How Long Will Vote Counting Take? Estimates and Deadlines in All 50 States
States were surveyed for this article before Election Day. We'll update this table for the states that have not been called in the presidential race; full results are here.
Although many winners may quickly be evident on election night, the increase in mail voting because of the pandemic is expected to push back the release of full results in many key states.
The New York Times asked officials in every state and the District of Columbia about their reporting processes and what share of votes they expect to be counted by noon on Wednesday, Nov. 4. There is a fair amount of uncertainty surrounding results in any election, but here’s what they said to expect:
Many states will not have complete results on election night.
Even once the early and in-person ballots are counted, a significant number of votes could still be outstanding. Only nine states expect to have at least 98 percent of unofficial results reported by noon the day after the election. Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia allow postmarked ballots to arrive after Election Day, so the timing will depend on when voters return them.
New York and Alaska will not report any mail votes on election night. (Rhode Island had also planned not to report mail votes that night, but its election board voted to begin releasing them at 11 p.m.) Officials in Michigan and Pennsylvania, two key battleground states, have said full official counts could take several days.
The increase in mail voting could also lead to more provisional votes cast, increasing the number of ballots counted later. In many states, voters who have their eligibility to vote questioned at the polls may cast a provisional ballot, which is set aside and counted only when eligibility is later confirmed.
Usually the number of provisional votes is not large enough to be significant, but there is evidence from early voting that this election may be different. Some voters in at least 23 states are required to vote provisionally if they initially request a mail ballot but decide to vote in person instead (other states have different methods to prevent voting twice). Provisional voting can slow down lines at the polls, and those ballots are generally the last to be reviewed and counted.
Results are never official until final certification, which occurs in each state in the weeks following the election.
The results at the beginning and at the end of the night will be skewed in some places.
The order in which different types of votes are reported could also make one party look stronger at various points in the night. Democrats are more likely to vote by mail this year, so in states where those will be the first type of ballots released, like Arizona, Florida and North Carolina, initial results could skew in favor of Joseph R. Biden Jr. Places that report in-person Election Day votes first, like most parts of Virginia, will probably look better for President Trump.
But the initial skew in a state’s results may last only a short while, and it will be influenced by which counties or precincts in the state are the fastest to report, said Charles Stewart III, an elections expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
To be a sophisticated consumer of the returns, Mr. Stewart said, pay attention to key counties once they have reported most of their results. “Whether that county is more Trump-y or less Trump-y than 2016 is going to be very informative of the way the election is going,” he said.
After election night, there could also be misleadingly positive results for Mr. Trump in certain states, with mail ballots trickling in over the following days favoring Mr. Biden.
Below, what we know about the timing of results in each state. We will update this table as states release more information.
|
State (Rating before election) |
Timing of results |
When last polls close (Eastern time) |
Type of ballots reported first |
Can postmarked ballots arrive later? |
Do those who request a mail ballot but vote in person instead cast a provisional ballot? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Alabama Solid R
|
The secretary of state has said to expect all unofficial results on election night. |
8 p.m. |
No order |
No |
Yes, counted by Nov. 10. |
|
Alaska Likely R
|
The only results reported on election night will be from in-person early voting through Oct. 29 and from the precincts on Election Day. No mail or other absentee ballots will be counted until about a week later. |
1 a.m. (most at midnight) |
Early in-person and Election Day ballots |
Yes, by Nov. 13. No mail ballots counted until around Nov. 10. |
No |
|
Arizona Lean D
|
Maricopa County (Phoenix) released its final large set of results Saturday morning. Officials there said that a small number of provisional and other ballots that need additional time to process still remain. |
