When Will Mail-In Ballots Be Counted? See States' Processing Timelines
4 years, 5 months ago

When Will Mail-In Ballots Be Counted? See States' Processing Timelines

NPR  

When Will Mail-In Ballots Be Counted? See States' Processing Timelines Enlarge this image toggle caption Ethan Miller/Getty Images Ethan Miller/Getty Images Updated on Wed., Oct. 28 at 11:40 a.m. to reflect the most recent rules for processing and counting ballots, per information from each state elections office gathered by NPR. A record number of voters are expected to cast their ballots by mail this year, and in most states, election officials can begin processing that deluge of ballots in the weeks before Election Day. But in a handful of states, election workers can't begin the work of opening envelopes, verifying signatures and removing secrecy sleeves, let alone counting, until the day of the election. "If we don't have results at 9 or 10 p.m. on election night, that doesn't mean there's anything nefarious going on," Rachel Rodriguez, an election official in Wisconsin, told NPR's Miles Parks.

States Election Ballots Begin Processing  timelines  mailin  mean  counted  mail  day  ballots  theres  states  begin  processing  doesnt  election

History of this topic

US Postal Service touts timely delivery of mail ballots despite concerns from election officials
4 months ago

US Postal Service touts timely delivery of mail ballots despite concerns from election officials

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Postal Service said Monday nearly 100% of completed mail …

US Postal Service touts timely delivery of mail ballots despite concerns from election officials
4 months ago

US Postal Service touts timely delivery of mail ballots despite concerns from election officials

Associated Press  

Postal Service said Monday nearly 100% of completed mail ballots were returned to election offices within a week for this year’s presidential contest, despite hurricanes, some misdirected election mail and delivery concerns raised by state officials. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said postal workers processed more than 99 million general election ballots — making extra deliveries and collections and working to …

Commentary: Christmas is coming, and California is still counting ballots. Is that a problem?
4 months ago

Commentary: Christmas is coming, and California is still counting ballots. Is that a problem?

LA Times  

Some Californians were carving Halloween pumpkins and taking their kids trick-or-treating when they cast their ballots in this year’s election. That’s in the Central Valley’s 13th District, where, with an estimated 99% of the votes counted as of Monday afternoon, Democratic challenger Adam Gray was leading Republican Rep. John Duarte by 143 votes. L.A. County workers have been processing and …

Why Pennsylvania’s election results will take time to count
4 months, 4 weeks ago

Why Pennsylvania’s election results will take time to count

Raw Story  

The country is unlikely to know who wins the battleground state of Pennsylvania on election night. Prior to 2020, local election officials never needed to count such a large number of ballots received through the mail, and news organizations could typically announce Pennsylvania’s unofficial winner quickly. Counting may also take less time because election officials have more experience counting the …

Officials ask for patience in waiting on Election Day results
4 months, 4 weeks ago

Officials ask for patience in waiting on Election Day results

Raw Story  

It’s Election Day in America. “Election Day is not Results Day,” Virginia Kase Solomón, president and CEO of the voting rights organization Common Cause, told reporters last week. “Every vote must be counted, and that will take time.” Later, she added: “Democracy is worth waiting for.” Timelines for counting In Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, two states that could seal the race …

Tracking the Status of Your Ballot in the 2024 US Presidential Election
4 months, 4 weeks ago

Tracking the Status of Your Ballot in the 2024 US Presidential Election

Hindustan Times  

The 2024 US presidential election is nearing its conclusion, with nearly 34.4 million mail-in ballots having been returned. The process of tallying these ballots takes longer and depends on the state, with final confirmation taking several weeks. However, voters can track the status of their ballots online in many states, providing a sense of reassurance and control over the voting …

US Election 2024: Why Donald Trump’s call for swift presidential winner on November 5 night is unlikely?
4 months, 4 weeks ago

US Election 2024: Why Donald Trump’s call for swift presidential winner on November 5 night is unlikely?

