Getting results right is more important than getting them fast on election night

We Americans are an anxious people. We want to know who won when it comes to our politics. We want to get our election results as soon as the polls close. But this year will be different. We have to be patient.

Why? Because it’s unlikely we’ll have a final tally of votes on election night. Nearly 75% of the electorate can vote remotely because of the coronavirus pandemic. This means the count will be slower. In some states, poll workers can’t begin to count ballots received in advance before Election Day, while in others, ballots need only be mailed on Election Day and can’t be counted until they’re received a few days later.

At the same time, there may be fewer poll workers available to immediately process and count those ballots. So a slow count has nothing to do with accuracy or legitimacy of the process. It simply reflects the unusual moment we are living in.

President Donald Trump has falsely claimed that mail-in voting will produce “the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history.” In fact, voting by mail is common. In 2016, roughly 1 in every 4 votes was mailed. Every member of the U.S. military stationed overseas votes by mail.

Voting by mail has been proven safe. States have extra security protocols for mail-in ballots — such as bar codes, signature verification and statistical audits — that make them just as secure, if not more so, than in-person ballots. And they are paper ballots, not electronic ones. Ballots are delivered through the U.S. Postal Service, the same entity we trust to deliver Social Security checks, tax refunds, credit cards, passports and lifesaving prescription medications.

Ignoring all of those facts, and the widespread national support for voting by mail, the president and his supporters have done everything they can to slow mail delivery and stunt voter turnout.

So what’s the answer? What can we do? After all, we’re still in the middle of a pandemic, and gathering at polling stations with potentially long wait times could put you, your family, your community and poll workers at additional risk.

First, plan to vote by mail as early as possible. Don’t wait until the last minute. Missouri requires most people voting absentee or by the new mail-in option to have their forms notarized. In Kansas, a simple request to the local county voter registration office will suffice without the need for an excuse such as illness or disability.

Second, if you plan to vote in person, please do so early. Kansas, unlike Missouri, allows for early in-person voting 20 days before Election Day. In Missouri, be prepared for long lines. Take a mask and gloves, a folding chair and comfortable shoes.

And finally, prepare to wait a while for the outcome of many races. All election night results are unofficial, always. It will take days, if not weeks, to compile and formally submit the official results.

Will that be frustrating? Sure. Will it provide an opportunity for some candidates — such as the president — to criticize the delay and use it as a concocted reason to claim fraud? Absolutely.

But here’s the truth: A slow count will mean a careful count. A slow count will mean that many, many citizens will have chosen to exercise their constitutional right to vote, and a slow count will mean that most of them will have done so in a way that was both convenient and safe for themselves and their community — by mail.

That’s exactly how we want the results of this election to be tallied. Getting it right is more important than getting it fast.

Barry Grissom served as United States Attorney for the District of Kansas between 2010-2016 and will be a poll worker this year.