Election results are the basis for determining winners of electoral contests, and thus who will be elected to public office. They are also the basis for determining seat allocation in many electoral systems. They are often a matter of great political importance to voters, and to the candidates, campaign strategists, journalists, and commentators who cover them.
To be considered official, election results must be certified by a local or state elections authority. Typically, certification requires a thorough process that ensures data reliability, such as documentation of chain of custody, ballot inspections and audits, use of certified technology to tabulate vote totals, and other steps.
The exact procedures a jurisdiction follows can vary between states or even between localities within a state. However, there are several common steps that most elections officials complete before certifying final, official results.
Typically, polling places will publish unofficial results shortly after the closing of polls on election day. Depending on the jurisdiction, this may include the results for each individual candidate or for the entire contest. Then, state election offices will aggregate and report unofficial results for State and Federal races. Finally, the chief election official in each state (usually a secretary of state) will certify final results.
A key step in ensuring accuracy of election results is ensuring that all relevant parties, including candidates, civic organizations and nonpartisan observers, have access to the underlying data. This allows them to verify or reject official results by comparing them with their own observation findings.
