After Election Day 2026: What the Canvass and Certification Steps Mean
Dated editorial analysis; figures in this article are not recalculated automatically. Visit the linked race pages for current data.
Election night produces unofficial results. They come from county and state reporting systems and are relayed by news organizations, and they can change in the days that follow. The process that turns unofficial totals into official ones is usually called the canvass, and it ends with certification. Knowing how it works helps explain why numbers on this site's results page may shift after November 3, and why a gap of a few thousand votes is not treated as final right away.
Unofficial results versus official results
On election night, counties report the ballots they have tabulated so far. Those tallies usually include in-person votes and mail ballots processed early, but some jurisdictions are not allowed to begin processing mail ballots until Election Day, so their counts arrive later. Reports can also be revised when a county fixes a data-entry error or adds a batch it had not yet uploaded. None of this is unusual, and none of it by itself signals a problem.
Official results are the totals that election authorities adopt after they have reviewed the returns. Until then, any number you see, including those on this site, is labeled unofficial. A news organization may describe a race as called, but a call is a statement by that organization about the remaining uncounted ballots. It is not a legal act, and this site does not make calls.
What the canvass involves
The canvass is the formal review of returns. Details differ by state and county, but common steps include:
- Reconciling the numbers. Officials compare the count of ballots cast with the number of voters who checked in, and check that every precinct's results were entered correctly.
- Counting remaining ballots. This can include mail ballots that arrived after Election Day where state law allows it, military and overseas ballots, and ballots that needed extra review.
- Resolving provisional ballots. A provisional ballot is set aside until officials confirm the voter was eligible, for example that the person was registered in that jurisdiction. Counted provisional ballots are added to the totals.
- Curing problems where the law allows. Some states let a voter fix a missing signature or similar defect on a mail ballot within a set window. Others do not offer a cure period.
- Audits. Many states conduct a post-election audit, such as a hand count of a sample of ballots or a review of voting-machine tallies, to check that the equipment counted accurately.
Why the deadlines differ
Elections are administered by states and counties, so deadlines are not uniform. Some states count only mail ballots that arrive by Election Day. Others count ballots postmarked by Election Day that arrive within a few days afterward. The number of days counties have to finish the canvass, and the number of days the state has to certify, also vary. Some states certify within about a week or two of the election; others take several weeks. The official state election website is the authoritative source for the schedule that applies to you. This site's explainer on how results are counted covers the reporting side of the same process.
Certification
Certification is the step at which the responsible officials, often county boards first and then a state board or the secretary of state, formally declare the results. For federal races, the certified total is what the state sends forward; Senate and House members are then seated according to the rules of each chamber. Certification generally follows ministerial rules: officials confirm that the canvass was completed and the totals match the returns. Disputes about eligibility or counting are normally handled through recounts, audits or the courts, not at the certification meeting itself.
Where recounts fit in
If a margin is very narrow, state law may trigger a recount automatically or allow a candidate to request one. Thresholds and who pays differ widely, so a recount in one state may not have a counterpart in another. We explain that in a companion article, How Recounts Work.
How to follow a close race responsibly
- Check the timestamp on any result. A figure from several hours ago may not include later updates.
- Look for how much of the vote is reported, and whether the remaining ballots are mail, provisional or from specific counties.
- Prefer official county and state sites for final numbers.
- Treat a change of a fraction of a percentage point between unofficial and official totals as ordinary, not as evidence of error.
For the pre-election picture in some races where outcomes may take longer to settle, see the pages for Georgia Senate, Michigan Senate and Pennsylvania Governor.
Poll data on this site was last updated on November 3, 2026. Election results shown on the site are unofficial and may change until states certify them.
Relevant race pages: Georgia Senate · Michigan Senate · Georgia Governor · Michigan Governor · Pennsylvania Governor