Maine counts votes very fast after polls close. As a matter of fact, Portland, the largest city provides most of their totals by 10 pm. The exception is the absentee/pre-election walk in which cannot be finally processed until after the polls close. 75% of those ballots have been run through the machines during the day. The final batch are run after polls close and confirmation is made that they did not vote at the poll on election day.
I watch the process every year and Portland is a cleanly run election as far as the administration of it is concerned.
If they came up with millions of votes over night than we would be challenging the election as there are less than 1 million registered voters in Maine. It is not going to happen.
Excellent observations.
I have worked as a clerk on election day in Maine for about five years. I can’t comment about voting in Portland, but in downeast Maine each voting ward has at least one Republican and one Democratic in the ward at all times. And as pointed out, all absentee ballots must be at the ward by the time the polls close.
Thanks Steven. Here’s another post I made just now, having
be caught not tightening up my overview to just Maine.
I appreciate you describing your process back there. Sounds
great.
https://freerepublic.com/focus/news/4220222/posts?page=10#10