Election vote count could take weeks or months, says Trump

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump warned on Saturday that the results of the November 3 presidential election could take weeks or months to determine.

Amid concerns that a wave of mail-in ballots could overwhelm the post office and local election bodies, Trump suggested the traditional election-night verdict could be delayed.

"You’ll never have an election count on November 3," Trump said in a speech to the Council of National Policy, a conservative activist group.

"You’re not going to be able to know the end of this election, in my opinion, for weeks, months, maybe never," he said.

The prospect of a slow count of an expected 50 million votes cast by mail -- one consequence of the coronavirus pandemic -- has raised concerns of political turmoil and mischief-making, and legal challenges that could further delay a result, for the presidential as well as congressional races. Trump, who polls show is trailing challenger Joe Biden, alleged that Democrats were promoting universal mail-in voting to manipulate the results.

But he suggested a systemic problem as well.

"We’re not prepared for this, 51 million ballots. It will be a tremendous embarrassment for the country," he said. "This is a very serious problem for a democracy."

On Wednesday, a top US official for election security said his biggest worry is of outside interference in a likely count of the votes the day after the November 3 election.

While meddling by Russia, China, Iran and others in the run-up to the poll is a concern, "I’m worried about Election Day on," said Bill Evanina, director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Centre.

He said external actors could use hacks like ransomware and other cyberattacks against the infrastructure for delivering, counting and transmitting the votes.

"We need to prepare as a nation that the election will not be decided on November 3," he said. "I’m worried about ransomware attacks. I’m worried about cyberattacks. I’m worried about the inability of people to vote because of cyber penetrations and ransomware."

"So for me I worry about not up to the election, from the influence perspective, I’m worried about the interference perspective come November 3, 4 and all the way through November," he said.Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the USPS is expecting almost 50 million votes to be cast by mail this year. However, the old organisation has received almost no support from the US president who claims this will be a huge embarassment for the country. "We're not prepared for this, 51 million ballots. It will be a tremendous embarrassment for the country," he said. "This is a very serious problem for a democracy."

Trump, who has been accused several times for colluding with Russia in the 2016 elections, believes his opposition party is stressing over relying on the USPS for voting day as it is allegedly an easy way to manipulate the 2020 elections.

While he is adamant on calling this to be a systemic problem, local voters and experts seem to believe this is his reaction to the poll resulkts that suggest he is trailing behind in the race against Joe Biden.

However, Bill Evanina, director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Centre has also stated a similar concern but due to cyberattacks. "We need to prepare as a nation that the election will not be decided on November 3," he said.