Yes, it’s normal for official results to come in after election night

Allegations of fraud and conspiracy have plagued elections for years. As part of our reporting on the elections, VERIFY dug deeper into why it might take longer for the official result to be declared, even if there is a wide margin of victory for a winner.

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THE QUESTION

Is it normal for official results to come in after election night?

THE SOURCES

THE ANSWER

Yes, it’s normal for official results to come in after election night.

WHAT WE FOUND

Election administrators have to complete post-election activities and election results need to be certified – results are not official until that process happens. And because each state runs its own elections, each state determines the post-election process.

For in-person voting and early in-person voting, people have to have their ballots cast by the time the polls close on Election Day. If someone is in line on Election Day and the polls close, they can still cast their ballots. 

And each state, county or city has their own rules when polls close. Election officials don’t begin reporting results until the polls close, even if those ballots were processed and counted before Election Day. 

How vote counting works across the U.S. before or after the polls close

Forty-seven states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands offer early in-person or mail-in voting, according to the NCSL. 

Alabama, Mississippi and New Hampshire do not offer pre-Election Day voting options for all voters, though they may offer pre-Election Day voting options for eligible absentee voters, the NCSL says.

The time period for early voting varies from state to state. On average, states that offer in-person early voting start 30 days before the election and end a few days before Election Day. For states with absentee and mail-in voting, those ballots could be sent 45 days before the election, depending on the state. 

Twelve states, including Arizona, Colorado and Florida, allow both processing and counting to begin before Election Day. Connecticut leaves the time for counting to the discretion of the local registrar of voters, the NCSL says. 

Processing votes typically means validating signatures. 

Provisional ballots are usually the last to get counted

Provisional ballots are used if there are questions about a voter’s eligibility and are required to be made available per the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA).

If someone shows up to the polling location and their name isn’t on the ballot or the required identification isn’t available, or another issue arises, the elected official is required to offer a provisional ballot instead of a regular ballot. 

During the investigation process for those who received a provisional ballot, the elected official must confirm the voter’s identity and confirm the voter’s eligibility, the NCSL says. The voter might have to return to the election office. Because these ballots need to be investigated, they are usually the last ones counted.

In some states, it can take longer than three weeks to certify final election results

“Election certification refers to the process of election officials attesting that the tabulation and canvassing of the election are complete and accurate and that the election results are a true and accurate accounting of all votes cast in a particular election,” the Election Assistance Commission says. 

Most states' chief election officer or Secretary of State are responsible for certifying election results. Some states may certify election results in seven days or fewer, while others can take more than three weeks, depending on state deadlines, the NCSL says.

Now, that doesn’t mean media outlets or candidates won’t declare winners before results are certified. When a winner is declared before an election is certified, that winner is declared “according to unofficial election results.” For the results to be official, the election has to be certified. 

The Associated Press is one of the media outlets that routinely and accurately declares winners in races nationwide before vote results are certified. The AP says, "only when AP is fully confident a race has been won – defined most simply as the moment the trailing candidates no longer have a path to victory – will we make a call."

So, there are many reasons why election results might come in after election night. It’s completely normal.