The numbers on TV on the night of Nov. 3 are unofficial. Every one of them. Your vote becomes final only when county officials finish counting and certify, and then the state does the same. State law sets those dates, and in most places certifying is a duty, not a choice.
How it works, everywhere. Polls close. Officials count what is in hand and report unofficial totals. Then the canvass starts: workers check precinct tallies against poll books, count late-arriving military and overseas ballots, and rule on provisional ballots. Voters with a problem, like a missing ID or a signature that did not match, get a short window to fix it. Counties certify. The state certifies from the county numbers.
The real dates in five states:
- Pennsylvania. Mail ballots must arrive by 8 p.m. Nov. 3. Counties start the canvass by 9 a.m. Nov. 6. Mail voters who still owe proof of ID have until Nov. 9. Counties must certify by Nov. 23.
- Arizona. Voters can fix a mail-ballot signature problem for five business days after the election, which by our count runs through Nov. 10. Counties canvass by the third Thursday after the election, Nov. 19. The secretary of state canvasses on the third Monday, Nov. 23.
- Michigan. Local clerks decide on provisional ballots within six days. County canvassers must finish by Nov. 17, and the law calls certifying their “ministerial, clerical, and nondiscretionary duty,” based only on the returns. If a county fails, the state board certifies by Nov. 23.
- Wisconsin. Provisional voters have until 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6 to supply what is missing. County canvass statements are due Nov. 17. The state must certify by Dec. 1.
- Georgia. Counties certify by 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9, and the secretary of state certifies federal and statewide results by Nov. 20. Runoffs, if any, are Dec. 1.
Why this matters this year. After 2020 and 2024, some local officials refused or threatened to refuse to certify, and courts and state officials made them do it. Georgia’s Supreme Court threw out a rule in 2025 that would have let county boards hold up certification for an “inquiry.” Calendars can change, so check your own county’s page before Nov. 3.
How wrong would the polls have to be? Run the Stress Test.
A slow count is not a stolen count. It is the count working. The only number that matters is the certified one, and the law says when it is due.