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Rumor vs Reality

Rumor: We'll know who won on Election Day. Reality: The election isn't over until all ballots - in-person, mail-in & military - are counted.
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Voting ends November 3. We’ll know the results by December 8.

A lot of people are voting by mail this year, so it will take longer to get results.  Most states allow ballots post-marked by November 3, to be counted even if they arrive several days later. Each one needs to be opened by hand and validated by hand. This includes ballots from the troops.

Federal law sets December 8 as the deadline for states to certify their results.

References

BBC: US election 2020: When will we get a result for the US election?

Congressional Research Service: The Electoral College: A 2020 Presidential Election Timeline

AP: Delays in verifying mail-in ballots will slow election tally

See an error in our work? Please let us know and include the source of your info. We’ll update or correct as appropriate.

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