When will we know the presidential election results? A state-by-state guide

Waves of election results will statesman coming successful Tuesday nighttime aft polls close passim nan country, but successful galore cardinal states it whitethorn return a while to cognize who has won — and overmuch longer to get official, certified results.

There are a number of reasons it tin return longer for ballots to beryllium counted successful immoderate states, including nan emergence of mail-in voting, an action taken by astir one-third of voters nationwide during nan 2022 midterm elections, according to nan MIT Election Lab. Some states let mail-in ballots to beryllium counted earlier Election Day, while others do not let canvass workers to commencement counting those ballots until in-person voting has travel to an end.

CBS News considers 7 states to beryllium battleground states successful nan 2024 statesmanlike election. Here's a breakdown of those states' rules astir charismatic ballot counts and certification.

Arizona

Polls adjacent successful Arizona astatine 7 p.m. section clip (9 p.m. ET).

Arizona has allowed voting by message for complete 2 decades, and approximately 80% of voters successful nan state ballot by mail. Ballot processing and tallying successful nan authorities tin statesman erstwhile nan ballots are received by predetermination workers, but results whitethorn not beryllium released earlier each precincts person reported aliases 1 hr aft nan polls adjacent connected Election Day, whichever is sooner. Releasing accusation earlier is simply a felony successful Arizona.

University of Arizona professor Christopher Weber, who leads nan Arizona Voter Project, said it could beryllium astir 2 weeks earlier each ballot is tallied successful nan state's astir populous county.

"The polls are really adjacent successful Arizona, and Maricopa [County] is expecting 10 to 13 days to count each votes," Weber said. "I – for illustration others – expect delays. Though we whitethorn person predictions beforehand, it's really difficult to say. I don't retrieve a clip successful which polling was truthful close."

County elections officials are responsible for nan counting of ballots successful federal, authorities and region elections, according to nan authorities elections website. Early and provisional ballots first acquisition signature verification astatine a region recorder's office, and counties tin statesman tabulating votes erstwhile early voting has begun. Most early ballots will beryllium counted earlier Election Day, while those that are received connected Election Day will beryllium tabulated successful nan days instantly afterward.

An automatic recount is triggered if nan separator of nan votes betwixt 2 candidates is 0.5 percent points aliases fewer. Recounts whitethorn not beryllium requested successful Arizona.

Since 2020, nan authorities has been the epicenter of a run among Trump supporters to undermine spot successful nan nation's predetermination systems, starring elections officials successful nan state's largest region to erect a veritable wall to take sides nan halfway wherever votes are counted.

Georgia

Polls adjacent successful Georgia astatine 7 p.m. ET.

Absentee ballot voting successful Georgia plummeted aft nan 2020 election, erstwhile much than 1.3 cardinal residents availed themselves of that option. During nan 2022 midterm elections, that fig was beneath 300,000, a fig advocates blamed connected a arguable 2021 rule that reduced entree to ballot driblet boxes, accrued restrictions connected mailed ballots and introduced different rules for illustration banning nutrient and portion distribution to voters successful statement by non-poll workers.

That authorities was among a drawstring of changes implemented successful nan past 4 years by nan state's Republican-dominated government. In September, Georgia's State Election Board approved a request that ballots beryllium counted by manus aft machines tally nan votes. But that and different precocious adopted rules were blocked by Georgia judges who concluded they were adopted excessively adjacent to Election Day.

Emory University professor Andra Gillespie said if nan title is close, erstwhile again it whitethorn return clip for it to go clear who's won.

"In general, I want to hole group for nan anticipation that it whitethorn return a mates of days to count, and conscionable because it whitethorn return a mates of days, that doesn't mean group are manipulating nan system," Gillespie said.

Georgia rule requires that nan ballot beryllium certified "not later than 5:00 P.M. connected nan Monday following" nan election, but since this twelvemonth that Monday falls connected Nov. 11, Veteran's Day, that deadline has been moved to nan pursuing day, Tuesday, Nov. 12.

The deadline for either campaigner to petition a recount is 2 days later, Thursday, Nov. 14. In Georgia, a losing campaigner whitethorn petition for a recount erstwhile results are wrong 0.5% of full votes formed for nan office.

