Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has once again stirred controversy by insisting that the results of the upcoming U.S. election must be announced on election night, despite the likelihood of delays in counting votes.
“We want the answer tonight,” Trump, 78, declared during his final rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a key swing state. His statement has raised concerns, as it contradicts the realities of how election results are typically tallied, especially with the widespread use of postal ballots, which often cause delays in finalizing counts.
In the days leading up to the election, Trump has continued to make unverified claims about potential electoral fraud, further fueling doubts and confusion around the voting process.
The race against his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, is expected to be extremely tight, and many experts have already warned that the final results may not be clear on election night due to the time required to process absentee and mail-in votes in certain states.
Trump’s demand for an immediate result echoes his actions following the 2020 presidential election, when he prematurely declared victory on election night and called for the halting of vote counting while temporarily leading against Joe Biden.
Election officials and experts have repeatedly stressed that the counting process should be thorough and transparent, even if it takes longer than expected to determine a winner.