Live Mint  

US Election 2024 news: Former President Donald Trump is stepping up his demands that the winner of the presidential race be declared shortly after polls close Tuesday, well before all the votes are counted. David Becker, an elections expert and co-author of “The Big Truth,” debunking Trump’s 2020 election lies, said it’s not realistic for election officials in thousands of …

US Election 2024: Why US Presidential poll results may be delayed beyond November 5?
4 months, 4 weeks ago

US Election 2024: Why US Presidential poll results may be delayed beyond November 5?

Live Mint  

The U.S. presidential election will take place on Nov. 5, but the winner of the razor-thin race between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump may not be known for days after the polls close. Democrats also have embraced mail voting more readily than Republicans after Trump's false claims that mail ballots are untrustworthy, and those ballots take longer to …

More than 80 million Americans cast ballots before Election Day
4 months, 4 weeks ago

More than 80 million Americans cast ballots before Election Day

NPR  

More than 80 million Americans cast ballots before Election Day toggle caption Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images Voters are increasingly choosing to cast their ballots before Election Day, if given the option. Of those voters, some 44 million ballots were cast early in-person and roughly 37 million were cast by mail, according to early voting data as of 8 p.m. …

Michigan may have a result much sooner in 2024 than it did in 2020
4 months, 4 weeks ago

Michigan may have a result much sooner in 2024 than it did in 2020

NPR  

Michigan may have a result much sooner in 2024 than it did in 2020 toggle caption Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images In 2020, the presidential race in Michigan wasn’t called until nearly 6 p.m. the day after Election Day — roughly 22 hours after polls closed. Changes to Michigan election law have expanded early voting in the state, and now …

Worried about your mail-in ballot? These states let you track it online
4 months, 4 weeks ago

Worried about your mail-in ballot? These states let you track it online

NPR  

Worried about your mail-in ballot? These states let you track it online toggle caption George Frey/AFP via Getty Images For any voter who wants to be sure their ballot is counted, nearly every state has some form of online ballot tracking. Here's a guide to where things stand: Online ballot tracking for mailed-in or absentee ballots is available in every …

Vote-counting rules in battleground states complicate when a winner is likely to be named
4 months, 4 weeks ago

Vote-counting rules in battleground states complicate when a winner is likely to be named

LA Times  

Unless polling that portends a paper-thin margin between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump is completely wrong — a possibility because of dizzying changes in how voters cast ballots as well as a pandemic-prompted overhaul of election laws — Americans should plan on going to bed Tuesday night without knowing who won the White House. It’s hard to …

Editorial: Election results may take time. That’s a fact, not grounds for conspiracy theories
4 months, 4 weeks ago

Editorial: Election results may take time. That’s a fact, not grounds for conspiracy theories

LA Times  

Election day is almost here, and the end of this tumultuous campaign season cannot come soon enough. In 2020, Trump cynically and dangerously claimed that legitimate delays to count a record number of mailed ballots were evidence of fraud and asserted that Democrats were “trying to steal the election.” Trump’s lies were debunked and rejected by judges in numerous court …

Judge orders PA elections board to extend hours as thousands of mail ballots go missing
5 months ago

Judge orders PA elections board to extend hours as thousands of mail ballots go missing

Raw Story  

A judge has ordered the Erie County Board of Elections to extend its operating hours and take other steps to ensure that thousands of voters who requested mail ballots but did not receive them can still get mail ballots and return them by the Election Day deadline. The lawsuit claimed that mail ballot return rates in Erie were below the …

When Will We Know The Result Of The 2024 Election?
5 months ago

When Will We Know The Result Of The 2024 Election?

