saturday and still be counted.
Pennsylvania, having only started counting mail-in ballots today, may take just as long to hear from, although trends from the past two elections suggest the wait may be shorter than previously seen. North Carolina and Georgia are likely to deliver the soonest, though Georgia results may stall due to thin margins. Michigan and Wisconsin are expected to deliver results on Wednesday. Final results are also at risk of being denied by former President Donald Trump, who has spent months spreading false claims of voter fraud as he did following his loss to President Joe Biden in 2020.
Puerto Rico joke at Trump rally continues to spark backlash
Trump held a rally at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 27, featuring a long list of speakers, including Elon Musk, Rudy Giuliani, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, Tucker Carlson and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. However, perhaps the most controversial speaker was Tony Hinchcliffe, a stand-up comedian who made a series of jokes ridiculing Palestinian, Jewish, Black and Latine voters. One of Hinchcliffe’s jokes, which identified Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage,” was met with swift backlash from both Democrats and Republicans, and the Trump campaign distanced itself from the comment, saying, “This joke does not represent the views of President Trump or the campaign.” In the wake of the rally, Vice President Kamala Harris has received endorsements from many notable Puerto Rican celebrities and new outlets. These endorsements could prove crucial in several key swing states, including Pennsylvania, which is home to nearly half a million Puerto Rican residents.
Harris makes surprise appearance on ‘Saturday Night Live’
Harris made a guest appearance on last weekend’s episode of “Saturday Night Live.” Harris played herself in the show’s cold open alongside comedian Maya Rudolph, who has played the vice president on “SNL” for years. This season, the show’s opening sketches have focused on the presidential election, with guest stars Andy Samberg, Dana Carvey, and Jim Gaffigan playing Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, Biden and Governor Tim Walz, respectively, all of whom made appearances in this week’s cold open. In this week’s sketch, Rudolph’s Harris gave herself a pep talk in the mirror as she prepared for a rally in Philadelphia, and the real-life Harris appeared as her mirror image as they gave each other words of encouragement. “Kamala, take my palm-ala,” Rudolph said to the real Harris. “The American people want to stop the chaos.”
Fires damage ballots and ballot boxes in the Pacific Northwest
Law enforcement officials are investigating a series of incendiary attacks on ballot boxes in Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington, both suspected to be set by a single suspect on Oct. 28. The Portland fire, extinguished by an internal fire suppression system, damaged three ballots, while the Vancouver fire destroyed hundreds of ballots, according to officials. Roughly 500 of the Vancouver voters whose ballots were destroyed have requested replacement ballots. Investigators responding to both fires found devices at the scene marked with the words “Free Gaza.” In a third incident earlier this month, another device similar to those found at the fires was found on a third ballot box in Vancouver, marked with the words “Free Palestine.” Investigators are working to determine whether the attacks were motivated by pro-Palestine sentiments or rather by the desire to cause political strife just days before the election. While the incidents have fueled fears of election fraud, government officials and election experts have repeatedly defended the security of election systems.
