A step-by-step guide to how the vote counting process works in Florida

Unofficial election results will likely be announced on election night, but the full process of counting, verifying, and certifying votes takes several weeks. Here’s what to know about that process. 

Election night 2024 promises to be a nail-biter for most Floridians, as they wait to see who wins the tightly contested presidential race between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump.

There’s also a US Senate race in Florida, the outcome of which could significantly influence the balance of power in the Senate. A win by Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell could help keep Democrats in control of the chamber, but if Republican incumbent Sen. Rick Scott wins, it would likely tilt the balance in favor of the GOP.

Additionally, the fate of reproductive freedom in the state is in the balance with Amendment 4, which if passed with at least 60% of the vote, would nullify Florida’s six-week abortion ban and enshrine the right to abortion in the state Constitution.

Simply put, the stakes have never been higher. So, what happens to your ballot after you cast your vote? Here’s a ballot’s journey to certification. 

• How ballots are counted

After filling out your ballot — either early, on Election Day, or by mail — it is fed into a scanner. This is a freestanding machine that tabulates each vote and keeps a paper ballot. Ballots are then carefully counted to make sure that they match the number of people who use each machine. Each vote is then tabulated and stored on an internal server. For security reasons, these scanners and tabulators are not connected to any other computer or the internet. 

The tabulated vote data is then double-checked for accuracy and sent to the secretary of state for certification. By law, the paper ballot is held in storage for 22 months in case there’s a need for a recount by hand. Beyond that, it is kept to comply with state law.

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• Preliminary Election Night Returns 

The results of all early voting and all vote-by-mail tabulated by the end of the early voting period on Tuesday, Nov. 5. are due to the county canvassing boards no later than 7:30 PM in each respective county’s time zone. Precinct-level election day results will be reported in 45-minute increments thereafter until all results (except for provisional ballots and certain vote-by-mail ballots with cure affidavits) are completely reported. 

Since Florida has two time zones (Central and Eastern), preliminary election night returns will not be released statewide until 8:00 PM Eastern Time.

In Florida, votes are counted very quickly, with 99% of votes reported by midnight in 2016 and 2020, so you can expect to know the outcome of most, if not all races, on election night. 

• All unofficial returns reported

Unofficial Returns are due no later than noon on the 4th day after the Election, or Saturday Nov. 9. A machine recount is ordered if the 1st set of unofficial returns indicates that by a margin of ½ of 1% or less of the total votes cast, a candidate for office was eliminated or defeated, a judicial candidate for retention was retained or not retained, or an issue was approved or rejected. 

The Secretary of State orders a machine recount if the contest is a federal, state, or multicounty contest. The county canvassing board orders the recount in all other contests.

• Machine Recount (if needed)

If a machine recount is ordered, the results are reported in the Second Unofficial Returns, which are due no later than 3:00 PM on the 9th day after the Election, or Thursday, November 14. 

A manual recount of overvotes and undervotes is ordered if the 2nd set of unofficial returns indicates that by a margin of ¼, of 1% or less of the total votes cast, a candidate for office was eliminated or defeated, a judicial candidate for retention was retained or not retained, or an issue was approved or rejected. 

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The Secretary of State orders a manual recount if the contest is a federal, state, or multicounty contest. The county canvassing board orders the manual recount in all other contests. A manual recount is not ordered if: (a) the candidate or candidates defeated or eliminated from contention for such office request in writing that a recount not be held; or (b) the number of overvotes and undervotes is fewer than the number of votes needed to change the outcome of the election.

• Official returns from the counties

Official Returns from the counties are due no later than noon on the 13th day after the Election, or Monday, Nov. 18.  The Official Returns include the results of any manual recount conducted.

• Certification of official returns for the state

The Elections Canvassing Commission meets to certify the Official Returns for the state on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, at 8:00 AM

For detailed information about the outcome of county, municipal, and other local races, voters are directed to contact the respective county Supervisor of Elections office.

• Florida’s presidential electors also sign off on the results

After the results are certified, the slate of electors for the winning presidential candidate in Florida will meet on December 17 to fulfill their legal obligation and certify the election for the candidate who won the state’s popular vote.

Those final, certified election results are then sent on to Congress and the National Archives.

• Congress reviews and certifies the electoral votes.

On January 6, 2025, Congress will convene to count the electoral votes and certify the winner of the election.

As the sitting vice president who also serves as president of the Senate, Kamala Harris will preside over this count in 2025. Each state, called upon in alphabetical order, files its votes.

While this process is normally ceremonial, federal lawmakers can still object to a state’s electoral votes, though those objections must be upheld by both chambers of Congress to succeed. And even then, they’re governed by strict rules that require significant evidence before any sort of challenge is allowed to proceed.