Michigan

The past polls adjacent successful Michigan astatine 9 p.m. ET. (While polling places successful overmuch of nan authorities are successful nan eastbound clip area and adjacent astatine 8 p.m., immoderate occidental counties are connected cardinal time.)

About 42% of Michigan voters successful 2022, 1.9 million, formed absentee ballots, down from 59% successful nan 2020 statesmanlike election, according to section news tract MLive.com.

Oakland University professor David Dulio said it tin beryllium difficult to foretell erstwhile nan state's victor will beryllium apparent, because "elections successful Michigan are very decentralized." 

"Our elections are tally by 1,600 different section clerks who each person to do each of that activity and past nonstop it up nan chain. That has nan imaginable to slow things down," Dulio said. He added that nan state's largest city, Detroit, "is notoriously slow," and its 3rd largest city, Warren, will not beryllium taking advantage of a comparatively caller authorities rule allowing clerks to pre-process absentee ballots up to 8 days earlier Election Day.

County boards of canvassers person up to 14 days aft nan predetermination to complete their charismatic counts, which are past turned complete to a authorities board. The Secretary of nan Board of State Canvassers must denote a victor by Nov. 25.

In nan arena of a adjacent title — pinch nan 2 candidates separated by less than 25,000 votes — Michigan rule encourages nan authorities committee to expedite its canvass "as soon arsenic practicable."

If nan candidates are wrong 2,000 votes, an automatic recount is triggered, but it must beryllium completed wrong 30 days of nan election.

Nevada

Polls adjacent successful Nevada astatine 7 p.m. PT (10 p.m. ET).

Beginning successful 2022, Nevada became 1 of 8 states to behaviour all-mail elections, successful which each national is delivered a vote-by-mail ballot pinch a pre-paid postage, though in-person voting astatine polling locations is besides allowed.

The state's committee of region commissioners is required to complete county-level canvasses by Nov. 15, which is 10 days aft nan election.

Sondra Cosgrove, a professor astatine nan College of Southern Nevada who runs nan nonprofit Vote Nevada, said it shouldn't return rather that agelong to cognize who's won.

"We are assuming we will cognize by November 9," Cosgrove said.

Either campaigner tin request a recount by Nov. 18, and that recount must statesman wrong a time and beryllium completed wrong 5 days, Nov. 24 astatine nan latest. That's because connected nan 4th Tuesday of nan period — Nov. 26 — nan caput of authorities is required to meet pinch Nevada's Supreme Court justices to behaviour a statewide canvass. The politician past certifies nan election.

North Carolina

Polls adjacent successful North Carolina astatine 7:30 p.m. ET.

This year, some turnout and ballot processing could beryllium impacted by nan demolition of Hurricane Helene. The large wind wreaked havoc crossed wide swaths of nan occidental half of nan authorities successful precocious September, displacing residents and destroying infrastructure, including polling locations.

The North Carolina State Board of Elections approved emergency measures connected Oct. 7 pinch nan extremity of improving entree to voting for residents of 13 counties affected by nan storm.

County predetermination boards are required by authorities rule successful North Carolina to meet astatine 11 a.m. connected Nov. 15 to complete their canvases. The State Board of Elections is required to meet connected nan Tuesday 3 weeks aft nan election, Nov. 26. If location are nary protests to nan results, that committee must rumor a certification of nan predetermination six days later.

A mandatory recount is triggered if nan 2 candidates are separated by little than half a percent, and 1 of nan candidates formally requests to person nan votes counted again. That petition must beryllium made by noon connected Nov. 17, 2 days aft nan county-level canvass.

Pennsylvania

Polls adjacent successful Pennsylvania astatine 8 p.m. ET.

Under Pennsylvania law, counties cannot statesman counting mail-in and absentee ballots until 7 a.m. connected Election Day. In 2020, that was nan opening of a laborious process to log much than 2.7 cardinal votes returned by mail. Full returns are processed opening astatine 9 a.m. connected nan 3rd time aft nan election, aliases Nov. 8 this year.

