Washington election officials continue counting ballots, verifying results after Election Day
OLYMPIA — Election Day is over, but election workers across Washington are still hard at work processing ballots. Results for the Nov. 3 General Election are unofficial until the Secretary of State certifies results on Dec. 3.
“The results reported on election night are just the beginning,” Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said. “Over the following weeks, election officials will continue counting ballots and completing important checks to ensure the results are accurate. Every step of this process is designed to ensure that the final results reflect the will of Washington voters.”
Election workers aren’t done with an election until counties and the Secretary of State have certified results. Under state law, each county must certify county-level general election results by Nov. 24. After county certification, the Office of the Secretary of State will certify results for all statewide and federal races. Unofficial results and ballot return statistics are available online prior to certification.
During the period between Election Day and certification, election workers will continue processing ballots. A significant number of voters return their ballot on Election Day. Election workers need the time to verify each returned ballot.
For ballots with a missing or mismatched signature, election officials will contact each voter with instructions to update their signature. Voters have until the county certification deadline to complete this process.
Post-election audits are also conducted after Election Day. Washington uses two different types of post-election audits to ensure the accuracy of results. Equipment used to tabulate votes are also tested before the election, meaning accuracy is tested before and after Election Day.
Ballot return statistics will be updated on the Ballot Return Statistics page. As ballots are processed, results will be updated on the Results page at results.votewa.gov.
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