When Does Your State Count Ballots?
Election Day will be Election Week this November
An unprecedented number of Americans are expected to vote by mail. Many states don’t allow the processing or counting of absentee ballots until Election Day. All states keep results secret until Election Day.
* Processing means getting the ballot ready to be counted. This includes signature verification and opening envelopes. RepresentUs marked a state as processing in advance if they perform any processing tasks.
** Last updated 10/7/2020
Hover overTap on table cells for source information and links.
State
When Can Ballots Be Processed?
When Can Ballots Be Counted?
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Alabama
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Alaska
“Alaska law allows the Absentee Review Board to begin the review of absentee ballots seven days prior to Election Day. The division is returning to prior practice of not counting any absentee ballots until after in person voter history is completed. This was a security measure in place prior to 2016.”- Gail Fenumiai, Director, Division of Elections
When Can Ballots Be Processed?
7 days in advance of Election Day
When Can Ballots Be Counted?
After polls close on Election Day
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Arizona
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Arkansas
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
California
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Colorado
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Connecticut
“They can pre-check/sort the ballots beginning 7 days before, but cannot start opening and counting until Election Day.” – Gina Atanasoff, Secretary of State’s office
When Can Ballots Be Counted?
On Election Day
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Delaware
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Florida
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Georgia
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Hawaii
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Idaho
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Illinois
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Indiana
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Iowa
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Kansas
When Can Ballots Be Counted?
Ballots can be run through the scanners, but final results not tabulated until Election Day
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Kentucky
NBC News reports, “Kentucky’s secretary of state, Michael Adams, told the House Homeland Security Committee last week that for the first time, election officials were allowed during the June primary to start the processing early.
‘It took a good week for us to get all the ballots counted, but it would have been even longer without that,’ he said. The state plans to do the same for the general election, starting the process Sept. 21.”
When Can Ballots Be Processed?
Processing begins September 21
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Louisiana
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Maine
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Maryland
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Massachusetts
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Michigan
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Minnesota
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Mississippi
“In Mississippi, The Resolution Board may begin processing (accepting/rejecting) absentee ballots as early as 7:00 a.m. on Election Day, but the time will vary by county. Mississippi is a bottom-up state, meaning the counties run the elections.” – Kendra James, Assistant Secretary of State, Communications and Publications
When Can Ballots Be Processed?
7 a.m. on Election Day
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Missouri
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Montana
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Nebraska
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Nevada
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
New Hampshire
“For the purposes of the 2020 elections, due to COVID-19 and an anticipated significant increase in absentee ballots submitted, House Bill 1266 was passed by the legislature to allow for partial pre-processing of ballots prior to Election Day. However, ballots will not be counted or fully processed until Election Day. ” – Secretary of State’s Office
When Can Ballots Be Processed?
Partial processing before Election Day
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
New Jersey
When Can Ballots Be Processed?
Signature verification upon receipt of ballot.
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
New Mexico
When Can Ballots Be Counted?
5 days in advance of Election Day, if fewer than 10,000 ballots
2 weeks in advance of Election Day, if 10,000 or more ballots
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
New York
The governor signed an executive order on August 24, 2020 allowing for limited processing, the examine of the envelopes, before Election Day.
When Can Ballots Be Processed?
Before Election Day
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
North Carolina
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
North Dakota
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Ohio
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Oklahoma
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Oregon
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Pennsylvania
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Rhode Island
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
South Carolina
“Election officials do not begin tabulating ballots until election day. At 9:00 a.m. on the day before an election, county officials can begin processing absentee ballots by opening the outer envelope (S.C. Code of Laws 7-15-420). They must wait until 9:00 a.m. on election day to open the inner envelope, remove the ballot, and scan the ballot.” – John Michael Catalano
Outreach Coordinator, South Carolina State Election Commission
When Can Ballots Be Processed?
Day before Election Day
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
South Dakota
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Tennessee
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Texas
When Can Ballots Be Counted?
After early in-person voting ends in counties with populations of more than 100,000
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Utah
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Vermont
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Virginia
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Washington
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Washington, D.C.
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
West Virginia
When Can Ballots Be Processed?
On Election Day
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Wisconsin
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
Wyoming
The Secretary of State’s office says clerks received special permission to count ballots early for the primary. We are waiting to hear if this will be allowed in November.
When Can Ballots Be Processed?
On Election Day
Process Before Election Day?
Count Before Election Day?
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