The results of this year’s elections – for governor, senator, mayor and many other local offices, as well as the president and other Federal offices – are still being tallied. The process of counting ballots takes several days, even weeks, but it is a critical part of our democracy and ensures that the final results are accurate.
After polls close on election day, election officials count the votes and report unofficial results to the public, if they are required to do so by state law. In some states, local officials also begin to count early in-person and mail ballots before the polls open on Election Day. State election offices aggregate the data and report unofficial results for State and Federal races. Then, after every valid vote has been counted and the election results have been certified, the winners are declared.
A few days after the polls close, news outlets make predictions about which candidate will win each race. These predictions are based on exit polls and analysis of the voting history and demographics of each area. News outlets will often check their projections against full results as they become available, including affidavit ballots and other late votes that have yet to be counted.
While our elections have been vulnerable to a number of threats, including the pandemic and denial of results, the system has held up so far. But the Trump administration is continuing to push back against democratic institutions, and their attacks are likely to intensify as we head into 2026.