[AlphaSigOU]

Originally posted by honeychile
Okay, I need to ask you - have you ever worked the polls? Because the vast number of absentee ballots and the possibility of thousands of provisional ballots is going to make the entire process a new ballgame.

I once heard the district that I was working called when we hadn't even opened the absentee ballots yet! These may be somewhat educated guesses, but obviously, the operative word is guess!!

I was once an election officer in Fairfax County, Virginia way back in 1988. Way it worked back then was that the live votes taken at the precinct were automatically tabulated when the polls closed, then called in to the county elections office. Of course, subject to any absentee ballots received, which are usually counted after the live vote. I don't recall if we even had any provisional ballots cast.

In states where early voting is allowed, they are usually the first numbers released.