During election day, local elections offices collect ballots from voters, count them, and report unofficial results to the public. State election offices then aggregate the data and report unofficial results for State and Federal offices including President and Vice President. Then, after a process of auditing and certifying results called the canvass and recount, election officials finalize official election results.
Those results are then certified and published. Often, it takes several days and even weeks for results to be finalized. That is why early returns may look different than the eventual result, and it is important to remember that only the final results matter.
The process of reporting, counting, and certifying results takes a lot of work. EAC has collected information and resources for election officials to help them better communicate these processes to voters, observers, and the media. Learn more about the various steps and procedures that take place before election results are considered official by visiting our Election Process page. Then, explore how your State’s process compares to others by clicking on the map below.
About the Author
