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If you’ve ever wondered why the Sunshine State can announce election results fairly quickly, the reason is simple: we do things a little differently.
During an election cycle that has been an anxiety-producing nail biter for voters, the question that surely looms large for many across the state is will we know the results on Election Night in Florida?
The short answer is… probably, yes.
If you’ve ever wondered why the state of Florida usually announces election results fairly quickly, the reason is simple: Some states only allow ballots to be opened, checked for signatures, and compared to the voter’s registration record on Election Day. Once checked and processed, those votes can be counted. If there is high voter turnout, this can back the process up considerably, especially in states where those votes can’t be counted until polls close.
But Florida law allows ballots to be processed as soon as they are received. They can also be counted as soon as the county has tested its automatic tabulating equipment, a process that usually starts around 25 days before early voting begins.
Florida also usually cuts off early voting two days before Election Day, a move that gives county officials more time to tabulate them.
RELATED: Ensuring safe elections: How Florida protects the integrity of your vote
The results, however, are kept secret. Releasing them early is considered a felony.
This year, early voting ends Saturday, Nov. 2, although each county may opt to extend it to Sunday. For example, Gov. Ron DeSantis approved an extension of the early voting period until Election Day for Pinellas and Taylor counties, due to voters potentially dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, the powerful hurricane that slammed into Florida’s Gulf Coast in early October.
So, will we know the results on Election Night in Florida?
Taking all this into account, there will likely be enough votes counted for outlets like the Associated Press to project the winners of most races on Tuesday night, barring extremely narrow margins.
When the polls close, the already-counted results will be posted and then more added as returns come in from around the state.
But the results will be incomplete, as no state can count every vote by Election Night. They will also be unofficial results, as the results must be canvassed and certified for accuracy, a process which must be completed by Nov. 18.
Votes that will be counted after Election Day include ballots from absent military and citizens overseas, whose ballots will be counted as long as they’re postmarked by Election Day and received by election officials no later than 10 days after Election Day.
Provisional ballots cast at polls by voters without proper ID or with minor errors that were later verified to be eligible are also among those counted after Election Day. If additional information is needed, Florida voters have until 5 p.m. the second day after the election to present it; ballots that were challenged and later cured and tallied are also counted after Election Day.
For these reasons, the vote tallies can change days or even weeks later. Nonetheless, you can expect to probably know the overall results of many of Florida’s races on Tuesday night.
RELATED: Here’s what to know about how we’re covering the 2024 elections
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