Four years after 2020 gave us “election week,” voters are heading to the polls wondering: How long will it take states to count their ballots this year?
Several dynamics have changed since the last presidential race: After the Covid pandemic, many voters returned to voting in person, and many states rewrote their laws to allow election officials to process mail-in ballots ahead of Election Day. These two changes are expected to speed up tabulation, but it could still take days to get a full picture of the election results.
Close elections take longer for news organizations like NBC News to call because winners can be determined by absentee and provisional ballots, which can take days for election officials to process.
Mail-in absentee ballots take longer to process than in-person ballots because election workers must verify voters’ identification and remove them from envelopes.
And provisional ballots are cast by people who can’t immediately confirm that election workers are eligible to vote when they vote. These ballots are kept separate from the proper ballots until officials investigate whether the votes are valid.
As we get closer to Election Day, here’s a rundown of the rules for how the seven key battleground states likely to swing the presidential election will count those ballots.
Arizona
Newsletters: Arizona voters mostly vote by mail, so last-minute ballot casting means counting can take longer. State officials say it could take up to 10 days to count the ballots. although counting begins after postal votes are received, according to Arizona psecretary etctate.
Provisional ballots: Provisional ballots that require additional investigation by officials or voter documentation can be counted up to 10 days after the election, according to state law.
Georgia
Newsletters: Georgia begins processing mail-in ballots on Oct. 21, and they can be cast before polls close on Election Day.
Provisional ballot papers: Voters have three days to show ID or verify their identity after issuing provisional ballots to registrars, but results are expected quickly.
Michigan:
Newsletters: Larger Michigan jurisdictions can begin processing mail-in ballots on Oct. 28, giving election officials a much-needed early jump in checking mail-in ballots. Mail-in ballots must be received by the close of polls on polling day.
Temporary conditions: Clerks have until Nov. 12 to process provisional ballots.
Nevada
Newsletters: Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received by Nov. 9. Election officials begin processing them as soon as they receive them.
Provisional ballots: After polling day, voters are given three days to verify their residence and identity, if necessary. If their signatures do not match those on file for mail-in ballots, they will have until Nov. 12 to “cure” their ballots.
North Carolina
Newsletters: Mail-in ballots must be received by Election Day and partially processed during October.
Provisional ballots: Voters who cannot show an adequate ID card at the polls should take the necessary ID card to the election officials by November 14. Election officials may process other provisional ballots until precincts begin counting results on Nov. 15.
Pennsylvania
Newsletters: Election officials must receive mail-in ballots by the time polls close on Election Day. Processing begins at 7 a.m. on Election Day, making the state one of the last battlegrounds to begin verifying signatures and personal information on ballots.
Provisional ballots: County councils must decide whether to count provisional ballots within a week of the election.
Wisconsin
Newsletters: Ballots must be received no later than voting day. Processing begins at 7 a.m. local time on Election Day, making Wisconsin the last state to begin processing ballots.
Provisional ballots: Voters need to provide election officials with any necessary documents, such as identification, to allow the ballots to be counted by 4:00 p.m. on the Friday after the election.