What should we expect with vote count?

University of Cincinnati Associate Professor David Niven spoke to WVXU's Cincinnati Edition about what voters can expect as they head to the polls on Election Day.

Niven teaches in UC's School of Public and International Affairs in the College of Arts and Sciences. He told host Lucy May that states have seen strong turnout in early voting.

Niven said more voters have embraced early voting this year.

“That’s a vote in the bank and nothing can get in the way — no work problem, no traffic problem, no long-line problem,” Niven said.

But exactly what a surge in early voting means for the outcome will be revealed only after the polls close and the votes are tallied, he said.

“It’s hard to read the tea leaves of early votes. A majority of those folks were already going to vote,” he said.

Niven said unlike Ohio, states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania do not examine and count absentee ballots until after the polls close. This can delay the final tally in those states.

“I certainly wouldn’t expect people to go to bed on Election Night and know for sure what happened,” Niven said.

Listen to the Cincinnati Edition episode.

Featured image at top: UC College of Arts and Sciences Associate Professor David Niven says the 2024 election has been marked by more national interest in early voting. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand