Election results are the official count of votes for Federal House, Senate, Governor and Presidential elections, and for some State and local offices. These results are certified by local and state election officials after the election, sometimes several weeks later.
Election officials begin counting the ballots after the polls close. They follow strict rules about keeping the voting records secret until the polls are closed and counting is complete. Local election officials may allow observers from the public, political parties, or the news media to observe part or all of the vote counting process.
Observers watch ballots and electronic vote records as they are transferred from each voting place to a central counting location, often a county board of elections (CBE). Votes from in-person early and absentee by mail are included in the totals. News outlets follow the progress of the count, and many share unofficial results as they are available. Unofficial results reflect the initial analysis of exit polls and other sources, and are not verified by county election officials until after a county canvasses its votes, a process that can take days or weeks.
Different news outlets allocate their resources differently, so you might see small differences in their unofficial vote counts. These differences represent the different choices that each outlet makes about which sources to follow and when to update their data. After the counting is complete, there might be a recount for close races. Rules about how and when a recount can happen vary by state.