On Monday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre warned that it may take “a few days” to determine the winners of the midterm elections, adding “that’s how this is supposed to work.” Her remarks come less than a week after President Joe Biden issued a similar warning about the likelihood of delayed vote counts.
“It took two weeks to call every state,” Jean-Pierre said, apparently referring to the 2020 election. “In modern elections, more and more ballots are being cast in early voting and also by mail. Many states don’t start counting those ballots until after the polls close on November 8th.”
“You heard the president say this the other night. He has been very clear on this. We may not know all the winners of elections for a few days. It takes time to count all legitimate ballots in a legal and orderly manner. That’s how this is supposed to work,” she continued. “It’s important for us to all be patient while the votes are being counted.”
During a speech at a Democrat Party campaign event on Wednesday night, President Joe Biden said voters should expect to see delayed vote counts in the midterm elections and be patient.
“We know that many states don’t start counting those ballots until after the polls close on November 8th,” Biden said. “That means in some cases we won’t know the winner of the election for a few days after the election. It takes time to count all legitimate ballots in a legal and orderly manner.
“It’s always been important for citizens in a democracy to be informed and engaged. Now it’s important for citizens to be patient as well,” he added.
Biden also warned that democracy is at threat from “election deniers” and those who engage in political violence.
“This is also the first election since the events of January the 6th,” Biden said.
“I wish I could say the assault on democracy ended that day,” he continued. “But I cannot. As I stand here today, there are candidates running for every level of office in America . . . who won’t commit, they will not commit to accepting the results of elections that they are running in. It’s unprecedented, it’s unlawful and it’s un-American.”
