In 2024, voters across the United States and around the world will go to the polls in democratic elections. These elections will be important both for democracy and for the media covering them. While election polls are a useful tool for both campaigns and journalists, they are not final and should be treated as preliminary until official results are certified. There are several steps that typically take place between when a voter casts their ballot and the results appear in media reports or on the website of their local or state election office.
The first step is counting ballots. This process begins before and continues throughout Election Day and into the days immediately following. The initial count includes both ballots cast in person and those submitted by mail. The next step is comparing those counted ballots with the list of registered voters to determine the number of votes for each candidate. This step may include a manual examination of each ballot or a computer recount.
After these steps are complete, election officials must verify that the numbers are correct and then certify the official results. The process varies by jurisdiction, but in most states it is done by the chief election officer, often called the secretary of state.
The final step is communicating the official, certified results to the public. The way election officials communicate these results can play a significant role in the public’s trust and confidence in elections and in the accuracy of official election data.