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Four years ago, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans had to wait days to find out the results of the presidential race. However, North Carolina Republicans have also heavily restricted the ability of election workers to process and count not only mail ballots, but in-person early votes via new laws passed in 2023. Where election workers could previously …

US Election: Timeline and Process Explained
5 months ago

US Election: Timeline and Process Explained

Al Jazeera  

The US presidential election will take place on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. The election will be held in 538 Electoral College states, with seven key swing states being particularly crucial in determining the outcome. Polls will open between 7am and 9am local time, with results expected to start coming in hours after the first polls close at 6pm Eastern Time …

Worried about your 2024 ballot being counted? These states let you track it online
5 months ago

Worried about your 2024 ballot being counted? These states let you track it online

NPR  

Worried about your 2024 ballot being counted? “There are lots of layers of protection and there is a way for each person's vote — and only one vote — to be counted.” Still, Danetz says, attempts to destroy ballots in drop boxes and mailboxes are “certainly concerning and a crime attacking our democracy.” For any voter who wants to be …

This year’s vote count will be faster, but it still might take time to know who won
5 months ago

This year’s vote count will be faster, but it still might take time to know who won

Politico  

“It should be sooner, but also be patient,” said Barb Byrum, the Ingham County, Michigan, clerk. The lower number of mail ballots — combined with the additional four years that election officials have had to refine their vote-counting processes — should make results available faster. But the lower number of mail ballots — combined with the additional four years that …

Time is Running Out for Pennsylvanians to Request a Mail Ballot and Submit It to Vote in the Nov. 5 General Election
5 months, 1 week ago

Time is Running Out for Pennsylvanians to Request a Mail Ballot and Submit It to Vote in the Nov. 5 General Election

Associated Press  

Pennsylvania's mail-in ballot deadline is approaching, with the deadline to request a ballot Tuesday at 5 p.m. Voters can request a ballot at their county elections office or online through the Department of State. Counties have different policies for notifying voters of errors on return envelopes, but the Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently ruled that any voter who attempted to vote …

Trump-Appointed Appeals Court Judges Rule in Favor of Mississippi on Ballot Receipt After Election Day
5 months, 1 week ago

Trump-Appointed Appeals Court Judges Rule in Favor of Mississippi on Ballot Receipt After Election Day

CNN  

A federal appeals court judges have ruled that Mississippi's post-election mail ballot receipt violates federal law. The ruling could impact legal challenges to late-arriving ballots in other states, which could make a difference in key races. The court's decision is only binding on the three Southern states covered by the circuit, and for now, the panel is not ordering that …

2024 Election in Georgia: What to Expect on Election Day
5 months, 1 week ago

2024 Election in Georgia: What to Expect on Election Day

Associated Press  

In the upcoming presidential election in Georgia, both Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump are visiting the state to survey the damage and meet with affected residents and local officials. The state remains one of the top prizes in the presidential election, and the outcome could have significant implications for the outcome of the race. …

Arizona's Electoral Battleground: What to Expect on Election Day
Trending News
5 months, 1 week ago

Arizona's Electoral Battleground: What to Expect on Election Day

Associated Press  

Arizona's gubernatorial and congressional races are fiercely contested in the 2024 election, with Democrats aiming to regain control of the state Senate and House after four years under Republican control. The state's 16 electoral votes are a key battleground in the presidential race, with both candidates vying for the state's support. Additionally, voters will decide on various ballot measures, including …

Here's how Trump is already laying the groundwork for a 'Stop the Steal' sequel
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Here's how Trump is already laying the groundwork for a 'Stop the Steal' sequel

Raw Story  

Former President Donald Trump's allies around the country have laid the groundwork for more election fraud conspiracy theories when the votes are counted next month, Rolling Stone reported on Tuesday — largely by forcing states to count the ballots in ways that Trump can then spuriously proclaim "suspicious" to voters ignorant of the process. "According to four conservative attorneys and …

This year’s Electoral College map may show another ‘blue shift.’ Here’s why
5 months, 4 weeks ago

This year’s Electoral College map may show another ‘blue shift.’ Here’s why

NPR  

This year’s Electoral College map may show another ‘blue shift.’ Here’s why toggle caption Byambasuren Byamba-Ochir/AFP via Getty Images The counting of ballots can take longer in some places than in others. An analysis of the 2020 election by the MIT Election Data and Science Lab concluded that the differences in how quickly counties reported their results were “driven by …

Several states are making late changes to election rules, even as voting is set to begin
6 months, 1 week ago

Several states are making late changes to election rules, even as voting is set to begin

