Itās Election Day! Although itās the last day of voting, it isnāt the end of the election. Election results are never fully known when the polls close, but the increase of mail-in ballots this year will extend the process.
Like all election rules, how ballots are countedāboth āliveā and mail-in ballotsādiffers widely by state. Hereās are a few links I have found helpful to follow the results. If nothing else, perhaps it can serve as a distraction while we wait.
(And obviously, if you havenāt voted yet and youāre able: Girl, you better get on it! Find your polling location here.)
Whatās the deal with this year?
To reiterate, election results are never fully known when the polls close. While the widespread use of electronic voting machines has expedited the vote-counting process, it still takes time to physically gather the output from the ballot machines across the state. And of course, just because the polls close at a certain time doesnāt mean the voters are done. If youāre in line before the time the polls close, you have a right to vote.
However, this year, the waiting game will be exacerbated by the increased use of mail-in ballots. Over 6 million absentee ballots were requested in Florida alone.
So first, letās consider how states differ in how they count mail-in ballots. There are two main decisions states have to make: 1) when ballots need to be received, and 2) when the state starts counting mail-in ballots.
Below is a helpful chart that outlines how the timeline for receiving and counting ballots differs by state.
Beyond mail-in ballot differences, states have different processes for counting and reporting āliveā (in-person) votes. Below is a snapshot of how processes differ by state. I suggest checking out the full article to understand how your stateāand notable battleground statesāplan to release their results and count their ballots.
Where did we get Election Day results in prior years?
The reports weāre used to seeing on election night are merely projections based on smaller precincts, party ID and voter registration, and prior polling. But because more voters are going to be using mail-in ballots this year, there is a smaller percentage of confident, āliveā votes.
However, in the states that count ballots as they come in, or have limited access to mail-in ballots (like Texas), the results may be known sooner. Again, the above article will provide you with a good understanding of what states can be called sooner. Here is another helpful map:
If you are looking for a news source to follow on breaking district and state races, the Associated Press (AP) is your best bet. You can read more about their process here.
Who actually counts the ballots?
Again, the specific offices and people that count the votes differs by state and even city (isnāt federalism fun?), but the process is generally the same. Once each precinct closes and the final voter has voted, the election judges deliver the ballots to the state board of elections or secretary of state. Electronic voting results are also physically transported, to avoiding sending sensitive information over Wi-Fi.
Votes are tallied by precinct, then city, then county, then state. Reporters rely on county results to determine the winner of the state (popular vote wins, winner-take-all). However, officially, each state has a lengthy period of several weeks in which they finalize all of the votes, then report the totals to their Electoral College representative.
Here is a fun look at how the process works, step-by-step, in Ohio.
And if you want to play around and see how many Electoral College votes are needed to secure the presidency, you can fill out your own map on 270towin.
Soā¦what happens next?
We wait. Be wary of exit polling (polls based on interviews of people leaving their polling place). Given the unprecedented number of early voters this year, the results have the potential to be particularly skewed.
Best bet? Grab your snacks, wait for the AP to declare winners, and try to stay calmā¦