As the nation has seen with the presidential vote count in several battleground swing states, election results may change after Election Day as mail-in ballots are counted by poll workers.
And the final certified results in most states are yet to come.
In Maryland, the first round of counting mail-in ballots was Thursday, Nov. 5. The unofficial results after that count show Kent County flipped from voting Donald Trump in 2016 to Joe Biden in 2020.
That result could change again as provisional ballots are counted Thursday, Nov. 12, and the last batch of mail-in ballots are counted Nov. 13. Mail-in ballots may be received by 10 a.m. that day postmarked by Nov. 3 or dated Nov. 3 with a voter’s oath.
Election results will be verified and certified Nov. 13 and sent to the state elections board.
The statewide certification of results will be Tuesday, Dec. 8, with presidential electors casting votes for president on Monday, Dec. 14.
After Thursday’s initial count of mail-in ballots, Biden is leading in Kent County by 49.4% to 48.2% for Trump. Trump was leading 53% to 45% after ballots were counted on Election Day.
In 2016, Trump won 48.7% of Kent County’s vote to 45.7% for Hillary Clinton.
Biden won about 70% of the mail-in ballot vote in Kent County this year, mirroring trends seen nationwide.
Trump urged his voters to go to the polls on Election Day and has falsely claimed mail-in ballots are fraudulent. The Biden campaign encouraged mail-in ballots so voters could avoid lines on Election Day during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump’s numbers also slipped in Talbot County during Thursday’s count, but he still maintains a narrow lead over Biden.
The Republican president was leading Biden 50.5% to 47.3% on Election Day, but, as of Thursday, is only up 49.1% to 48.5%.
Trump’s vote margin dropped from 616 to 116 after the count of mail-in ballots.
In 2016, Trump won Talbot County 52.2% to 42.1% for Clinton.
In Dorchester County, Trump is faring better in 2020 than he did in 2016. He beat Clinton 55.3% to 41% four years ago and leads Biden 58.2% to 39.5%.