Officials Are Setting the Stage for Another Late-Night 'Blue Shift'

On the night of November 3, 2020, many Americans saw Donald Trump leading in several pivotal states. But as the night wore on, sudden changes in vote counts began to narrow his lead. This year, a similar late-night shift in vote tallies favoring Democrats is likely to reoccur, given the way certain states — particularly key battleground states — process their ballots.

Two critical swing states, Pennsylvania (considered by many experts as the election’s lynchpin state) and Wisconsin, are restricted from processing mail-in ballots — which have historically leaned Democratic — until the morning of Election Day. As a result, Wisconsin’s mail-in votes are anticipated to be reported later in the day, while Pennsylvania’s won’t be recorded “until after polls close at 8 p.m.”

In contrast, other battleground states — such as Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona, Michigan, and Nevada — began counting their ballots before Election Day, meaning their results may come in earlier.