>>I wasn’t aware they counted absentee votes unless they could make a difference. I think this is just ballots requested. In my state they don’t even identify general election absentee ballots by Republican or Democrat and they don’t COUNT and publicize them before the election.<<
About counting absentee ballots at all: I think that was only the case before early voting became so prevalent and even then I suspect most states counted them eventually to get a firm final total for each candidate.
However, I think many states now count them before the polls close on election day. Maybe you’ve noticed that on the closing of the polls, some precincts report large vote counts immediately. I think those are the early votes, already counted.
It would bother me to find out that clerks were opening the ballots and tallying them before election day, however, since that process would be wide open to fraudulent behavior, including tipping off people as to how the count was going, up to and including “losing” certain ballots and “discovering” others.
I understand all the rationalizations about it and reporting thereof. Still, there is no case where I’m aware of a state actually does that - especially Florida where the infamous example of that state’s results being trumpeted as a ‘win’ for Gore (IIRC) by media calling that state’s by media win even before the polls closed in Northwestern Florida.
By its very release of results of early vote totes, it is something illegal and wholly criminal IMO. It isinherently wrong, devious and an attempt to push-pushing voting that is still yet to occur.
I just don’t believe this is actual official counted votes. To me, this is the height of a legitimate case for litigation.