Since the 2020 election and the events of January 6th, there is a widening gulf between states and political parties in terms of what constitutes a truly secure election. The likelihood of another close election in 2024 places increased importance on fostering an understanding of the processes covered in a new report from MAP.
Beyond the Ballot: Understanding Post-Election Processes in America explains the critical processes that take place after voting ends that help to protect the accuracy, integrity and security of our election system. In a time where voter confidence is suffering and election denialism is surging, it’s important that voters understand how their vote is counted, why results take time, and how results are verified and finalized. In addition, this report seeks to help voters resist further partisan divides and potential misinformation as we look ahead to the November 2024 elections.
Using MAP’s Democracy Maps, which track dozens of election-related policies, this report illustrates how state laws vary on important points of post-election processes—such as ballot pre-processing, post-election audits, and the certification process. The report also details why these differences lead to certain predictable outcomes, such as some states taking longer than others to release their final election results.
How Does Your Vote Get Counted?
Our election system is complex and varies across every state. But, as shown in the infographic below, there are general steps that every state follows in the post-election process:
- Polls Close and Voting Ends
- Vote Counting Begins
- Vote Counts Completed and Verified
- Results Checked for Accuracy
- Results Certified
