As an European, I'm struck by depending on media outlets announcements. Here we have official government committee, which gathers official results from all districts, sums the results and proclaims winner. Does USA have official, federal bureau for election results?
The US does have a certified government count. In the best of times that takes a while. The media outlets want to get "First Post". So they will announce a winner when it statistically probable there is a winner.
The Electors won't even convene until next month, and it's only after that that it is certified. In part, that's because the electoral college system was created when a horse was the fastest means of transportation, and Electors in each state needed time to convene. And then it took time for the results of each state to be sent on to Washington DC where Congress could review and certify. Perhaps the US could update the system, much as Westminster Parliamentary systems do, in that the new government usually is sworn in pretty rapidly after the election has been certified. Mind you, nothing can speed up tallying when races are so close that mail in, advance and overseas ballots may actually alter the results. Heck, here in British Columbia, while we know the incumbent government has won the election, because of the volume of mail in and advance polls, the earliest we'll actually know just how many seats the government won is sometime next week, and the election was held on October 24th.
The pandemic has simply created a large volume of alternative voting, and it takes a lot more time to just get the ballots. Democracy is a messy business.
Media outlets? (Score:5, Insightful)
As an European, I'm struck by depending on media outlets announcements. Here we have official government committee, which gathers official results from all districts, sums the results and proclaims winner.
Does USA have official, federal bureau for election results?
Re: (Score:1)
Re:Media outlets? (Score:2)
The Electors won't even convene until next month, and it's only after that that it is certified. In part, that's because the electoral college system was created when a horse was the fastest means of transportation, and Electors in each state needed time to convene. And then it took time for the results of each state to be sent on to Washington DC where Congress could review and certify. Perhaps the US could update the system, much as Westminster Parliamentary systems do, in that the new government usually is sworn in pretty rapidly after the election has been certified. Mind you, nothing can speed up tallying when races are so close that mail in, advance and overseas ballots may actually alter the results. Heck, here in British Columbia, while we know the incumbent government has won the election, because of the volume of mail in and advance polls, the earliest we'll actually know just how many seats the government won is sometime next week, and the election was held on October 24th.
The pandemic has simply created a large volume of alternative voting, and it takes a lot more time to just get the ballots. Democracy is a messy business.