November 3rd is Election Day, but we may not know all the election results for days or even weeks afterward. This doesn’t mean anything is wrong. It just means our elections officials are doing everything possible to make sure every vote is counted and the election results are accurate.
When the polls close at 8pm on November 3rd the counting process swings into action. First all early mail-in ballots already verified and staged are counted. Then all in-person ballots are counted as they come in from Vote Centers. Provisional ballots are processed and, if successfully validated, counted. Mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day can continue to arrive and be counted until November 20th, and if there is an issue with a ballot, elections officials will do their best to contact the voter and fix the problem. Signing up on WheresMyBallot.com will ensure that you receive notifications about the status of your ballot.
December 5th is the deadline for the Ventura County Elections Office to certify the election. That’s when we will definitely know the outcome in our state and local races. You can monitor election progress for Ventura County at VenturaVote.org, and for California at www.sos.ca.gov/elections.
For the presidential race there are some additional important dates: December 8th is the deadline for states to notify Congress who their electors will be; December 14th the electors meet in their state and cast their ballots; December 23rdCongress receives the electors’ votes; January 3rd the new Congress is sworn in; January 6th Congress counts the electoral votes and certifies the winner; and then, on January 20th, at noon, the new presidential term begins.
So if we don’t know all the results on election night, that’s fine; it just means the process is working as it should, counting every vote.
Judy Murphy
Ojai, CA
League of Women Voters of Ventura County