State election officials are warning voters across the country that it could take days or even weeks to finalize the vote results across critical battleground states, which could leave the presidential race and congressional contests across the country in limbo long after November 5. 

The delay could threaten to throw America into chaos for an unspecified amount of time, with possible protests like those four years ago when voting officials worked tirelessly to count ballots amid the Covid pandemic. Republicans and Democrats alike are asking their supporters to get out to vote early so that long lines and stresses on election officials can be avoided on November 5. 

In 2020, Wisconsin and Michigan weren’t called for Mr. Biden until the day after the election, while Pennsylvania and Nevada weren’t called until several days later. Election officials say we could see a replay of that this year.

In Arizona — a state targeted by President Trump with accusations of voter fraud four years ago — election officials in the state’s most populous county, Maricopa County, are warning that it could take up to two weeks to count ballots and determine a winner. 

“We do expect that it will take between ten and 13 days to complete tabulation of all of the ballots that come in, but we ask for the community’s patience,” the county’s deputy elections director, Jennifer Liewer, told NBC News 12, an Arizona affiliate. “We want to make sure that this is a secure process, but we also want to make sure that it is an accurate process.”

Four years ago, President Biden won Maricopa County by just more than two points, becoming the first Democratic presidential nominee to carry the county since President Truman in 1948. Officials have added new security measures at the vote counting center in order to protect the elections division’s employees and the volunteers who will be there on election day and beyond. 

Arizona is just one of many swing states that are warning voters not to expect results by the end of the day on November 5. Michigan’s secretary of state, Jocelyn Benson, says she hopes to have her state’s votes tallied and a winner declared more than 24 hours after polls close. “I would estimate — end of the day on Wednesday, as the best guess on how we’ll perform,” she told CBS News’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday. 

Georgia is also expecting a slog after election day to count all of its ballots. Their secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, similarly told “Face the Nation” that because the state counts all early and mail ballots as they come in, America could see “70, maybe even 75 percent” of all results posted by the time polls close at 8 o’clock on November 5. 

He warned, however, that election day votes, overseas ballots, and military ballots will take longer to count. Georgia “will be waiting for … overseas ballots that come in no later than Friday, and so those will then be the final numbers,” Mr. Raffensperger says. 

Georgia had a recount conducted by hand in 2020, leading the Associated Press to not officially call the state for Mr. Biden until more than a week after election day. The state’s board of elections tried to implement a mandatory hand-counting of votes this year, though that practice was halted by a state court. The state supreme court declined to hear the appeal of the board of elections asking that the policy be reinstated. 

It isn’t just election officials who are saying it will take awhile to tabulate all votes and release the results — vote analysts who are responsible for calling elections also say it could take days. 

“The over/under is Saturday,” the head of Fox News’s decision desk, Arnon Mishkin, told Politico. “Which was when the call was made last time.” Mr. Mishkin says the reason for his optimism that the call will be made by Saturday following the election will be because of Pennsylvania, which will “likely” be decided by then, which is what happened four years ago. 

“The public has a right to know who the next president is. Uncertainty about that is not a good thing. And anything you can do to contribute to the information about that is an important thing,” Mr. Mishkin added. 

Both the Republican and Democratic presidential tickets this year are urging their supporters to get out to vote now and avoid any confusion on election day. Governor Walz cast his vote in Minnesota on Wednesday morning, while Trump announced he, too, planned to vote early in person in Florida. 

The Kentucky secretary of state, Michael Adams, had a simple message for his constituents on Wednesday: “For the love of God, vote early,” he wrote on X.