When will all of the votes be counted?

Taking time to tabulate results isn’t a sign of cheating – it’s how we ensure every eligible vote is counted accurately

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In the U.S., the time it takes to count ballots and certify elections is scrutinized, especially in the days and weeks following Election Day. While states have specific rules and procedures to ensure that the election results are accurate and fair, the complex nature of these processes takes time. The claim that “states are still counting” does not necessarily indicate fraud – but rather the careful procedures required to handle the diverse types of ballots across different states.

Each state in the U.S. follows its own timeline and rules for counting ballots. The results we see on election night are unofficial, and only become official once a thorough canvassing process has been completed. During this process, election officials review the vote totals, verify the accuracy of the ballots, and certify the results. The time it takes for this process to unfold varies significantly from state to state, depending on the number of ballots cast, the method of voting, and the legal requirements governing the election.

Due to differing state laws and processes for handling mail-in and absentee ballots, some states take longer to count ballots. While 43 states allow election officials to begin processing mail-in ballots before Election Day, seven states — including battleground states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin — do not permit the counting of mail ballots until after Election Day itself. In these States, large numbers of mail-in ballots can delay the final tally of votes, especially in closely contested races. In addition, some states allow ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted even if they arrive a few days later, further extending the time needed to finalize the results.

In states with high volumes of mail-in ballots, the time it takes to process and tabulate these votes can be substantial. For instance, states like Arizona and Nevada rely heavily on mail-in voting and may take longer than other states to tabulate results as election officials wait for ballots to arrive or finish processing. In these states, especially in battleground races, the outcome may not be clear for several days, leading to increased scrutiny of the delayed counts.

Despite the prolonged vote-counting process in some states, having to wait for results is not a sign of fraud. This is the result of deliberate legislative choices and state laws aimed at ensuring the integrity of the election. For example, in 2020, Donald Trump and his allies made false claims about fraud, particularly in states like Pennsylvania and Michigan, where the counting of mail-in ballots took longer than tabulating day-of voting. These accusations were based on misunderstandings and misrepresentations of the election procedures, especially in areas with large Democratic-leaning populations.

This year in Wisconsin, for example, late-night reports of absentee ballots from Milwaukee sparked claims of voter fraud, as the results heavily favored Democratic candidates. However, this spike in votes was entirely consistent with the state’s legal framework, which prohibits processing absentee ballots before Election Day. Milwaukee’s central counting system for absentee ballots, combined with the city’s historically Democratic electorate, naturally led to a shift in favor of Democratic candidates as more ballots were counted. This process is not unusual and claims of fraud were debunked by election officials and experts.

A common misconception about late-counted ballots is that they always disproportionately favor Democratic candidates. This phenomenon, often called the “blue shift” or “red mirage,” occurs because different types of votes are counted at different times, depending on when they are processed. Typically, Republicans have higher turnout on Election Day, while Democrats tend to vote more heavily by mail or early in-person voting. As a result, early counts–often based on in-person ballots–may show a Republican lead, only for the results to shift toward the Democratic candidate once mail-in ballots are tallied later. Conversely, in states like Georgia, where mail-in ballots are processed before Election Day, this can lead to a “blue mirage,” where Democrats initially seem to have the advantage. These shifts are a natural result of the type of voter that each party tends to attract and the timing of when their votes are counted.