When polls close on Nov. 3, ballot counters in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana will have days to finish tabulating votes.
Though 2020 has seen more early votes than elections past, boards around the Tri-State still maintain that, as in most elections, the majority of ballots will be counted that night. Also, like most other elections, the official certified results will not be ready until days later.
Ohio’s Sec. of State Frank LaRose said ballots can continue to arrive at boards of elections up to 10 days after the election, as long as those ballots are postmarked by Nov. 2
In Ohio, the first votes counted will be early in-person and absentee ballots, and elections boards began scanning and processing record numbers weeks ago.
A directive from LaRose demands totals by 8 p.m. on election night. The next day, staff will begin verifying provisional ballots and counting mail-in ballots postmarked Nov. 2 or earlier.
All 88 Ohio counties have until Nov. 18 to finish tabulating votes.
Indiana law says counties have until noon on the second Monday after Election Day, Nov. 16.
Kentucky's code gives clerks until 11:59 p.m. on election night to post in-person tallies, but they have until Nov. 10 to count absentee votes and help voters fix mistakes on mail ballots.
"Although we won't have final results election night, the vast majority of results will be counted and reported,” Kentucky Sec. of State Michael Adams said.
For more information on the upcoming election and deadlines for casting a vote in the Tri-State, visit WCPO’s 2020 Election Guide.