9 p.m. |
Early votes (in-person and mail ballots arriving before Election Day) |
No |
Yes, reviewed later |
|
Arkansas Solid R
|
Officials estimate that nearly all votes will be reported by noon on Wednesday. |
8:30 p.m. |
Varies by county, but early in-person votes often first |
No |
Yes, reviewed on election night |
|
California Solid D
|
Officials did not make a timing estimate but noted that all active registered voters were sent mail ballots, and that late-arriving mail ballots and provisional ballots would be counted over the following days and weeks. |
11 p.m. |
Mail ballots arriving before Election Day |
Yes, as late as Nov. 20 |
Yes, in some counties, if voter does not surrender mail ballot. Reviewed later. |
|
Colorado Likely D
|
Officials estimate that 70 percent to 80 percent of votes will be reported on election night, depending on how many voters wait to return their ballot or decide to vote in person on Election Day. |
9 p.m. |
No order, most vote by mail |
No |
No |
|
Connecticut Solid D
|
Officials have said it is impossible to predict when all votes will be reported, but for most towns, it will probably be earlier than the statutory deadline of 96 hours (Saturday). |
8 p.m. |
No order |
No |
No |
|
Delaware Solid D
|
Officials estimate that more than 99 percent of votes will be reported by noon on Wednesday. |
8 p.m. |
No order |
No |
No |
|
District of Columbia Solid D
|
Officials did not have an estimate for the timing of results. All active registered voters were sent a mail ballot. |
8 p.m. |
Early in-person and processed mail ballots |
Yes, by Nov. 13. Reported on a rolling basis. |
No, as long as the voter has not already mailed in a ballot. |
|
Florida Tossup
|
All early voting and previously tabulated mail ballots, which are likely to be relatively stronger for Mr. Biden, should be reported by 8:30 p.m. Eastern. Officials did not make a projection for the timing of full unofficial results, but they were allowed to process early-arriving mail ballots starting weeks before the election, and reporting is expected to be fast. |
8 p.m. (most at 7 p.m.) |
Early in-person and counted mail ballots |
No |
Yes, if voter does not surrender mail ballot and officials cannot confirm the ballot has not been returned. Reviewed later. |
|
Georgia Tossup
|
A small number of absentee, provisional and overseas military ballots remain uncounted. The secretary of state said Friday that because of the small margin between the presidential candidates, there will be a recount. |
7 p.m. |
No order |
No |
No. If a voter does not surrender a mail ballot, the voter can sign an affidavit and cast a regular ballot. |
|
Hawaii Solid D
|
Votes are released in three stages, with early mail ballots at midnight Eastern, in-person votes at 3 a.m. Eastern and a final report later. Officials estimate that 95 percent to 99 percent of votes will be reported by Wednesday. |
Midnight |
Mail ballots processed up to Election Day |
No |
No |
|
Idaho Solid R
|
Officials estimate that nearly all votes will be reported by noon on Wednesday. |
11 p.m. (some at 10 p.m.) |
No order |
No |
No |
|
Illinois Solid D
|
Officials did not have an estimate, saying that timing will depend on when voters return their ballots. The number of mail ballots that have not yet been returned will be reported here. |
8 p.m. |
Early in-person and processed mail ballots |
Yes, by Nov. 17 |
Yes, if voter does not surrender mail ballot. Counted within two weeks. |
|
Indiana Likely R
|
Officials say that given the volume of absentee ballots, full unofficial results may not be available until a day or two after the election. |
7 p.m. (most at 6 p.m.) |
No order |
No |
In some situations |
|
Iowa Tossup
|
Officials said they are confident they will have unofficial results "in a timely fashion like we do for every election." |
10 p.m. |
Absentee ballots likely first |
Yes, by Nov. 9 |
Yes, if voter does not surrender mail ballot |
|
Kansas Likely R
|
Officials said they could not speculate on the timing of results but noted that the state did not experience systematic delays in its Aug. 4 primary. |
9 p.m. (most at 8 p.m.) |
Typically early in-person and some mail votes |
Yes, by Nov. 6. Results reported daily. |
Yes, reviewed between Nov. 9 and Nov. 17 |
|
Kentucky Solid R
|
The director of the state's election board said upward of 90 percent of ballots could be counted on election night. Counties have been instructed to report all in-person votes and mail ballots arriving by 6 p.m. by midnight on election night. |
7 p.m. (6 p.m. in some counties) |
No order |
Yes, by Nov. 6. Results reported on Nov. 6 and 10. |
No |
|
Louisiana Solid R
|
No timing estimates provided. |
9 p.m. |
No order |
No |
No |
|
Maine Likely D*
Solid D (1st Dist.), Tossup (2nd Dist.)
