Larry Ceisler on the State of the Presidential Election
Like most of you, I stayed up Tuesday night watching election results roll in. And as the long night became Wednesday morning, we still had no clarity on who will be the next President. There’s a good chance we won’t have a definitive answer for a while.
It’s not the first time we’ve been through this, of course. Most of us remember 2000, when Bush v. Gore wasn’t decided until December, and then by the Supreme Court. And while other past Presidential races have been called on Election Night, election officials in Pennsylvania always take at least a few days to carefully certify the results.
I’m looking forward to parsing the eventual tallies to see how the race broke down in Pennsylvania. Did Trump repeat his strong 2016 showing in rural counties? Was Biden able to generate turnout in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh? Who carried which constituencies?
We may not know that for a while, given the huge number of mail-in ballots still to be counted. And even after that, there are sure to be lingering questions and the potential for lawsuits.
One thing is for certain: Every vote needs to be counted. Earlier today, I joined a VoteSafe PA news conference with former Governors Tom Ridge and Ed Rendell, who urged patience while all legally cast ballots are accurately counted and reported.
As Gov. Rendell said in the session, “All of us should err on the side of making votes count. It’s an important right that people have died defending. It’s a responsibility. And when people exercise that responsibility, we should respect that.”
I applaud our public servants working hard to make sure every vote gets tallied. And I’m proud that many members of the Ceisler Media team volunteered to work at the polls Tuesday, making it easier for people to register their vote. Our staff is also working in a non-partisan way with clients directly involved in the process, as well as keeping all of the companies we work with informed of the latest developments.
This is a historic time for our country. Whichever way the election turns out, the amount of energy and passion shown may be unprecedented – citizens were engaged on the national and local level, and need to remain engaged after the results are known.
I’m eager to break down the numbers with you soon. Meanwhile, I urge everyone to stay patient. And stay calm.
Regards,
Larry Ceisler
Larry Ceisler is the founder of Ceisler Media & Issue Advocacy.
