Slow election results
Ensure voters understand the official ballot counting process and why it might be taking longer than expected through proactive, educational, and transparent communication.
Follow these guidelines
Don’t forget to check relevant contingency plans that may already be in place!
- Set accurate expectations to lessen confusion, discomfort, and anxiety. Emphasize that it’s normal for counting elections to take time. Ballots arrive at different times.
- Emphasize that election officials are the definitive authority on who has won the election.
- Coordinate with local news media to share the message.
- Be transparent about what’s happening. Show voters and candidates, don’t just tell them.
- Invite people in to better understand the election process.
Use a tone that is:
- Understanding: that voters, candidates, and the media have genuine questions
- Authoritative: local elected officials know the answer to election questions
- Practical: Give a realistic answer, not just the certification date
Prepare ahead of time
- Coordinate with local news media to share your message. Educate them about the difference between unofficial and official results. Invite them in to observe and share the steps that happen after polls close.
- Turn interested voters into trusted messengers. Proactively explain to voters what happens after they vote. Invite them to learn more and observe the process if they are interested.
- Educate your jurisdiction about what happens after voting. Elections 101 video content and written explanations about what happens after voting. Use the Election Assistance Commission’s Communicating Election and Post-Election Processes Toolkit.
Additional resources
- The Elections Group
- U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence
Non-social media messaging ideas
- Use video to show how you tabulate election contests:
- Invite local media to video post voting steps
- Create a “POV” video in-house on your phone to put on your website and social media. Show the space you use to tabulate, and how you open and count mail ballots.
- Start with the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence’s Public service announcement script sample
- Use your website for “Elections 101” voter education:
- Have a page about the steps that happen after voting
- Livestream your counting room to your website so that voters, candidates, and media can observe
- Publish regular updates about where you are in the counting process, including a guess about how many ballots are left to count
Messages about Slow election results
Slow election results
Election is over
When the election is over, share where to find the unofficial results.
results, slow, tally
Slow election results
Election Night results are unofficial
Voters may not know that election night results are unofficial. Let them know when they can expect the official results.
result, conspiracy, tally
Slow election results
Elections take time
Reassure voters while sharing resources about the counting process when results are taking longer than expected.
result, conspiracy, tally
Slow election results
More provisional ballots than expected
Explain that a large number of provisional ballots must be counted and that it takes additional time.
results, slow, provisional
Slow election results
No robocall results
Direct voters to official election sources so they aren’t misled by external robocalls.
result, conspiracy, AI
Slow election results
Recount is required
Inform voters why and when a recount is required, how it works, and how to track updates.
results, audit, official
Slow election results
Steps to count an election
Build trust in election security by breaking down the steps for counting ballots.
result, conspiracy, tally
Slow election results
Time to count the votes
After voting, share how voters can learn about the counting process.
results, slow, tally
Slow election results
Want quicker election results?
Inform voters that ballot counting can be a manual process and that they can help by becoming an election worker.
results, slow, tally
Slow election results
What's taking so long?
When voters are frustrated by slow results, create understanding by sharing how to learn about the counting process.
result, conspiracy, tally
Slow election results
Why do the results keep changing?
Make sure voters know that unofficial results are continuously updated as ballots are counted.
result, conspiracy, tally