Boulder County has announced that it may not provide vote totals until Wednesday evening.

Officials in Boulder County warned that election results might not be available until Wednesday night, saying extra time may be necessary because of a large projected turnout and the use of paper ballots.

“We didn’t pick the hare; we picked the tortoise, the slow and steady winning-the-race type of system,” said Jim Burrus, a spokesman for the county, known as an enclave of liberal voters.

The county’s vote-counting machines bogged down in a recent test, choking on improperly marked ballots.

Boulder isn’t alone. Oregon, Florida and Wisconsin, to name a few, also have voting woes. Nationally, there is a shortage of 500,000 poll workers. The era of projecting winners and watching acceptance and concession speeches on election night may be a relic of the past. There is a distinct possibility when we wake up on November 3 we still may be told the race is too close to call. Considering that we live in an age of unprecedented technology in which breaking news has meant instantaneous news, this will be difficult for many to accept.