Election experts say there are good reasons – none of them having anything to do with cheating – that final election results take time
SOUTHLAKE, Texas — Tuesday is the Nov. 8 Midterm Elections and North Texans have lined up at the polls to cast their ballots in droves.
Southlake Mayor John Huffman tweeted an election fraud claim that has been disproven.
“Here’s a tip – anyone telling you to not expect to see the results of today’s elections ‘for a few days’ is TELLING YOU THEY ARE PLANNING TO CHEAT,” tweeted Huffman.
Election experts say there are good reasons – none of them having anything to do with cheating – that final election results take time.
For one, there are big variations among the states.
In 38 states, election officials can begin processing absentee and mail ballots prior to the election.
Texas is one of those 38.
Here, counties with more than 100,000 people can start counting and processing their early vote after early voting ends, which is four days prior to the election.
“All the large counties basically start processing so that by election day, at 7p.m., they’re ready to release their election results,” said Collin County Elections Administrator Bruce Sherbet
Some states, such as Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, do not allow absentee ballots to be processed until election day.
“That’s why you see some of those states being delayed in getting the results out because it’s inputs and outputs, just processing the ballots and getting everything finished in a 12-hour period,” Sherbet said. “It’s very difficult to do.”
In Texas, counties also have up to six days to review and process provisional ballots and determine if they should be counted.
Military ballots, as long as they were mailed by election day and received within that six-day period, must be counted, Sherbet said.
Ballots posted marked by election day and received by 5 p.m. the following day are counted, too.
All of this is by state law and in the case of military ballots, federal law.