Trump warns election vote count could take ‘weeks’, by Nicholas Kamm.

US President Donald Trump warned Friday that the results of the November 3 presidential election could take weeks or months to determine.

Amid concerns that a wave of mail-in ballots could overwhelm the post office and local election bodies, Trump suggested the traditional election-night verdict could be delayed.

“You’ll never have an election count on November 3,” Trump said in a speech to the Council of National Policy, a conservative activist group.

“You’re not going to be able to know the end of this election, in my opinion, for weeks, months, maybe never,” he said. …

“We’re not prepared for this, 51 million ballots. It will be a tremendous embarrassment for the country,” he said.

“This is a very serious problem for a democracy.” …

The prospect of a slow count of an expected 50 million votes cast by mail — one consequence of the coronavirus pandemic — has raised concerns of political turmoil and mischief-making, and legal challenges that could further delay a result, for the presidential as well as congressional races.