(CNN) Voters are casting ballots early in record numbers this year amid the pandemic -- and that's prompting concerns that it might wind up taking longer than expected to get election results, as officials process millions more mail-in ballots than usual. The reality is that most states can begin processing absentee ballots in some form before Election Day , which could help avoid delays in reporting results. In Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, absentee ballots cannot be processed until the morning of November 3. More than 1 million ballots have been cast in each state already, but the backlog might be more pronounced in Pennsylvania, which expanded mail voting to all voters this year. Alabama and Mississippi also do not begin to process absentee ballots until Election Day.

Source: CNN October 21, 2020 21:11 UTC