Concerns over the counting of ballots in key swing states as well as fraud claims have begun to snowball in the final hours before polls close on election night.
As attention pivots from pushing voters to the polls to watching the results of Election Day, several problems have cropped up in key swing states, with extensions of voting times due to a series of threats that authorities have said are noncredible.
The FBI is investigating such threats in states including Michigan, Wisconsin, in addition to Georgia, according to NBC News.
The Peach State received several threats during the day and at least seven more in the evening. Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said the threats mean that roughly 10 polling stations throughout the state will stay open late.
“It’s probably in that 10 number, plus or minus … and typically, it’s about 20 to 40 minutes” for time extensions, Raffensperger said.
Some localities like Milwaukee are also reporting that some 30,000 ballots will need to be recounted due to a human error. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump has begun revving up claims that there is “cheating” happening in Philadelphia, which local officials are disputing.
Here are the problems, delays, and early claims of election fraud heading into election night.
Milwaukee to recount 30,000 ballots
Milwaukee, a closely watched city in the swing state of Wisconsin, could report results later than anticipated, possibly Wednesday morning, because of a problem with tabulation machines that election officials said occurred on Tuesday.
State election officials are undertaking a recount of approximately 30,000 absentee ballots after discovering issues related to tabulator seals. Jeff Fleming, a spokesman for the city, informed reporters that the process may result in delays in reporting the results in this pivotal swing state.
“It’s just out of an abundance of caution,” Jeff Fleming, a spokesman for the city, informed reporters. “We have no reason to believe that there was any compromise to any of the machines. But because they were not fully sealed, human error, and not fully sealed, we are going to zero them all out again, the 13 machines around, and then re-run the ballots that had already been processed.”
The delay could push back the results in the state till later Wednesday morning, as they were previously estimated to arrive by 2 or 3 a.m. CT.
The recount began after election workers initiated tabulation on Tuesday morning. Wisconsin law, unlike that of some other states, prohibits the counting of absentee ballots prior to Election Day, adding to the pressure of completing the recount swiftly.
Fleming insisted that certain preliminary steps, such as opening the envelopes and sorting the ballots, would not need to be repeated. “The part that needs to be redone involves the actual tabulation at the machines,” Fleming explained. “This will extend the time needed to get the totals, but the duration of the delay is currently uncertain. It is not insignificant.”
Wisconsin is anticipated to be a highly competitive state in the race between Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump. A delay in processing and reporting the 30,000 absentee ballots could, therefore, affect the timing of when media outlets can project a winner in the state.
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley and co-Chairwoman Lara Trump issued a joint statement calling the error “an unacceptable example of incompetent election administration in a key swing state.”
“Voters deserve better and we are unambiguously calling on Milwaukee’s officials to do their jobs and count ballots quickly and effectively. Anything less undermines voter confidence,” the RNC leaders said.
Trump claims he’s hearing about ‘massive CHEATING’ in Philadelphia
Trump took to Truth Social hours ahead of polls closing in Philadelphia to claim he was hearing rumors about voter fraud.
“A lot of talk about massive CHEATING in Philadelphia,” Trump wrote. “Law Enforcement coming!!!”
It was not immediately clear what prompted Trump’s remark, and his campaign and a Republican National Committee spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.
Philadelphia City Commissioner Seth Bluestein quickly shot down Trump’s comment, saying in a post on X that there was “absolutely no truth” to it.
Philadelphia is a heavily Democratic and populous city in Pennsylvania, a state both campaigns have widely viewed as a must-win.
In a second post on Truth Social, Trump also alluded to concerns with Detroit but provided no other details.
Tensions rise in Pennsylvania county after judge planned to hand-count ballots
A Washington Township election judge was ordered on Tuesday evening to back off of his plans to hand-count ballots after an election director for Fayette County said that would violate state law.
The petition was filed Tuesday after The Fayette County Bureau of Elections said that Washington Township Judge of Election, Vincent Manetta, told workers that he would count the votes by hand after the polls closed.
Update: A judge has ordered the Washington Township election judge to comply with his duties under state law, which means no hand-count of ballots. If he refuses, court directs the sheriff's office to go in and escort out a poll worker and the election materials pic.twitter.com/JLYdNQYz4o
— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) November 5, 2024
A judge in the Court of Common Pleas of Fayette County ordered Manetta on Tuesday evening to comply with his duties under state law, which means ceasing any plans to hand-count ballots.
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If Manetta refuses and begins a hand count of votes, the judge said the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office should move in and escort out a poll worker and the election materials from the Washington Township precinct to the Fayette County Election Bureau.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
