Election certification

Election certification is the official process by which election results become final. After votes are counted, local officials conduct a canvass, reviewing totals, reconciling ballots and including valid provisional and mail ballots. Local boards then certify to the state, and state officials certify statewide results, usually within a few weeks of the election.

The steps are generally described in state law as ministerial, meaning officials must certify if the numbers are accurate, not decide whether they agree with the outcome. Courts have generally ordered certification when local boards have delayed or refused to certify over unsupported fraud claims. Legal challenges, audits or a recount can occur before certification, and states set deadlines.

For presidential elections, the state's governor then issues a certificate naming electors, and Congress receives them under the Electoral Count Act. After the 2020 election, some local officials resisted certification, which led states to clarify that refusal is not allowed and to add penalties. Supporters of firm deadlines say they provide certainty; critics of rapid timetables argue some voters need time to fix ballot problems. The process involves observers and checks such as a risk-limiting-audit.