If Election Goes Into Overtime, Provisional Ballots Become the Focus
- Voters who requested mail-in ballots opting to vote in person
- Set-aside ballots could decide state elections if close
Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
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If the U.S. is still waiting to learn who the president will be days or even weeks after Tuesday’s election, provisional ballots are likely to be at the center of any disputes.
They are the ballots cast by voters whose eligibility is questioned for some reason. Those ballots are set aside and held for a period of days after the election while workers determine whether they should be counted.