What can we expect during the final week of voting

By Carrie L. Davis, Democracy Program Director

Are you feeling stressed about the election? Do you have questions about what to expect? I think a lot of folks are feeling that way as we reach the final week of voting. Here are some of the questions I get asked the most.

1. How do I know what’s true and what’s not?

There is a lot of mis- and dis-information about the election out there. Sometimes it comes from bad actors (including foreign governments) trying to interfere with US elections. Sometimes it happens because someone inadvertently shared information that’s out-of-date or incorrect. Election officials and voter advocates are concerned that would-be voters might lose out on their opportunity to vote if they rely on incorrect information. 

But there’s good news: Every single one of us can be part of the solution! Here’s how:

• Always verify the accuracy of information you find online before sharing it. The best place to go is your local or state election authority, be it a county board of elections, municipal clerk, or secretary of state. Some state voter rights coalitions have voter information pages you can check. Or you can contact the non-partisan Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE or www.866ourvote.org.
• If you’re not sure if something is true or don’t have time to verify it, don’t share it. 
• If you come across inaccurate voting information, report it. Alert the person who posted it so they can delete it and replace it with the correct information. If the inaccurate information was shared more broadly, like in a mailer or ad, let your local election office know so they can increase voter education efforts and alert the public.
• Help make it easy for people to find good, accurate information by sharing from trusted sources with your network. Here are some of our go-to sources for Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

2. When will we know the election results?

It will likely take a couple days. This is shaping up to be a high turnout election (which is a good thing!), and it will take time for election officials to carefully verify and count all the ballots. Here’s a quick explainer on what factors influence how long it takes:

• How many voters cast their ballot in-person or by mail. In-person ballots cast on electronic touchscreen machines or paper ballots fed through a scanner by the voter tend to get tabulated (counted) the fastest. Absentee and mail ballots have to be processed before they can be scanned for counting. Note that in-person early voting in some states is conducted as "in-person absentee" voting. This process uses the same paper ballots as mail-in voters, which are later scanned. Also, some states offer "true early voting," using the same Election Day machines or scanners.
• Whether or not a state allows election officials to preprocess mail-in absentee ballots before Election Day, which involves verifying that they comply with all legal requirements before they can be counted. Some states do not permit election officials to begin to process or verify mail ballots until Election Day. It takes time to ensure that these ballots comply with state requirements, such as being properly dated and signed. In big cities and more populous counties, that could mean thousands of mail ballots have to be opened and reviewed before they can start counting. 
• In extremely close races, it could take longer than a week. Every election year, there are a handful of races across the country, usually at the state or local level, that are so close that it triggers a recount. State laws vary, but recounts typically take place if the difference separating the candidates is less than 1%. 
• Different voting systems. There are some states that utilize ranked-choice voting or run-off elections, which only declare a winner once a candidate achieves a majority of votes (50% +1). For example, in 2020, Georgia’s US Senate race was so close that they had to hold a run-off election to determine the winner.
• When media outlets call a race. While it is election officials that actually count the ballots that determine the winners, many people look to when media outlets “call a race” for a candidate. The Associated Press (AP) recently shared an explainer about how it determines when to call a race.

Interested in learning more? The Brennan Center has a more detailed explainer on how our votes eventually become final election results.

The most important thing is to be patient. Counting millions of votes takes time, and our election officials work hard to ensure an accurate count, allowing us to have confidence in the results.

3. Will my vote make a difference?

This year’s election has thrown a lot at us. President Biden withdrawing from the race, the attempted assassination of former President Trump, the rampant spread of false information supercharged by AI and lack of online platform safeguards, and fears of potential political violence as we approach the first presidential election since the events of January 6, 2021. 

Anyone else feeling a little stressed just reading that list? Ya, it’s been a lot. So it's not surprising that many Americans are feeling election fatigue. In fact, the anxiety and overwhelm have some people wondering if it’s worth it. 

Will my vote really make a difference? The answer is YES. 

Here’s the thing. The disinformation, crazy rhetoric, and stoking fear of political violence. All of those things are designed to turn people off. Throughout American history, bad actors have used those tactics to depress public trust and participation.

Don’t fall for it. 

Don’t let it dissuade you – and the people you care about - from participating in this election. The best thing you can do in response is to exercise your right to vote. 

Has this been an unusually crazy election year? Yes. But no one needs to feel powerless. Please go vote, and then make sure your family and friends do too.