Disputes about mail ballots, particularly those received after Election Day, could be the fuel for court fights over election results in some states. Dozens of angry supporters of President Donald Trump converged on vote-counting centres in Detroit and Phoenix as the returns went against him Wednesday in the two key states. Meanwhile, thousands of anti-Trump protesters are demanding a complete tally of the ballots in the still-undecided election and have taken to streets in cities across the US.

The Trump supporters have been chanting “Stop the count!” and “Stop the steal!” slogans. The protests came as the President insisted without evidence that there were major problems with the voting and the ballot counting, especially with mail-in votes, and as Republicans filed suit in various states over the election.

So, what are mail-in ballots?

Also referred to as absentee ballots – as the name suggests mail-in ballots allow voters to send in their votes early by mail in the event they cannot make it to the polling station on Election Day. Typically, the category of mail-in ballots comprises citizens staying overseas and military personnel.

What are the laws concerning mail-in ballots?

The US is a federal structure and this translates to states having their own laws for mail-in ballots too. For example, Pennsylvania is currently accepting ballots till November 6, after the state Supreme Court extended the deadline and the US Supreme Court voted 4–4 to leave that timeline intact. But this court now has a ninth judge. The Senate recently confirmed Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who is a Republican nominee, after Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away in September.

The Trump camp has now gone back to the court in a last-ditch attempt to push the deadline back to Election Day.

Wisconsin, meanwhile, will only accept ballots received by Election Day, after the Supreme Court ruled 5–3 this week to block a lower court judge who ordered an extension.

What is Trump’s issue with mail-in voting?

For months, Trump has claimed, without proof, that making mail-in voting more accessible to citizens (which several states have done in light of the pandemic) will result in a sharp jump in voter fraud. However, there is little evidence of mail-in ballots leading to significant voter fraud.

According to a 2017 study by the Brennan Center for Justice, the rate of voting fraud overall in the US is less than 0.0009 percent. A BBC report quotes the Federal Election Commission head, Ellen Weintraub, "There's simply no basis for the conspiracy theory that voting by mail causes fraud."

Why have mail-in ballots increased significantly this year?

An unprecedented 103.2 million people cast their ballots early in this year’s presidential election. The early birds represent 74.3 percent of the total turnout in the 2016 election. A tally by The Associated Press shows the early vote in several states, including hotly-contested Texas and Arizona, exceeded the total vote of four years ago. In Kentucky, nearly 13 times as many voters cast their ballots early this year than in 2016.

The major reason for the surge is the COVID-19 pandemic and people wanting to avoid standing in queues for long hours on Election Day. The Democrats have also encouraged their voter base to opt for this voting method. This, in turn, has resulted in a historic high when it comes to voter turnout a U.S. Presidential election which stands at 67 percent.

What is the current status?

Counting is still underway in a few closely-watched swing states like Pennsylvania, Arizona and Nevada. The race is tight in all these states.

Controversies are popping up by the hour over the mail-in ballots. For example, the pen used for voting is now being questioned and has forced the Maricopa County Elections Department to issue a clarification.

Transparency and security is of the utmost importance to us. We provided Sharpies to be used for in person voters at all @maricopacounty Vote Centers. After multiple tests, we found Sharpie to have the fastest-drying ink and best suited for our Vote Center tabulators. https://t.co/B8vmwSTK3f

— Maricopa County Elections Department (@MaricopaVote) November 5, 2020

- With inputs from agencies

Follow our US Election LIVE blog, to stay up to date with the latest.

(Edited by : Abhishek Jha)

First Published:Nov 5, 2020 3:23 PM IST