When can we expect the results of the presidential election? News

On election night, we all want to know the results immediately, but counting the ballots takes time. Here are some reasons why:

• The county has over 1.98 million active registered voters.
• A mail-in ballot will be sent to each active voter.
• Mail-in ballots can be counted if they are postmarked on or before Election Day and received up to seven days afterward.
• Anyone who is not registered but is otherwise eligible to vote can, subject to reservation, register and vote provisionally until election day.

So what can you expect on election night?

The first unofficial election night results come in shortly after 8 p.m. This includes mail-in ballots received before Election Day and vote center ballots from early voting between October 26th and November 4th.

For the latest election night results updates, visit sdvote.com or follow the Registrar's Office X (formerly Twitter).

The results of election night will then be published only the ballot papers from the voting center cast on election day. There will be no more updates on mail-in ballots on election night.

Election Day ballots will be received after voting centers close at 8:00 p.m. There will be a time gap for the next results as poll workers pack up supplies and travel from over 200 voting centers across the county.

Upon arrival at the Registrar's Office, the vote center ballots will be scanned and the results will be updated periodically until all vote center ballots are counted.

Because there are fewer voting centers compared to the traditional polling place model, the registrar's office will be less likely to provide updates on results.

The final unofficial election night results may not be available until 1 a.m. or later and only include ballots that could be counted immediately.

The counting of ballots does not end election night.

What’s left to count?

• Mail-in ballots
  • These are ballots that are dropped off at voting centers, official ballot drop boxes, or picked up at the U.S. Postal Service on Election Day.
  • Ballots mailed just before or on November 5th will have a seven-day deadline if they are postmarked by Election Day.
• Provisional ballots
  • People who missed the Oct. 21 registration deadline can conditionally register and vote in person provisionally until Election Day.
  • Once their voter registration is processed and the registrar's office confirms that the voter did not vote elsewhere in the state, voter registration becomes active and the provisional ballot is counted.
  • The registry office cannot predict how many residents who are not registered but are otherwise eligible will take advantage of this.

After Election Night, the next release of unofficial results is expected to be released on Thursday, November 7 through Saturday, November 9, and again on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, November 11 through November 15 at 6 p.m.

Further updates are at the discretion of the Registrar of Voters. The registry office will be closed on Thursday, November 28th and Friday, November 29th for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Election results must be certified by December 5, and the Registrar expects to use the entire certification period to ensure that every legally cast vote is added to the count as quickly, yet carefully, as possible to ensure accurate results ensure. All updates will be posted on sdvote.com, with final certified results posted by December 5th.

Learn more about the November Presidential General at sdvote.com or call (858) 565-5800 or toll free at (800) 696-0136.