Associated Press  

In Georgia, election workers will have to hand count the number of ballots cast after voting is completed. Across the country, including in some of the nation’s presidential swing states, new or recently altered state laws are changing how Americans will vote, tally ballots, and administer and certify November’s election. After the July primary, Maricopa County Elections spokesperson Jennifer Liewer …

Election experts raise alarms about vote counting delays in battleground states
6 months, 1 week ago

Election experts raise alarms about vote counting delays in battleground states

CNN  

CNN — In Pennsylvania, officials are bracing for another presidential election in which the state could once again be the decisive battleground and take days to determine the winner. In Georgia, election officials can begin processing absentee ballots ahead of Election Day and a new law since the 2020 presidential election requires counties to report to the secretary of state …

Voters are advised to return their ballots early because of mail delay concerns
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Voters are advised to return their ballots early because of mail delay concerns

NPR  

Voters are advised to return their ballots early because of mail delay concerns toggle caption Nati Harnik/AP This June, the final count in Utah’s Iron County left Jon Whittaker feeling ill. Whittaker, a county clerk who runs elections in the southwestern Utah county, received more than 400 mail-in ballots for the primary that were postmarked after the state’s legal deadline …

Court stops Pennsylvania counties from throwing out mail-in votes over incorrect envelope dates
7 months ago

Court stops Pennsylvania counties from throwing out mail-in votes over incorrect envelope dates

Associated Press  

HARRISBURG, Pa. — A state court Friday halted enforcement of a requirement that voters include accurate, handwritten dates on envelopes used to submit mail-in ballots, a ruling likely to keep several thousand Pennsylvania votes from being thrown out in the November election. “The refusal to count undated or incorrectly dated but timely mail ballots submitted by otherwise eligible voters because …

State election directors fear the Postal Service can’t handle expected crush of mail-in ballots
8 months, 1 week ago

State election directors fear the Postal Service can’t handle expected crush of mail-in ballots

Associated Press  

MINNEAPOLIS — State election directors from across the country voiced serious concerns to a top U.S. Steven Carter, manager of election and government programs for the postal service, attempted to reassure the directors at a meeting in Minneapolis that the system’s Office of Inspector General will publish an election mail report next week containing “encouraging” performance numbers for this year …

US judge dismisses Republican challenge over counting of post-Election Day mail ballots in Nevada
8 months, 2 weeks ago

US judge dismisses Republican challenge over counting of post-Election Day mail ballots in Nevada

Associated Press  

RENO, Nev. — A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit filed by national and state Republicans that sought to bar Nevada from counting mail ballots received after Election Day. A state law passed by Democrats in 2021 allows election officials to tally ballots received by 5 p.m. on the fourth day after Election Day, as long as the envelopes …

1,900 New Jersey ballots whose envelopes were opened early must be counted, judge rules
9 months, 3 weeks ago

1,900 New Jersey ballots whose envelopes were opened early must be counted, judge rules

Associated Press  

Follow live: Updates from AP’s coverage of the presidential election. TRENTON, N.J. — A state judge on Friday ruled that some 1,900 mail ballots in a New Jersey county whose envelopes were prematurely opened should be accepted and counted. Superior Court Judge Michael J. Blee ruled from the bench in the case involving 1,909 mail ballots in southern New Jersey’s …

Dispute over mailed ballots in a New Jersey county delays outcome of congressional primary
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Dispute over mailed ballots in a New Jersey county delays outcome of congressional primary

Associated Press  

Follow live: Updates from AP’s coverage of the presidential election. Whether to count more than 1,900 mail ballots cast in one New Jersey county will be up to a judge after their envelopes were unsealed prematurely and members of the local election board deadlocked on how to proceed. At the center of the dispute is a state law that allows …

Republicans say mail ballots arriving after Election Day in Nevada should be illegal
9 months, 4 weeks ago

Republicans say mail ballots arriving after Election Day in Nevada should be illegal

NPR  

Republicans say mail ballots arriving after Election Day in Nevada should be illegal toggle caption John Locher/AP The fight over which mail ballots should be counted during this year’s general election is already well underway. “So it's completely changed how our elections work and run.” Durmick said every county in Nevada now runs a typical in-person election and automatically sends …

