{"id":1876,"date":"2024-11-05T09:02:57","date_gmt":"2024-11-05T17:02:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/california\/?post_type=press&p=1876"},"modified":"2024-11-05T09:07:14","modified_gmt":"2024-11-05T17:07:14","slug":"election-night-is-not-results-night","status":"publish","type":"press","link":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/california\/press\/election-night-is-not-results-night\/","title":{"rendered":"Election Night is Not Results Night"},"template":"","class_list":["post-1876","press","type-press","status-publish","hentry","press_type-press-release"],"acf":{"details":{"summary":"Election officials expect to have over 17 million ballots to count if 2020 turnout numbers hold \r\n","featured_image":"","press_type":157,"authors":"","related_issues":[7,429],"related_work":false,"location":3},"sidebar":{"helper_enable_sidebar":false,"helper_media_contact":{"heading":"Media Contact","manually_enter_person":false,"person":"","name":"","role":"","phone":"","email":""},"helper_links_downloads":{"heading":"Links & Downloads","links":null}},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"

Election officials expect to have over 17 million ballots to count if 2020 turnout numbers hold\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/h4>\r\nLos Angeles<\/b> \u2014 California voters have until 8 p.m. Tuesday to cast their in-person ballot or return a vote-by-mail ballot for the 2024 presidential election. As voters head to the polls, California Common Cause is reminding the public that it may several days for election officials to finalize results.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s crucial every voice is heard in this election and that means counting every vote,\u201d said <\/span>Russia Chavis Cardenas, voting rights and redistricting program manager for California Common Cause.<\/b> \u201cCalifornia has taken extraordinary steps in recent years to make sure we go the extra mile to count every eligible vote. A slow count isn\u2019t a problem, it\u2019s a virtue. It means elections officials are doing everything they can to count every legitimate ballot fairly and accurately.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\nBefore election officials can begin counting ballots, they must first process ballots, which includes checking to make sure the declaration on the outside of the envelope is signed by the voter, that the signature matches the signature on file, and that the voter is on the mail-in ballot list. If a voter\u2019s signature is missing or does not match the signature on file, California law requires elections officials to notify that voter and give them an opportunity to \u201ccure\u201d the problem. All of these steps take time.<\/span>\r\n\r\nCalifornia is one of 38 states that permit election workers to begin processing ballots before Election Day, but election workers cannot begin reporting ballot counts before Election Day. Counting can begin up to 29 days before Election Day, but results cannot be accessed or shared with the public until all polls close on Election Day, and even then, election results are not final until the Secretary of State compiles the official statewide results during the officials canvass period in the 30 days after the election.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cEven though we may not know the election winners when we go to bed, what matters most is making sure every eligible voter\u2019s ballot is counted accurately,\u201d added <\/span>Cardenas.<\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nIn 2020, <\/span>80.67%<\/span> of California voters<\/span><\/a> turned out to vote, with over 17 million ballots cast \u2014 the state record for total votes cast. <\/span>2020 saw 3,174,642 more votes than the previous record set during the November 2016 General Election, <\/span>and the highest t<\/span>urnout of registered voters since the 1976 General Election. If trends continue, <\/span>California can expect to see similar numbers again in this year\u2019s presidential election.<\/span>\r\n\r\nTo find 2024 California election results, <\/span>click here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\r\n

Election Day Information<\/b><\/p>\r\nVoters who have questions about the voting process or who encounter problems can contact the nonpartisan Election Protection hotline:<\/b>\r\n