All articles tagged with #ballot counting
Dallas County Republicans have decided not to proceed with a hand-count of ballots in the March 2026 primary, opting instead to work with the county elections department to use voting machines, citing concerns over staffing, security, and legal liabilities.
The U.S. Supreme Court heard a case involving Illinois voting rules, where Rep. Michael Bost challenged the constitutionality of allowing mail-in ballots to be counted up to 14 days after Election Day. The justices questioned the standing of candidates to sue based on their chances of winning, with skepticism expressed about the broad ability of any candidate to challenge election rules. The case highlights debates over election law and candidate rights to challenge voting procedures.
A Wisconsin Elections Commission investigation found that former Madison City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl unlawfully failed to ensure nearly 200 absentee ballots were counted in the 2024 presidential election, neglecting urgent action and proper tracking, which led to her resignation and new procedural reforms in Madison.
A federal judge blocked President Trump from punishing states that count absentee ballots received after Election Day and from requiring proof of citizenship for federal voter registration, amidst ongoing legal and political disputes related to the election process.
California's slow ballot counting process is delaying the final results of the U.S. House of Representatives election, with over 5 million ballots still unprocessed. The delay is attributed to the state's thorough verification process for vote-by-mail ballots, which includes signature matching and opportunities for voters to correct issues. California allows ballots postmarked by election day to be counted if received within seven days, contributing to the extended timeline. The state has 30 days to finalize results, with 11 congressional seats still undecided, impacting the balance of power in the House.
California is still counting ballots due to its extensive use of mail-in voting, which allows ballots postmarked by Election Day to be received and counted up to several days later. This process, designed to ensure every vote is counted, can extend the time needed to finalize election results.
Democratic Rep. Yadira Caraveo conceded to Republican Gabe Evans in the race for Colorado's 8th Congressional District, marking a significant political shift as Evans flips the seat. Caraveo, Colorado's first Latina congresswoman, expressed gratitude to her supporters and emphasized her commitment to finishing her term. Evans, a state representative and former police officer, thanked his supporters and highlighted his readiness to represent the district. The election faced delays due to a snowstorm affecting ballot processing, with over 1,000 ballots still outstanding.
Arizona is experiencing a tense wait for its final election results, with 83% of votes counted and Trump leading Harris. The state has 602,000 uncounted ballots, primarily in Maricopa County, causing delays. In the Senate race, Republican Kari Lake trails Democrat Ruben Gallego. The delay is partly due to the lengthy two-page ballots and "early-late" votes. Despite heightened security, there have been no reports of unrest or intimidation similar to the 2020 election.
Arizona is experiencing significant delays in counting ballots from the recent election, affecting the reporting of results for key races, including a U.S. Senate contest. Counties like Cochise, Pima, Yavapai, and Yuma have over 25% of ballots uncounted due to issues such as mechanical problems with tabulators and lengthy ballot processing times. Voter advocates are concerned that these delays may not allow voters enough time to address issues with their ballots, such as mismatched signatures, before the state-imposed deadline. Voting rights groups are calling for an extension of this deadline to ensure all votes are counted.
Baltimore City will not meet the state deadline to certify election results as the Board of Elections continues to process remaining ballots, including overseas and provisional ones. Despite this, three new Democratic nominees for the City Council, Zac Blanchard, Paris Gray, and Jermaine Jones, have declared victory in their respective districts. The official certification is expected to occur next Tuesday.
San Diego County's presidential primary election results will be released in stages, with the first unofficial results expected shortly after 8 p.m. on election night. These initial results will include mail ballots received before Election Day and early voting ballots. Subsequent updates will cover vote center ballots cast on Election Day, with the final unofficial results expected to be posted by 1 a.m. or later. After election night, mail ballots and provisional ballots will continue to be counted, with the next release of unofficial results scheduled for 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 7. The results must be certified by April 4, with updates available on sdvote.com.
The first unofficial election night results for the Nov. 7 special election in San Diego will be available shortly after 8 p.m., including mail ballots received before Election Day and vote center ballots from early voting. Subsequent updates will only include vote center ballots cast on Election Day. The final unofficial results may not be available until 11 p.m. or later, and the counting of ballots will continue after election night. This includes mail ballots that arrive within seven days of Election Day and provisional ballots. The next release of unofficial results is scheduled for Nov. 9, with final certified results posted by Dec. 7.
Mohave County in Arizona has decided against hand-counting its ballots in the upcoming elections due to the high cost and inaccuracies associated with the process. The all-Republican Board of Supervisors voted against forgoing ballot counting machines after a test run revealed counting errors and logistical challenges. Some conservatives, including allies of former President Donald Trump, have advocated for hand-counting as a way to ensure election accuracy, but Mohave County's experience shows that it is expensive, impractical, and prone to errors. The county's test run involved 850 test ballots and resulted in counting errors in 46 races. Hand-counting all the ballots would require hiring hundreds of people and would take weeks to complete. The total cost for hand-counting was estimated at over a million dollars.
An independent investigation into the printer issues during the 2022 election in Maricopa County found that older printers and longer ballots printed on heavier paper were to blame for the problem. The investigation refutes conspiracy theories about the printer problems and recommends replacing printers and using previous ballot paper that was shorter and weighed less. All legal ballots were counted and included in the official results, but the printer issues caused frustration for many Election Day voters.