x
Breaking News
More () »

Here's what happens on election day

A political data analyst said it's important to remember what will look like gains and losses in the weeks of counting the remaining mail-in ballots.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In California, about 88% of eligible voters are registered and the non-profit VoteAmerica is aiming to drive that number up.

"It is absolutely not too late," VoteAmerica Founder Debra Cleaver said.

The state is one of 20 that allows for election day registration. People can bring their ID to prove they're eligible to vote in their county and cast a conditional ballot. Once, verified, it can be counted.

"This is very important because California has 4.6 million unregistered voters who can still cast ballots," Cleaver said.

More than half of California's 22 million voters have already returned their ballots through vote by mail, or early, in-person voting. But elections officials and experts say in-person voters should expect long lines due to pandemic restrictions, including social distancing and limited capacity indoors.

"You know 20 people standing in line might not have looked like a lot of people in the primary, but in the general election, that might be a line that goes to the end of the block," said Paul Mitchell with Political Data Inc.

Voters have a hard deadline of 8 p.m. to get in line or their ballot in an authorized drop-box within their county. At that time staffers will cut off the line and lock the boxes. That's also when the first returns will be reported. Mitchell says we'll see data come in waves.

"The first wave will be all those people, they got their ballot got out there, drop it off immediately, put it on Instagram, and those were a lot more of the Democratic voters,” Mitchell said. “The second wave coming late into the night will be people who voted at the polls. By 10 o'clock, 11 o'clock, or midnight, you start to see in California, the results shift towards Republicans."

Mitchell said it's important to remember what will look like gains and losses in the weeks of counting the remaining mail-in ballots. He said it isn't a foot race, it is just the process of counting ballots already cast.

"It does seem like it's some tug-of-war, but it really is just every ballot is equally important," Mitchell said.

Continue the conversation with Andie on Facebook.

Read more from ABC10

WATCH ALSO: The top races to watch in California | Election 2020

Before You Leave, Check This Out