Election results inform voters, journalists, and political strategists on how the public will react to a given election. They provide valuable information about how elections are won and lost, and how voters prioritize issues in their daily lives.
The results reported on election night are unofficial and may change as additional ballots are counted and analyzed in the following days and weeks of the process called the canvass. Only after the final results are certified by state officials can voters trust that the results represent a complete and accurate accounting of all votes cast in an election.
During the canvass, local election officials review informal results from election night and count outstanding ballots such as provisional or mail ballots that were verified by voters and those received after Election Day but before a deadline established by law. Officials also conduct a series of audits to make sure all votes are counted and there are no clerical errors in the final results. This is a lengthy and rigorous process that can take months to complete.
In the event of a discrepancy, the election commission can determine whether to conduct a recount. Recounts involve rescanning or hand counting the ballots to determine which candidate each voter intended to select. If a result is found to be incorrect, the recount can be used to correct the original count or a court may determine which set of results should stand.
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