Election officials: slow vote counts are normal, not fraud

If you go to bed Tuesday night without knowing who won a congressional race, that is normal. And if you wake up Wednesday and a candidate who was behind has pulled ahead, that is normal too, according to an election explainer published Saturday ¹.

The explanation is a direct rebuttal to claims voters are likely to hear on election night — that late arrivals of ballots are ballot dumps or that only Democratic-led cities take days to count. In past elections, elected leaders, candidates and social media users have spread falsehoods that late-night ballot arrivals or suitcases of ballots are signs of fraud ¹.

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No state is required to finish its official count on election night. State laws set deadlines to certify final results, often weeks later ¹. Some states, such as Florida, often complete most of their unofficial count in fewer hours or days than elsewhere, but that is not a sign of fraud if other places need more time ¹.

States are neither fast or slow, they all count and certify the results in accordance with the laws passed by their state legislature

Control of the Senate could come down to a handful of close races with large numbers of ballots to count. Polls and nonpartisan analysis show many Senate races are competitive, including in Michigan, Maine, Iowa, Alaska, Kansas and Texas ¹. Some close races could end in a recount completed days or weeks later; in 2018, three Florida statewide races were settled in recounts ¹.

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Why mail ballots take time

Counting mail ballots takes time because election workers must verify voter identity, for example by matching envelope signatures against registration records ¹. Most states, including Florida, require mail ballots to be received by Election Day, but some allow ballots postmarked by Election Day to arrive later ¹.

In California, which runs nearly all-mail elections, ballots postmarked by Election Day and received up to a week later are permitted. The U.S. Supreme Court in June upheld the right of states to have such a policy, a blow to Trump, who says he wants a faster process and has spread falsehoods about California's vote counting ¹. California counties must count and report results from most ballots by the 13th day after the election, with some exceptions allowed up to 30 days ¹.

Ohio passed a law in 2025 requiring most absentee ballots to be received by the close of polls on Election Day; previously it had a four-day grace period ¹. A handful of states, including New Hampshire, do not allow officials to begin processing mail ballots until Election Day ¹.

Detroit, Alaska and Maine

Detroit election officials predict they will report results for approximately 95% of ballots on election night. "It is an estimate, not a statutory deadline or guarantee," said Daniel A. Baxter, Detroit elections chief of operations ¹. As of the evening of Oct. 26, about half of the 106,000 absentee ballots in Detroit had been returned ¹.

Two states with competitive Senate races use ranked choice voting: Maine and Alaska. If no candidate wins more than 50% of first choices, the last-place candidate is eliminated and those voters' second choices are counted, repeating until someone wins a majority ¹. Alaska accepts ballots mailed from outside the U.S. for 15 days after Election Day, and CBS News reports full ranked-choice results there will not be available until Nov. 18 ².

In Alaska, the ballot includes Republican incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan and Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., who appears without a party affiliation. The U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit Oct. 22 seeking to block certification if the incumbent loses, alleging voter confusion, and lawyers for Democrat Mary Peltola have asked the court to dismiss the case ¹.

Maine could also go to ranked choice voting: Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic challenger Troy Jackson appear on the ballot along with six write-in candidates ¹.

We will work as expeditiously and efficiently as possible to get results as quickly as we can

Voters can help. People voting by mail should not wait until the last minute, and many election offices provide secure drop boxes. The U.S. Postal Service recommends mailing a ballot at least one week before the deadline ¹.

That matters because the gap between an early lead and a final result is a counting sequence, not evidence of wrongdoing. As Macias put it, what is fast or slow is how quickly the media can collect enough evidence to confidently predict a winner, which is typically based on the margin of victory ¹.

The Record

1. Oct 22, 2026The Justice Department sues to block certification of Alaska's Senate race if the incumbent loses, alleging voter confusion ¹
2. Oct 26, 2026About half of Detroit's 106,000 absentee ballots had been returned as of that evening ¹
3. Nov 3, 2026Polls close in the midterm election; California and several Western states close at 11 p.m. ET and Alaska at 1 a.m. ET ²
4. Nov 18, 2026Alaska says full results of its ranked-choice ballots will not be available until 15 days after the election ²

Sources

1. PBS NewsHour, “When will we know 2026 midterm election results? It may take some time, but that's normal” (2026-10-31). pbs.org/newshour/politics/when-will-we-know-2026-midterm-ele
2. CBS News, “How to watch live 2026 election results on CBS News” (2026-10-31). cbsnews.com/news/where-to-watch-election-2026/

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