What you need to know
When will we know who won the 2024 Presidential election? The moment polls close is not the end of the process. In some swing states, absentee ballots are accepted up to a week after the election. In states that require photo ID, people lacking one can cast a provisional ballot, then have several days to confirm their identity. In a close election, these votes may be enough to change the outcome. Notably, because election officials in Pennsylvania cannot process any absentee ballots until Election Day, results there may change significantly as these votes are counted over several days’ time.
Further reading
Sources
Tisler, Derek. 2024. How Vote Counting Rules Have Changed in Key States Since 2020, https://tinyurl.com/muk88zy2, accessed 10/16/24
National Conference of State Legislators (2024) Voter Identification Laws in Effect. https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/voter-id, accessed 10/15/24
National Conference of State Legislators (2024) Receipt and Postmark Deadlines for Absentee/Mail Ballots, https://tinyurl.com/3e2b7ban, accessed 10/15/24
National Council of State Legislators (2024). When Absentee/Mail Ballot Professing and Counting Can Begin, https://tinyurl.com/3jy9my5u, accessed 10/25/24.
USA Vote Foundation (2024). Election Days and Deadlines. https://tinyurl.com/2ru5b5nc, accessed 10/16/24
Contributors
Olivia DiPietro (Senior Intern) is a junior at Fordham University pursuing a double major in French and journalism.
Dr. William Bianco (Research Director) received his PhD in Political Science from the University of Rochester. He is Professor of Political Science and Director of the Indiana Political Analytics Workshop at Indiana University. His current research is on representation, political identities, and the politics of scientific research.
