How Georgia Votes
Embedded Files
The League of Women Voters of Georgia is publishing a special series of articles in their The Gold Dome and Beyond newsletter. The articles examine our electoral process and why it guarantees accuracy and deserves our trust every week between now and the Nov. 3 midterms.
Please follow along as we chart the processes, the policies and the people that keep our elections free, fair and accurate.
How Georgia Votes: Election Results Take Time and That's A Good Sign
October 22, 2026
The fastest answer is not always the right one. Georgia's elections aim for good and fast, and you can have both, as long as you do not confuse fast with instant. The numbers that pop up on election night feel like the final word, but they are not. They are early, they are unofficial, and they will change as more ballots are counted. Our elections are built to give you reliable, accurate results as quickly as the law allows, and not one minute faster than getting them right will allow. So, let's walk through why the results take a few days, and why that wait is actually good news.
~~~~~~~~~~
What Are the Deadlines for Reporting the Midterm Election Results?
Nov. 3: Midterm election
Nov. 9: Counties must certify the results, meaning the tally of votes is complete. According to state law, this must be done no later than 5 pm the Monday following the election.
Nov. 20: The Secretary of State must certify the results and report them to the governor. According to state law, this must be done by 5 pm 17 days after the election.
~~~~~~~~~~
Why The Delay in Between When The Polls Close and When Counties Certify the Results?
Tabulation from the voting machines is quick but it cannot begin until the polls close. This means that there is no tabulation from early voting until after 7 pm on election day. Mail-in ballots also must wait until the polls close. Plus, those who cast provisional ballots have three days to go to their county elections headquarters and cure their votes so they can be counted.
For more on post-election testing, see How Votes Are Counted and Audited.
~~~~~~~~~~
Why the Lag Between When Counties Certify the Results and the Secretary of State Signs Off?
The lag between counties certifying results and the Secretary of State’s certification allows candidates in tight races to challenge the results. A close race, within a margin of 0.5%, may be challenged. Federal races and races for governor, lieutenant governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General within that 0.5% margin must be recounted by hand. Certification by the county election board starts that process. In other instances when the margin is that slim, the candidate can demand a recount.
~~~~~~~~~~
What If There's a Runoff?
Since Georgia’s elections are decided by a majority rather than a plurality, runoffs are common. (A majority means a candidate receives 50% of the vote plus one. A plurality means the candidate with the most votes wins.) Should a runoff be necessary after the midterm, it will be on Dec. 1. And then the whole tabulating, testing, certification process will start over.
~~~~~~~~~~
Should I Be Concerned by the Delay Between Election Day and Final Results?
Poll workers, managers and watchers ensure that election day itself goes by the book in every precinct in the state. Ballot cast totals from the voting machines are clearly posted at each poll and at county election headquarters every day during early voting and on election day. Initial results are posted on the county’s Board of Elections website. The Secretary of State’s office posts information related to post-election testing and risk-limiting audits. All that means that four steps have to happen before any election receives final certification from the Secretary of State. Each of those steps must verify the findings of the preceding step. That the election system in Georgia functions as quickly and as accurately as it does should reassure every voter that the system can be trusted and that their vote will count.
~~~~~~~~~~
Report abuse