Because of the new Voter ID Laws, we may have to wait longer than usual to find out who wins the 2012 presidential election.
For the most part, the election winner is determined a few hours after the last voting booth is closed. However, because of the new voter ID laws in place, more people will be forced to cast provisional ballots, which will delay the process in tallying all of the votes.
The AP breaks down what a “provisional ballot” is and how it will affect the election:
Voters cast provisional ballots for a variety of reasons: They don’t bring proper ID to the polls; they fail to update their voter registration after moving; they try to vote at the wrong precinct; or their right to vote is challenged by someone.
These voters may have their votes counted, but only if election officials can verify that they were eligible to vote, a process that can take days or weeks. Adding to the potential for chaos: Many states won’t even know how many provisional ballots have been cast until sometime after Election Day.
We’re used to finding out who wins the presidency relatively quickly, but the system put in place by the voter ID laws can delay the tallied results for several days, being that election official will have to scrutinize ballots and there will seemingly be legal battles over which ones should get counted.
The voter ID laws will already prevent millions of registered voters from voting in November, and now this!
SOURCE: AP
