After the Election

On election night, you may hear the media or others report projections of election results, but these reports are based on partial counts or estimations of results so far. They are not final until results are certified by election officials.

After polls close, election officials begin the process of verifying the vote count and certifying the election. This takes a great deal of work and time, but accuracy is more important than speed. A little patience gives us the peace of mind that results will be accurate.

While the procedures vary from state to state, there are three essential stages to the process: reporting results; canvassing results; and certifying results.

Initial results reporting:

  • After the polls close, ballots and electronic vote records are securely transferred to the applicable election administration location for counting. Election officials make initial election results public as quickly as possible. 

  • However, even when those results say “100% of Precincts Reporting,” they are still unofficial. The election results reported on and after Election Night are never the final, certified results.

Verifying the vote count through a canvass:

  • Local election officials in each locality conduct a canvass, which is a process to review, verify and consolidate election results from the individual precincts.

  • The canvass allows election officials to confirm the accuracy of every eligible ballot cast and counted, including mail-in, uniformed and overseas citizen, early voting, Election Day, and provisional ballots, and to identify areas for improvement.

Certification:

  • Election certification refers to the process of election officials attesting that the tabulation and canvassing of the election are complete and that the election results are a true and accurate accounting of all votes cast in a particular election. 

  • After the canvass, election officials certify election results using a variety of methods. Some states authorize the canvass and certify election results through a local board, the Chief Election Official in the state, or a state canvassing board.

  • Depending on the state, local election officials must complete the certification process within 30 days. 

  • In presidential elections, states then send their certified votes for president and vice president, as represented by their respective Electoral College votes, to Congress.

After the election, people might challenge the results. But our system requires proof and following the law.