And so the question: How confident can Americans be in the results announced in the wee hours of Nov. 9, given the problems that continue to beset our election system? Problems beset our system? Like fraud? Or the stoopid electoral college/constitution thingy?
Here are some answers:
More answers at link, natch.
Q: Who won the popular vote?
A: Clinton's lead of about 1.7 million votes continues to increase, largely due to an influx of absentee and provisional ballots still being counted in
Q: How close are the two candidates in key battleground states?
A: Three thousand votes are all that separate Clinton and Trump in New Hampshire. The margin is about 12,000 in Michigan, 27,000 in Wisconsin, 68,000 in Pennsylvania and 113,000 in Florida - close, but nothing compared to the 537 votes that separated George W. Bush and Al Gore in Florida 16 years ago.
Q: What's the deal in California?
A: It's the largest state, with some of the most permissive voting procedures. More than half the state's votes are cast by absentee ballot, since no excuses are necessary to avoid going to a polling place on Election Day.
Do you have to have photo ID? Be registered some time period prior? Be not dead?
Provisional ballots are treated more leniently than in many other states, requiring time to correct mistakes that otherwise would cause votes to be rejected.
Q: So when will the results be official?
A: Eight states have certified their results; another four are due to do so Tuesday. Nearly all will complete their counts by Dec. 13, in time for the Dec. 19 meeting of the Electoral College - the 538 individuals who, usually without exception, vote according to the results in each state. In some states, the final count may come even later.