The state, viewed by galore arsenic a important must-win for some candidates, was beset by lawsuits successful 2020 — astir of which were dismissed aliases dropped — arsenic Trump and his friends sought to stymie Mr. Biden's increasing lead successful nan hours and days aft polls closed and ballots were counted.

This year, Pennsylvania's Supreme Court successful August issued an bid expediting election-related cases. The bid shortened nan model successful which a little tribunal determination tin beryllium appealed, from 10 days to three. 

University of Pennsylvania professor Marc Meredith said nan immense mostly of ballots will beryllium counted comparatively quickly.

"We'll get our first ballot reports from galore counties rather quickly aft polls close. These will often beryllium each of nan message ballots that group were capable to get done by then," Meredith said. "Nearly each Election Day votes should mostly beryllium reported by early Wednesday morning."

But if nan title is arsenic adjacent arsenic expected, it could hinge connected votes that are slower to tally.

"Provisional ballots typically are reported retired successful smaller counties connected Thursday done Monday successful nan larger counties," Meredith said.

A recount and recanvass is automatically triggered successful nan authorities if nan unofficial predetermination returns, owed by Nov. 12, show nan candidates separated by little than 0.5%. The recount would beryllium required to beryllium completed by Nov. 26.

Wisconsin

Polls adjacent successful Wisconsin astatine 8 p.m. CT (9 p.m. ET).

Barry Burden, Director of nan University of Wisconsin's Elections Research Center, said, "typically 2 to 2 ½ hours aft polls close, we commencement to get a beautiful bully image of nan state," but he noted Milwaukee takes longer.

"It's nan biggest city, and it has nan astir ballots, and it besides counts absentee ballots astatine a cardinal location," Burden said. "That'll beryllium aft midnight, 1 (a.m.) aliases 2 a.m."

Most municipality and metropolis clerks successful Wisconsin are required to present tallies to their region clerks by 4 p.m. nan time aft nan election, aliases by 4 p.m. nan pursuing time if nan municipality uses a municipal committee of absentee ballot canvassers to canvass absentee ballots.

And a region committee of canvassers has until Nov. 19 to present certified ballot statements to nan Wisconsin Elections Commission. The chair of that committee is required to certify nan predetermination by Dec. 1, according to authorities law.

After nan last region is delivered its results to nan commission, a campaigner tin activity a recount if nan title is wrong 1%.

When polls adjacent successful different states

(All times local)

• Alabama: 7 p.m.
• Alaska: 8 p.m.
• Arkansas: 7:30 p.m.
• California: 8 p.m.
• Colorado: 7 p.m.
• Connecticut: 8 p.m.
• Delaware: 8 p.m.
• District of Columbia: 8 p.m.
• Florida: 7 p.m.
• Hawaii: 7 p.m.
• Idaho: 8 p.m.
• Illinois: 7 p.m.
• Indiana: 6 p.m.
• Iowa: 8 p.m.
• Kansas: 7 p.m.
• Kentucky: 6 p.m.
• Louisiana: 8 p.m.
• Maine: 8 p.m.
• Maryland: 8 p.m.
• Massachusetts: 8 p.m.
• Minnesota: 8 p.m.
• Mississippi: 7 p.m.
• Missouri: 7 p.m.
• Montana: 8 p.m.
• New Hampshire: 7 p.m., though section municipalities are allowed to enactment unfastened later.
• New Jersey: 8 p.m.
• New Mexico: 7 p.m.
• New York: 9 p.m.
• North Dakota: Between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. depending connected location.
• Ohio: 7:30 p.m.
• Oklahoma: 7 p.m.
• Oregon: 8 p.m.
• Rhode Island: 8 p.m.
• South Carolina: 7 p.m.
• South Dakota: 7 p.m.
• Tennessee: 8 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. CT.
• Texas: 7 p.m.
• Utah: 8 p.m.
• Vermont: 7 p.m.
• Virginia: 7 p.m.
• Washington: 8 p.m.
• West Virginia: 7:30 p.m.
• Wyoming: 7 p.m.

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• Voting
• 2024 Elections