|
Officials previously said they were not expecting delays processing mail ballots. As of Sunday, the vast majority of absentee ballots had been returned. |
8 p.m. |
No order |
No |
No |
|
Maryland Solid D
|
Officials have said that because of the increase in mail ballots, a complete count of votes will not be available on election night. |
8 p.m. |
Early in-person and counted mail ballots |
Yes, by Nov. 13. Results reported each day those ballots are counted. |
Yes, reviewed beginning Nov. 12 |
|
Massachusetts Solid D
|
In recent elections, 97 percent of votes were reported by noon on Wednesday. Officials say they do not expect any changes to the number of precincts reporting this year but noted that ballots arriving on Election Day and after will be counted on or after Nov. 6. |
8 p.m. |
No order |
Yes, by Nov. 6. Officials will start counting ballots arriving after 5 p.m. on Nov. 3 on Nov. 6. |
No |
|
Michigan Lean D
|
Officials had previously said that full unofficial results could take until Nov. 6, but the secretary of state said on Tuesday night that she expected to have “a very clear picture, if not a final picture” of the results by Wednesday night. |
9 p.m. (most at 8 p.m.) |
No order |
No |
No. If a voter does not surrender a mail ballot, the voter can sign an affidavit to cancel it and cast a ballot that will be tabulated that day. |
|
Minnesota Lean D
|
Officials expect to report close to 100 percent of votes cast on or before Election Day by noon Wednesday. Outstanding mail ballots will be reported on the secretary of state's website. |
9 p.m. |
No order |
Yes, by Nov. 10 (there is pending litigation related to this deadline). Results reported daily. |
No |
|
Mississippi Solid R
|
Officials estimate that 90 percent to 95 percent of votes will be reported by noon on Wednesday. |
8 p.m. |
No order |
Yes, by Nov. 10. No reporting schedule for results. |
Yes, reviewed during 10 days following election |
|
Missouri Likely R
|
Officials estimate that more than 99 percent of votes will be reported on election night. |
8 p.m. |
No order |
No |
Depends on local procedures |
|
Montana Likely R
|
Officials said they expect timely results from the counties. Most voters were sent mail ballots. |
10 p.m. |
Typically mail and other absentee ballots start to be reported first. |
No |
No |
|
Nebraska Solid R*
Lean D (2nd Dist.)
|
Officials said that they expect all election results to be posted by midnight. |
9 p.m. |
Early in-person and mail ballots |
No |
Yes, if the voter did not return the ballot or lost it. Reviewed within 10 days. |
|
Nevada Lean D
|
Officials in Clark County (Las Vegas), where tens of thousands of ballots are left to count, plan to release results twice a day going forward. |
10 p.m. |
No order |
Yes, by Nov. 10. Results reported daily. |
No, as long as the voter has not already mailed in a ballot. |
|
New Hampshire Lean D
|
No details provided. |
8 p.m. (most at 7 p.m.) |
No |
No |
|
|
New Jersey Solid D
|
Officials said they did not have a prediction for when a complete count would be available. Mail ballots were sent to all active, registered voters, and all in-person voters (except for those with disabilities) cast provisional ballots, which will be counted beginning Nov. 10. It took weeks to finish counting ballots during the state's July primary. |
8 p.m. |
Only mail ballots reported on election night |
Yes, by Nov. 10. Reporting varies by county. |
Yes, counted beginning Nov. 10 |
|
New Mexico Solid D
|
The secretary of state has said that the goal is to have the vast majority of results on election night. Officials have said that they expect that the majority, if not all, of the winners in the state will be evident by midday Wednesday. |
9 p.m. |
Early in-person and processed mail ballots |
No |
No. Voter can sign an affadavit to cancel mail ballot and cast a regular ballot in person. |
|
New York Solid D
|
Only unofficial results from in-person early and Election Day voting will be released on election night. Absentee ballots will be reported in the following days and weeks, depending on the county. It took weeks to finish counting ballots during the state's June primary. |
9 p.m. |
In-person early and Election Day ballots only on election night |
Yes, by Nov. 10. Results reporting varies by county. |
No. If a voter casts an in-person ballot, the absentee ballot is set aside and not counted. |
|
North Carolina Tossup
|
Mail ballots postmarked by Election Day are accepted until Nov. 12. |
8:15 p.m. (pushed back) |
Early in-person and processed mail ballots |
Yes, by Nov. 12 |
No |
|
North Dakota Solid R
|
Officials expect all ballots cast before and on Election Day to be reported by noon on Wednesday. The timing of complete unofficial results will depend on how many postmarked ballots arrive after Election Day. |
9 p.m. (most at 8 p.m.) |
No order |
Yes, by Nov. 9. All ballots arriving after Election Day reported on Nov. 9. |
No |
|
Ohio Tossup
|
Ballots cast before Election Day will be reported by 8 p.m., and they are likely to be relatively stronger for Mr. Biden. They will be followed by those cast in-person or arriving on Election Day. No additional results will be reported over the next week and a half. Counties may report their full official count after their vote canvass, due by Nov. 18, but full statewide results will not be available until final certification, due by Nov. 28. No predictions were provided for the share of results reported by Wednesday. |
