Our organization does not run elections and cannot provide legal advice. If you are a voter looking for assistance, please contact your local election official. You can find your local election official's website and contact information by using this database from the US Vote Foundation. Show This table is part of NCSL’s Voting Outside the Polling Place report. Absentee/mail ballots must be processed before they can be counted, and in many states, processing can begin before ballots are allowed to be counted. Processing “Processing” means different things in different states, but typically the first step is to compare the signature on the outside of the return envelope with the voter’s signature on record to ensure a match. In some states, once the signature is verified the envelope can be opened and the ballot prepared for tabulation by removing it from the envelope, flattening it and stacking it with other ballots. Some states may allow ballots to be run through the scanner, as well, but without hitting the “tally” button to actually obtain results. Thirty-eight states and the Virgin Islands permit election officials to begin processing absentee/mail ballots prior to the election.
Nine states and Washington, D.C., permit election officials to begin processing absentee/mail ballots on Election Day, but prior to the closing of the polls.
Maryland does not permit the processing of absentee/mail ballots until 10 a.m. on Thursday after an election, based on state regulation. And in two states and Puerto Rico, the day on which processing may begin is not specified:
Counting Counting is the act of tallying the votes on processed ballots for a result. Like “processing,” the definition of “counting” (or tabulating or tallying) can vary by state, and some states may consider counting to include scanning ballots through voting equipment without obtaining a final tally or result. NCSL defers to each state’s terminology when distinguishing between processing and counting. Most states begin counting (or tabulating or tallying, depending on the state’s terminology) absentee/mail ballots on Election Day. Most states also prohibit election results from being released until after the polls close, and many states make it a crime to share results earlier than that. Sixteen states and Washington, D.C., do not allow counting to begin until the polls close:
Twenty-three states allow counting to begin on Election Day, but before the polls close:
Ten states allow both processing and counting to begin before Election Day:
Connecticut leaves the time for counting to the discretion of the local registrar of voters. In the Virgin Islands, counting begins after absentee ballots have been processed but the timeline is not specified, and Puerto Rico does not specify.
What must Third party candidates do to get on the ballot quizlet?Third-party candidates must gather signatures from a large number of voters in order to appear on the ballot.
What best describes the role of independent gubernatorial candidates in the 2006 election quizlet?What best describes the role of independent gubernatorial candidates in the 2006 election? They pulled enough voters away from the Democratic candidate to elect a Republican with only a plurality.
Which describes typical independent voters quizlet?Which describes typical independent voters? do not belong to a political party. They tend to be well-informed, educated, and younger than the average voter.
What is the most basic fundamental duty citizens have in a democracy?U.S. citizens must comply with certain mandatory obligations, including: Obeying the law. Every U.S. citizen must obey federal, state and local laws, and pay the penalties that can be incurred when a law is broken. Paying taxes.
|