Election Day is Tuesday, but winner might not be known Tuesday

NEWS AND OPINION:

It’s not over until it’s over, perhaps.  

“Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5 — but that doesn’t mean we’ll know who won the election on that date. With each passing election, more and more Americans are casting mail-in ballots, which take longer to count than in-person votes because they need to be opened and verified. That means that finding out the winner on election night may be a thing of the past,” ABC News advises in a brief analysis.

“In 2020, it took until the Saturday after Election Day for the networks to project a winner in the presidential race. In 2022, control of the Senate also took until Saturday to be projected, and control of the House wasn’t decided until eight days after Election Day,” the analysis said.

The possibility of a delayed election also was noted by other news organizations in the past 48 hours. Some headlines of note:

“When will we know who won the election?” (New York Magazine); “When will we know election results for the 2024 presidential race: What experts say” (NBC); “U.S. election results: When can we expect the final outcome?” (Al Jazeera); and “From delayed results to voter intimidation — six things that could go wrong on election night” (Yahoo).

HAWLEY’S PRAYER FOR TRUMP

Sen. Josh Hawley called on the public to pray for former President Donald Trump after a lone gunman attempted to assassinate the former president during a campaign rally in mid-July.

The Missouri Republican is once again asking the public to do the same.

“I’m praying for President Trump ahead of Election Day. We’re lucky to have a leader who stands up for us. The least we can do for him is pray for strength, guidance, and perseverance. I’m praying for President Trump, and I hope you can spare a few minutes to join me,” Mr. Hawley said in a public message shared with Inside the Beltway on Sunday.

Here’s his recommended prayer, verbatim from the source: “God, thank you for protecting President Trump. We pray that you give him strength, guidance, and perseverance on Election Day. Bless America with revival. Amen.”

WHERE’S TRUMP?

In the meantime, former President Donald Trump is on the road.

On Monday, he will host a mid-morning rally in Raleigh, North Carolina. At 2 p.m. EST, he’ll arrive in Reading, Pennsylvania, for another appearance. At 6 p.m., it’s on to Pittsburgh, and at 10:30 p.m. — yes, that’s 10:30 p.m. — Mr. Trump arrives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for the final gathering of the night, according to his campaign.

His vice-presidential running mate also has a humdinger of a schedule. Here’s where Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio will be on Monday alone: LaCrosse, Wisconsin; Flint, Michigan; and Atlanta.

SOME PUBLISHING NEWS

Publishing giant Penguin Random House has announced the launch of the Penguin Random House Christian Publishing Group — described as “a new standalone entity that builds on its esteemed evangelical Christian publishing program.”

The new group will be made up of three imprints: WaterBrook and Multnomah — which focus on Christian living and guidance — and Forum.

This imprint will be devoted to “conservative thought leaders.” according to Penguin Random House.

“With a renewed focus on market growth and a commitment to dedicating additional resources, this initiative aims to significantly expand readership, strengthen connections with audiences, and deepen its range of books and content offerings for the Christian readership,” the publisher said in a written statement released Friday.

“This sector holds immense potential, and as we develop innovative strategies for this dynamic and growing marketplace, we are thrilled by the opportunities our renewed commitment to Christian publishing brings,” said Manuel Sansigre, CFO of Penguin Random House.

“This focus not only enhances our position at Penguin Random House but also empowers authors and enriches the reading experience for countless readers,” he said.

IVY COVERED HALLS

The faculty at Ohio State University — the alma mater of Republican vice presidential hopeful J.D. Vance — have donated 100 times more to Democrats than Republicans. So says research from The College Fix, a student-written publication that monitors cultural and political trends.

“Nearly all of explicitly partisan donations from faculty at the Ohio State University appear to have gone to Democratic candidates or aligned causes,” noted a new analysis of their trend which was released Friday.

“Professors at Ohio’s largest university gave $302,982.90 to Democratic candidates or groups that primarily support Democrats between January 1, 2023 and October 19, 2024, according to Federal Election Commission data. In contrast, they gave Republicans and aligned organizations only $2,782.29 The remaining donations went to third-party candidates or PACs that support both Democrats and Republicans. This means 99% of donations to a particular party or aligned cause went to the Democratic Party, with just one percent going to Republicans,” the analysis said.

“The results are similar to 2022, when 98% of Ohio State University faculty donations went to Democrats,” it noted.

“The large disparity should be taken into consideration as the university evaluates ideological diversity on campus, according to the National Association of Scholars — a non-profit organization that seeks to reform higher education, according to its mission statement.

“We uphold the standards of a liberal arts education that fosters intellectual freedom, searches for the truth, and promotes virtuous citizenship,” the statement said.

POLL DU JOUR

• 83% of registered U.S. voters have given “quite a lot of thought” to the presidential election on Tuesday.

• 88% of Republicans, 85% of Democrats and 78% of independents agree; 87% of women and 80% of men also agree.

• 2% have given “some thought” to the election.

• 1% of Republicans, 3% of Democrats and 1% of independents agree; 0% of women and 3% of men agree.

• 13% have given “only a little thought” to the election.

• 9% of Republicans, 10% of Democrats and 19% of independents agree; 12% of women and 14% of men also agree.

• 2% have had no thoughts about the election.

• 2% of Republicans, 1% of Democrats and 2% of independents agree; 1% of women and 3% of men agree.

SOURCE: A Gallup poll of 933 registered U.S. voters conducted by telephone Oct. 14-17 and released Sunday.

• Follow Jennifer Harper on X @HarperBulletin, on Facebook @HarperUniverse.