Election certification: What happens between now and Inauguration Day

Former President Donald Trump successfully secured a second presidential term with a victory that swept all seven battleground states on Tuesday, winning both the popular and electoral votes. National voter turnout is estimated at 64.5% for 245 million eligible voters, according to The Independent. Of around 158 million ballots, the president-elect led the popular vote by about 4 million and won 312 of 518 electoral votes. So how did election officials tally these numbers? And what happens after a vote is cast?

To finalize the results of an election, election officials go through the mandatory process of certifying our elections to confirm the election process has concluded. The Campaign Legal Center put together a guide on election certification, outlining the crucial steps of this process:

Step 1: Votes are counted.
Many states can begin processing mail ballots in the days and weeks leading up to Election Day. Once polls close on election night, election workers total up the number of ballots cast and deliver them to a central election office.

Step 2: Votes are certified at the local level.
A local canvass or certification board certifies the results and confirms all ballots are valid before sending results to the state.

Step 3: Results are certified at the state level.
Statewide certification is typically done by the secretary of state or governor.

Ballot recounts can serve as an additional step to verify a close election’s results if the margin is slim or at the request of a candidate. Each state has different rules for when a recount is triggered.

Election certification ensures the results of an election are accurate, legitimate and reflect the will of the people. Click here to read the full guide.

Democracy Decoded: The Fights Over Election Certification

This episode of Campaign Legal Center's podcast Democracy Decoded takes a deeper dive into the election certification process. Jonathan Diaz, a litigator and voting rights advocate at CLC, joins host Simone Leeper to explain how election certification is supposed to work, how it’s being taken advantage of by bad actors, and what CLC and other good-government advocates are doing to push back.

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This is Jessie Nguyen, The Democracy Group's Community Manager. With the conclusion of the 2024 Election, here are some recap episodes on Trump's victory and what it means for America's future.
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An Honorable Profession: Post-Election Reflections

A much-needed post-election conversation on where America is headed next after the Nov. 5 results and implications on the front lines of democracy, specifically for vulnerable communities. Give this a listen!

The Politics Guys: Trump Wins Big — Election Reactions

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Democracy Decoded: The 2024 Election, in a Nutshell

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FEATURED EXPERTS

The Bully Pulpit: Todd Purdum on Election 2024: The Last Lap

Todd Purdum is a contributing writer at Vanity Fair. He spent 23 years with The New York Times, covering politics from city hall to the White House. Purdum is also an author whose most recent book is "Something Wonderful: Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway Revolution." He has also been an adjunct instructor at both the University of South California Dornsife and Annenberg, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses on topics involving the media and government.

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Dahlia Litwick is an award-winning journalist and author. She is a senior editor at Slate who has covered the Supreme Court since the landmark Bush v. Gore decision in 2000. Litwick is also a podcast host for Slate's biweekly podcast Amicus, an author and holds visiting faculty positions at numerous colleges. She earned her B.A. in English at Yale University and her J.D. at Stanford University.