Nevada can start tabulating ballots earlier on Election Day for quicker results
10 months, 1 week ago

Nevada can start tabulating ballots earlier on Election Day for quicker results

Associated Press  

RENO, Nev. — Nevada election officials can start tabulating in-person Election Day votes as they come in, rather than waiting for polls to close in an effort to get results out quicker, Democratic Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar said Wednesday. Aguilar cited state law in making the recommendation to county election officials that also include tabulating mail ballots as early …

Trump and Republicans file suit to nullify Nevada ballots mailed on Election Day
10 months, 4 weeks ago

Trump and Republicans file suit to nullify Nevada ballots mailed on Election Day

Raw Story  

The Trump campaign and its Republican allies on Friday filed a lawsuit challenging Nevada’s ballot receipt deadline. Nevada law allows for mail ballots postmarked on Election Day to be accepted and counted if they are received by county election officials within four days. Plaintiffs in the new lawsuit argue that practice violates federal law and as a result “valid, timely …

Republicans file lawsuit to block count of Nevada mail ballots received after Election Day
10 months, 4 weeks ago

Republicans file lawsuit to block count of Nevada mail ballots received after Election Day

Associated Press  

LAS VEGAS — The Republican National Committee on Friday filed a federal lawsuit seeking to prevent Nevada from counting mail ballots received after Election Day, as the state’s law currently permits. The law, passed by Democrats in 2021, permits the tallying of mail ballots received up to four days after Election Day, provided the envelopes are postmarked before the end …

Democrats advance election bill in Pennsylvania long sought by counties to process ballots faster
11 months ago

Democrats advance election bill in Pennsylvania long sought by counties to process ballots faster

Associated Press  

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a bill long sought by counties seeking help to manage huge influxes of mail-in ballots during elections in the presidential battleground state and to avoid a repeat of 2020’s drawn-out vote count. Counties have sought that kind of a provision for years, even before 2020’s presidential election, to give them …

Pennsylvania’s mail-in ballot dating rule is legal under civil rights law, appeals court says
1 year ago

Pennsylvania’s mail-in ballot dating rule is legal under civil rights law, appeals court says

Associated Press  

HARRISBURG, Pa. — A requirement for Pennsylvania voters to put accurate handwritten dates on the outside envelopes of their mail-in ballots does not run afoul of a civil rights law, a federal appeals court panel said Wednesday, overturning a lower court ruling. In the court’s opinion, Judge Thomas Ambro said the section of the 1964 Civil Rights Act that the …

Forget election night answers: Results may take far longer in many close races
1 year ago

Forget election night answers: Results may take far longer in many close races

LA Times  

Workers process vote-by-mail ballots at the Los Angeles County registrar’s tabulation and processing center in the City of Industry. “I think oftentimes what people don’t understand about the California election process is that the Legislature, by intent, has allowed voters to have every opportunity to cast a ballot and to get their ballot in,” said Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk …

Michigan election gave communities more time to handle absentee ballots
1 year, 1 month ago

Michigan election gave communities more time to handle absentee ballots

Associated Press  

DETROIT — Michigan’s presidential primary was the first time that communities in the state had the ability to count absentee ballots days before the Tuesday election. “That took a lot of the burden off Election Day tabulation of absentee ballots,” said Michael Siegrist, the clerk in Wayne County’s Canton Township. “Michigan had been held hostage by antiquated laws and procedures.” …

US appeals court to decide if Pennsylvania mail-in ballots with wrong date still count
1 year, 1 month ago

US appeals court to decide if Pennsylvania mail-in ballots with wrong date still count

Associated Press  

PHILADELPHIA — A federal appeals court must decide if Pennsylvania voters need to put accurate handwritten dates on the outside envelopes of their mail-in ballots for the votes to count, a dispute with implications for this year’s presidential contest. Ari Savitzky, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union representing several voter groups, told the court that more than 10,000 …

Election 2024: Why does each state in the U.S. have different voting rules?
1 year, 2 months ago

Election 2024: Why does each state in the U.S. have different voting rules?

