Blue Mirage, Red Mirage and more

Votes cast on election day tend to favour Republicans, while Democrats are historically favored in early voting, causing blue and red “mirages” depending on which types of votes each state counts first, says a Forbes report.

The 'red mirage', a major factor in the 2020 race, could show up again in the 2024 vote counting, says the report, adding that it may be less prominent this time.

"The 'red mirage' refers to early vote totals that favour Republicans as ballots cast in-person on election day are counted, while a 'blue shift' occurs as absentee and provisional ballots are totaled (since Democrats traditionally vote by mail more frequently than Republicans)," the report said.

Some American states now count their mail ballots first, potentially leading to a 'blue mirage' in states like Georgia early in the night, followed by a 'red shift' as GOP-leaning in-person votes are added to the total.