Key deadlines for the 2024 election results certification process

President-elect Donald Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris successful nan 2024 statesmanlike race, but respective cardinal dates are still up successful nan certification process earlier he takes nan oath of agency for his 2nd term. 

Though considered bureaucratic successful nan past, nan certification process has travel nether accrued nationalist scrutiny since nan 2020 election, erstwhile Trump and his friends pushed false, unproven claims of wide voter fraud and unsuccessfully challenged nan results successful court.

Election officials and experts many times accent that U.S. elections are free and fair.

The disinformation run yet culminated successful nan Jan. 6, 2021, riot astatine nan U.S. Capitol that concisely delayed a associated convention of Congress from certifying nan 2020 predetermination results. Trump has been charged pinch 4 counts successful a lawsuit brought by typical counsel Jack Smith stemming from his post-election conduct.

In precocious 2022, arsenic a nonstop consequence to nan Jan. 6 onslaught connected nan Capitol, Congress passed nan Electoral Count Reform Act to tighten and clarify nan rules of nan electoral certification process.

Here are nan cardinal statesmanlike predetermination certification dates for battleground states, nan Electoral College and Congress.

Battleground authorities certification deadlines

Arizona

State deadline: Nov. 25, 2024

County boards of supervisors person until Nov. 21 to officially count votes successful a process known arsenic nan "canvass." Upon completion, nan boards must nonstop a transcript to nan caput of state, who has until Nov. 25 to decorativeness nan statewide canvass and rumor certificates of election.

Georgia

State deadline: Nov. 22, 2024

County predetermination superintendents must certify results by 5 p.m. ET connected Nov. 12 and instantly nonstop them to nan caput of state, who has until 5 p.m. connected Nov. 22 to certify nan votes formed and transmit them to nan governor.

Michigan

State deadline: Nov. 25, 2024

Boards of region canvassers must complete a canvass of nan predetermination by Nov. 19 and guardant nan results to nan caput of authorities wrong 24 hours. The Board of State Canvassers must past meet to decorativeness its canvass and certify nan result by Nov. 25.

Nevada

State deadline: Nov. 26, 2024

Boards of region commissioners must decorativeness nan canvass of ballot returns and nonstop nan results to nan caput of authorities by Nov. 15. A mostly of justices from nan Nevada Supreme Court must past meet pinch nan caput of authorities by Nov. 26 to canvass nan vote. Once nan statewide canvass is done, nan politician will rumor certificates of election.

North Carolina

State deadline: Dec. 2, 2024

County boards of elections must meet astatine 11 a.m. ET connected Nov. 15 to canvass nan votes and message abstracts — forms showing nan votes formed for each campaigner — to nan State Board of Elections and Clerk of nan Court. The State Board of Elections will past meet astatine 11 a.m. connected Nov. 26 to behaviour a statewide canvass. Barring immoderate protest, nan authorities committee will rumor certificates of predetermination connected Dec. 2. If a protestation is pending, nan authorities committee could hold certification until 10 days aft its last determination connected nan matter.

Pennsylvania

Deadline: Nov. 25, 2024

County boards of elections must taxable unofficial results to nan caput of nan commonwealth by 5 p.m. connected Nov. 12. If aft 5 days location are nary petitions for recounts aliases recanvasses filed, nan region boards will certify nan results pinch nan caput of nan commonwealth. Boards must certify by Nov. 25 moreover successful nan arena of a recount aliases a recanvass. The caput will past behaviour a statewide canvass and coming nan results to nan governor, for which location is nary authorities deadline.

Wisconsin

State deadline: Dec. 1, 2024

County clerks person until Nov. 19 to present certified ballot statements to nan Wisconsin Elections Commission. The committee chair must past behaviour a nationalist canvass and certify nan results by Dec. 1.

Full Electoral College predetermination results certification deadline

Safe harbor deadline: Dec. 11, 2024

Under national law, states person until Dec. 11 to certify predetermination results, known arsenic nan safe harbor deadline. 

Meeting: Dec. 17, 2024

After this date, authorities predetermination results go finalized. On Dec. 17, Electoral College electors will meet and formed votes for nan statesmanlike candidates according to nan will of their states. The results are past sent to Congress.

U.S. Congress predetermination results certification deadline

Certification deadline: Jan. 6, 2025

On Jan. 6, 2025, 4 years aft nan battle connected nan Capitol, nan House of Representatives and nan Senate will convene to count and finalize nan votes formed by nan Electoral College. Lawmakers tin entity to a state's electors, but nan 2022 Electoral Count Act raised nan basal period to one-fifth of nan House and Senate to proceed pinch nan objection.