Associated Press  

In Louisiana, any voter can cast a ballot in person during early voting ahead of Election Day. A voter enters Tuscaloosa County Ward 5, Montgomery Fire Department, to vote during a primary election, Tuesday, March 5, 2024, in Northport, Ala. A voter drops off a vote-by-mail ballot on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, during the presidential primary election in Vancouver, Wash. …

'Thousands of mail ballots not counted': PA fixing issue that disenfranchised 17K voters
1 year, 4 months ago

'Thousands of mail ballots not counted': PA fixing issue that disenfranchised 17K voters

Raw Story  

Pennsylvania played a key role in deciding the last two presidential elections, and appears poised to be similarly decisive in the 2024 race. According to WPSU, Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro is now working in conjunction with Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt to fix issues with Pennsylvania's mail-in ballot system that can be confusing for some voters. Currently, commonwealth law …

Federal judge says Pennsylvania mail-in ballots should still count if dated incorrectly
1 year, 4 months ago

Federal judge says Pennsylvania mail-in ballots should still count if dated incorrectly

Associated Press  

Mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania without accurate handwritten dates on their exterior envelopes must still be counted if they are received in time, a judge ruled Tuesday, concluding that rejecting such ballots violates federal civil rights law. Josh Shapiro, which oversees elections statewide, said in a statement that it is reviewing the court’s decision, “but we are pleased with the result.” …

North Dakota election official challenges mail ballot counting law in Trump-aligned group’s lawsuit
1 year, 8 months ago

North Dakota election official challenges mail ballot counting law in Trump-aligned group’s lawsuit

Associated Press  

BISMARCK, N.D. — A North Dakota county election official is suing the state’s election director to block the counting of mail-in ballots received after Election Day in a lawsuit filed by a conservative group that also brought lawsuits amid former President Donald Trump’s false claims of election fraud in 2020. An election law expert says the Public Interest Legal Foundation …

US midterm elections: Why California is still counting the votes
2 years, 4 months ago

US midterm elections: Why California is still counting the votes

Firstpost  

California’s lengthy count may be frustrating to candidates and anxious voters. But election officials say the process is designed to make it as easy as possible for people to vote and ensure every ballot is accurately counted Sacramento: California delivered Republicans the seat they needed Wednesday to take control of the US House, but just how much of an edge …

EXPLAINER: Why California has so many votes left to count
2 years, 4 months ago

EXPLAINER: Why California has so many votes left to count

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California delivered Republicans the seat they needed Wednesday to take control of the U.S. House, but just how much of an edge the GOP will have in the chamber remains uncertain as the state’s seemingly drawn-out vote count continues. As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 8.8 million ballots had been processed in California — more than have …

Arizona remains epicenter for post-election misinformation
2 years, 4 months ago

Arizona remains epicenter for post-election misinformation

Associated Press  

Arizona remained the epicenter for post-Election Day misinformation Thursday as vote counting in that state continued. The U.S. has a long history of political races that weren’t settled on Election Day, and those occasional delays have only increased in recent years given the rising popularity of voting by mail. In key battleground states like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Arizona, election officials …

Nov. 10, 2022 US election coverage
2 years, 4 months ago

Nov. 10, 2022 US election coverage

CNN  

An election worker arrives with ballots Wednesday inside the Maricopa County Recorders Office in Phoenix. Here’s what you should know as the counting continues: Where things stand in Arizona and Nevada — and why it’s taking so long to count ballots: The biggest reason for the delay is the way that each state handles the ballots outside of those cast …

Why it could take weeks to get final L.A. election results. ‘We aren’t sitting on ballots’
2 years, 4 months ago

Why it could take weeks to get final L.A. election results. ‘We aren’t sitting on ballots’

LA Times  

Ballots are received, sorted and verified at the L.A. County ballot processing facility in the City of Industry, then trucked to another facility in Downey to be counted. Vote-by-mail ballots take longer to process, particularly when a massive number of them arrive all at once on election day, officials and experts said Wednesday. “We aren’t sitting on ballots,” said county …

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