Election results are a key part of our democracy. They help us know whether our government is doing its job and if it needs to change its policies. But the process of counting ballots to make those conclusions can take days and weeks. That’s why it is important that we understand how the process works.
The news media reports on early election results, based on real time data from polling locations and other sources. This work is done by teams of journalists who dedicate a tremendous amount of effort and often work together or outsource their efforts in order to keep up with the count. There will be small differences in the initial reporting between different outlets, but this reflects the choices each outlet makes to prioritize updates from certain locations and sources over others.
Once all of the votes have been counted (this may include verified provisional and absentee ballots in some states), a process called a “canvass” occurs to ensure that all of the votes were counted correctly and no clerical errors occurred. This is a requirement for every state and county.
Research shows that voters’ perceptions of electoral integrity are influenced by their partisan biases, and those who believe their candidate was expected to win are less likely to be satisfied with the process than those who were surprised by the outcome. It is therefore vital that those who are responsible for managing expectations and communicating about the count communicate clearly and accurately to avoid misinforming the public.