Why do election results take so long to get?

Accuracy is more important than speed

• Officials need to make sure to count every ballot.
• They double check for duplicates and voter status.
• Many audit results before they certify.

Some state laws require early votes and mail-in votes to be counted at a certain time

• Some states (like Pennsylvania) can’t count early and mail ballots till election day.
• It takes time to process and verify millions of ballots.

Some states require mail-in and absentee votes to be postmarked by election day

• Some states, like North Carolina, accept mailed ballots POSTMARKED by election day.
• It can take a few days for them to arrive.
• That helps overseas military vote.