7:30 p.m. |
Absentee ballots cast in-person or by mail before Election Day |
Yes, by Nov. 13. All ballots arriving after Election Day reported by Nov. 28. |
Yes, only for those voting on Election Day. Reported by Nov. 28. |
|
Oklahoma Solid R
|
Officials said that they intend to have unofficial results following the election, even if it means working into the next morning. |
8 p.m. |
Typically, early in-person results |
No |
No |
|
Oregon Solid D
|
Officials do not have an estimate for when full unofficial results will be available. In the past two general elections, about 10 percent of votes remained outstanding by noon on Wednesday. |
11 p.m. (some 10 p.m.) |
No order, vote entirely by mail |
No |
No |
|
Pennsylvania Lean D
|
The remaining mail ballots are expected to favor Democrats. Secretary of the Commonwealth Kathy Boockvar had said that she expected “the overwhelming majority” of votes would be counted by Friday, but Philadelphia officials said it could take a few more days to complete the count there. |
8 p.m. |
Varies by county. Ms. Boockvar has said that in order to prevent large swings in results, she is asking counties to report mail votes routinely instead of all at once. |
Yes, by Nov. 6 (but the Supreme Court may consider a Republican challenge to this date after the election). Reporting will vary by county. |
Yes, if voter does not surrender mail ballot. Reviewed within seven days. |
|
Rhode Island Solid D
|
In-person ballots will be the first reported, followed by a set of mail ballots at 11 p.m. Officials have said they expect to count most mail ballots on election night. |
8 p.m. |
In-person votes |
No |
Yes, reviewed within two days. |
|
South Carolina Likely R
|
Officials say that their goal is to release 100 percent of results on election night, but that the number of mail ballots could push processing into Wednesday in some counties. |
7 p.m. |
Varies by county, but early in-person absentee votes likely first. |
No |
Yes, if voters say they never received ballot. Reviewed on Nov. 6. |
|
South Dakota Solid R
|
No statewide estimates on timing provided, but officials in Minnehaha County, which includes Sioux Falls, said they planned to finish counting ballots late on Nov. 4. |
9 p.m. (most at 8 p.m.) |
Varies by county |
No |
No |
|
Tennessee Solid R
|
Officials say they cannot predict but hope that more than 99 percent of votes will be reported by noon on Wednesday. |
8 p.m. |
Early in-person |
No |
Yes. Most will be reviewed and counted within four business days of the election, if the voter's mail ballot has not been received. |
|
Texas Tossup
|
Officials say that the bulk of results will be known on election night. Because an excuse is required to vote by mail in Texas, officials do not think that processing those votes will result in delays, though increased turnout could. |
9 p.m. (most at 8 p.m.) |
Depends on the county. |
Yes, by Nov. 4. Reporting varies by county. |
Yes, if voter does not surrender mail ballot. |
|
Utah Likely R
|
Officials did not have an estimate for when full unofficial results will be available. In the past two general elections, about 30 percent of votes remained outstanding by noon on Wednesday. |
10 p.m. |
No order, most vote by mail. |
Yes, by Nov. 10 to Nov. 17, depending on the county. Reported daily. |
Yes, if voter does not surrender mail ballot. Reviewed by Nov. 17. |
|
Vermont Solid D
|
Officials estimate that unofficial results will be available for most or all precincts by midnight. |
7 p.m. |
No order |
No |
No |
|
Virginia Likely D
|
Election Day in-person votes, which are likely to be relatively stronger for Mr. Trump, are likely to be reported first in most counties. After an 11 p.m. deadline, counties must report all early in-person ballots and mail ballots processed up to that point. Officials did not estimate what share would be reported by Wednesday. |
7 p.m. |
In most counties, in-person Election Day votes |
Yes, by noon on Nov. 6. Mail ballots processed after election night will be reported on Friday, Nov. 6. |
Yes, if voter does not surrender mail ballot |
|
Washington Solid D
|
As of Monday, officials estimate that as much as 60 percent of the votes will be reported on election night. |
11 p.m. |
No order, most vote by mail |
Yes, by Nov. 23. Reporting schedule varies by county. |
No |
|
West Virginia Solid R
|
Officials did not provide an estimate, saying the timing would depend on how many people request absentee ballots and return them before Election Day. |
7:30 p.m. |
No order |
Yes, by Nov. 9. Those arriving after Election Day reported Nov. 9. |
Yes, if voter does not surrender mail ballot. Reviewed beginning Nov. 9. |
|
Wisconsin Lean D
|
Officials were finishing counting ballots on Wednesday. Mr. Trump’s campaign manager said in a statement that the president “is well within the threshold to request a recount,” and that the campaign planned to “immediately do so.” |
9 p.m. |
No order in most places, but in-person votes could come first in 39 municipalities that count absentee ballots separately (including Milwaukee). |
No |
No |
|
Wyoming Solid R
|
Officials have said they expect more than 99 percent of votes to be reported by noon on Wednesday. |
9 p.m. |
No order |
No |
Yes, reviewed on election night. |