Tabulation Timeline | Citizens Clean Elections Commission

Did you know that if the media "calls" an election, it doesn't mean tabulation is complete or their projection is official? Election results are unofficial until the canvass of election occurs. Arizona law does not permit a county to finalize their election results for the November 5th election until, at the earliest, November 11th. This is because of laws and procedures put in place to protect the accuracy and integrity of the vote count. Learn more below!

Election & Ballot Tracking

How Many Ballots Have Been Counted?

Click here for an update on ballot tabulation progress.

BEFORE ELECTION DAY

October 9: Start of Early Voting Counties can begin processing and tabulating returned early ballots upon receipt and completion of their logic and accuracy testing.

ON ELECTION DAY

November 5: Election Day Early ballots continue to arrive at the county from being dropped off at the polls, secure ballot drop boxes and USPS. All ballots must be received by 7pm on Election Day. See AFTER ELECTION DAY.

Ballots cast on Election Day at voting locations are either tabulated onsite at the voting location or returned to central count for tabulation.

November 5th at 8pm: Counties will release the first batch of results. This batch is all of the early ballots that have been returned, processed and tabulated prior to election day.

November 5th throughout the night: As polls close and poll workers complete their close out procedures, election results that were tabulated at the polls will be delivered back to the county and released periodically throughout the night.

AFTER ELECTION DAY

Early ballots that were returned on Election Day must be processed before they can be tabulated. Just like with every other early ballot that was returned prior to election day, the county must verify the identification of the voter through signature verification. This is why all early ballots dropped off on election day cannot be processed and tabulated until after election day. This process can take several days, depending on how many voters chose to drop off their early ballot on election day.

Additionally, the counties must perform their required post election procedures that are in place to confirm the accuracy and integrity of the election. This includes reviewing chain of custody records, audit logs, post election day logic and accuracy testing of the tabulation machines, and the political parties perform a random hand count of the ballots.

November 10th: This is the deadline allowed by Arizona law for voters to verify their identity if they voted a conditional provisional ballot at the polls on Election Day or verify their early ballot affidavit signature if the county could not verify their signature and confirm the voter’s identity.

Early ballots dropped off on election day, and ballots that required the voter to verify their identity/signature, continue to be tabulated.

November 11th: This is the first day allowed by Arizona law that the counties can canvass their election. The canvass is the formal act of the County Board of Supervisors officially declaring and adopting the election results.

November 21st: This is the deadline allowed by Arizona law for the County Board of Supervisors to canvass the election.

November 25th: This is the deadline allowed by Arizona law for the Secretay of State to canvass the statewide election results.

HOW CAN VOTERS HELP?

Voters can help speed up the counting process by returning their early ballots as soon as possible. Ballots dropped off on election day add time to the counting process after election day. Regardless of how you return your ballot, all ballots must be received by 7pm on November 5th. If you are voting on Election Day at the polls, be prepared in advance. Arizona has a 2 page ballot this year, and some voters will see upwards of 75 races on their ballot. Use your sample ballot or other notes so you know how you will vote at the polls and can help keep the lines moving.

FAQs

Why does it take Arizona so long to count the ballots?

As demonstrated in the timeline above, there are federal and state laws that place deadlines after Election Day that allow the voter to take action to still allow their ballot to count. Additionally, Arizona law allows voters to return their early ballot at the polls on election day. A significant amount of voters choose this return method and it takes time to verify the voter’s identity before those ballots can be tabulated.

Has Arizona always taken this long to count ballots?

Many counties are actually counting ballots faster than they ever have! See the video below from Maricopa County.

Why does it feel like it takes longer to count ballots than before?

Arizona is considered a swing state. This means that many of our races are closer in margin than they have ever been before. Because of this, the media can no longer quickly call a race. The media has to wait until most of the ballots have been tabulated before they can make their mathematical calculations and call an election. IMPORTANT: The media calling an election is not an official act. Results are only official until the canvass occurs. It’s important to remember that leads can change as ballots continue to be processed and tabulated.

How come other countries can finish tabulating in one night (and sometimes by hand counting), but we can’t?

In this reference, other countries have ONE race on their ballot, or very few. The November 5th General Election Ballot is a two page ballot, front and back, with upwards of 75 races on the ballot. We are counting significantly more races in this scenario.