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With the 2024 US election underway, millions of Americans are casting their votes, but how exactly are these votes counted, and what are the different types of voting that influence the results?

In 2024, US voters have multiple ways to participate, each with its own distinct counting process:

Early In-Person Voting

Many Americans prefer to vote early at polling locations. Early voting is meant to reduce lines and help those with scheduling conflicts on Election Day. These ballots are usually processed ahead of time, meaning they’re securely stored but not officially counted until Election Day.

Mail-In Voting

Mail-in voting, a popular option during and since the COVID-19 pandemic, is widely used in many states. Eligible voters request a ballot, fill it out, and mail it back or drop it off at designated locations. Each state has its own rules for accepting mail ballots — some require them to be received by Election Day, while others allow them to be postmarked by Election Day. Processing these votes involves verifying voter information (e.g., signature matching) before counting, which can lead to delays in reporting.

Election Day Voting

Votes cast on Election Day itself are the most straightforward to count. Polls close at a set time (usually around 7 or 8 PM local time), and the ballots are processed and counted immediately afterward. Election officials in most areas can begin reporting these results within hours.

How the Counting Process Works

Votes are counted in a secure, step-by-step manner: Tabulation centers; ballots, whether from mail-in, early, or Election Day voting, are delivered to local tabulation centers where they are sorted and counted. Each ballot is run through a scanner, which reads the selections and records them into a secure system.

Verification Procedures

In addition to signature verification on mail ballots, some states cross-check voter data to prevent double voting.

Real-Time Reporting

Once processed, local election boards upload counts to state systems, which are then made public. Since mail ballots take longer to process, some states might initially report a higher share of in-person votes.

How Many People Are Eligible to Vote in 2024?

For the 2024 election, around 239 million Americans are eligible to vote. However, not all of them are registered. In the 2020 election, 66.1% of eligible voters actually cast a ballot. Nonetheless, turnout varies in each poll, depending on the policy issues at stake, the candidates’ appeal, and ease of access to voting.

It is still unclear when exactly the final result will be known. Most states are expected to report the majority of their results on election night or within a few hours after polls close.

Nonetheless, final and official results might take several days to confirm because counting all mail-in, absentee, and provisional ballots, especially in states where mail ballots are accepted as long as they’re postmarked by Election Day, will take time.

Some key states might experience slight delays in reporting due to high volumes of mail-in ballots or close races that require recounts and careful verification.

By Soumia BENMERZOUG