Voters see unofficial election results reported on the local, state, and federal levels on election night. Then, a series of steps called the canvass or audit (and sometimes recount) must be completed before the winner is certified. This can take days and even weeks. It involves counting mail-in ballots, verifying provisional ballots, and rechecking the votes counted to ensure no clerical errors or ballot mishandling occurred. This process is typically supervised by professional election administrators and often supported by volunteers.
The exact details of how these processes work vary from state to state, but the core activities are similar. Documenting chain of custody for ballots, following established procedures for observing elections and challenging ballots, and conducting audits all help to increase transparency and accuracy. In addition, a key factor in producing accurate polling results is how undecided voters are treated. If undecided voters are treated the same as “likely” or “leaning” voters, inaccurate polls can result.
Once all of the votes have been counted and verified, the winner is declared. Depending on the jurisdiction, this might occur at the polling site itself, at the county election office, or at a regional or national results consolidation center. Then, the final election results are published for all to see. This includes the specific votes cast by each individual voter and a breakdown of the electoral college results for the country as a whole. Publicly reporting this information can greatly enhance the public’s confidence in the process.