Election results certification dates, 2020
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General information
As of December 11, 2020, all 50 states and the District of Columbia had certified their 2020 general election results.
This article lists canvassing and election result certification dates for 2020. In a canvass, election officials verify that each ballot cast in the election was correctly counted. Certification is the process by which the results of an election are made official. The two processes are closely related, and the terms are sometimes used interchangeably. Links to official results will be added here as they become available. The table below can be sorted by state or date; to sort, click the arrows in the appropriate column heading.[1][2]
Additional key dates for the presidential election: Under 3 U.S.C. § 5, a state must settle any presidential election disputes and determine its electors six days before the Electoral College meets. This safe harbor provision deadline fell on December 8, 2020. The Electoral College cast its votes for president and vice president on December 14, 2020.[3]
Certification deadlines organized by state
| Election results certification dates, 2020 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Certification/canvassing date | Notes | Source | Official results |
| Alabama | 11/25/2020 | "The last day for the Governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General to canvass election returns required by law to be sent to Secretary of State is within 22 days after the election." | Link | Link |
| Alaska | 11/25/2020 | "Target date to certify the GENERAL ELECTION." | Link | Link |
| American Samoa | Not specified | "On receipt of certified tabulations from the election officials concerned, the Chief Election Officer shall compile, certify, and release the election results." | Link | Link |
| Arizona | 11/30/2020 | "On the fourth Monday following a general election, the secretary of state, in the presence of the governor and the attorney general, shall canvass all offices for which the nominees filed nominating petitions and papers with the secretary of state[.]" | Link | Link |
| Arkansas | 11/18/2020 | "Deadline for the [county boards of election commissioners] to certify election results to the Secretary of State." | Link | Link |
| California | 12/11/2020 (12/5/2020 for the presidential contest) | "Last day for the Secretary of State to prepare, certify, declare, and file a statement of the vote from the compiled election returns and post to the Secretary of State's website." | Link | Link |
| Colorado | 11/30/2020 | "Last day for the Secretary of State to compile the returns and order appropriate recounts of the 2020 General Election." | Link | Link |
| Connecticut | 12/03/2020 | "Last day for registrars of voters to file with Secretary of the State a certificate signed under penalties of false statement stating that the annual canvass of voters was completed." | Link | Link |
| Delaware | 11/05/2020 | "Board of Canvass meets in Superior Court to certify the results of the November 3, 2020 General Election." | Link | Link |
| District of Columbia | 12/2/2020 | "[TENTATIVE] Certification of election results." | Link | Link |
| Florida | 11/17/2020 | "Elections Canvassing Commission meets to certify Official Results for federal, state, and multicounty offices." | Link | Link |
| Georgia | 11/20/2020 | "Not later than 5:00 P.M. on the seventeenth day following the date on which such election was conducted, the Secretary of State shall certify the votes cast for all candidates [for federal and state office] and upon all questions voted for by the electors of more than one county and shall no later than that same time lay the returns for presidential electors before the Governor." | Link | Link |
| Guam | Not specified | "As soon as all the votes are counted and the ballots are sealed, the Election Commission shall certify the results of the election." | Link | |
| Hawaii | Not specified | "On receipt of certified tabulations from the election officials concerned, the chief election officer, or county clerk in a county election, shall compile, certify, and release the election results after the expiration of the time for bringing an election contest." | Link | Link |
| Idaho | 11/18/2020 | "State Board Election Certification: Deadline for state board of canvassers to certify results — of the (Nov. 3) General Election — for all federal, state, and district candidates. This date may vary; to be done immediately after the state canvass." | Link | Link |
| Illinois | 12/04/2020 | "The State Board of Elections, shall proceed within 31 days after the election, and sooner if all the returns are received, to canvass the votes given for United States Senators and Representatives to Congress, State executive officers, judges of the Supreme Court, judges of the Appellate Court, judges of the Circuit Court, Senators, Representatives to the General Assembly, State's Attorneys and Regional Superintendents of Schools elected from 2 or more counties, respectively[.]" | Link | Link |
| Indiana | 11/24/2020 | "DEADLINE, by noon, for the Indiana Election Division to tabulate the number of votes cast for presidential electors, statewide offices (other than governor and lieutenant governor), or a judicial office according to the certificates submitted by the circuit court clerks or the Lake and Porter County election directors. Immediately after the completion of the tabulation, the secretary of state certifies to the governor the candidate receiving the highest number of votes for each office." | Link | Link |
| Iowa | 11/30/2020 | "Not later than twenty-seven days after the day of the election, the secretary of state shall present to the board of state canvassers abstracts of votes cast at the election showing the number of ballots cast for each office and a summary of the results for each office, showing the votes cast in each county." | Link | Link |
| Kansas | 12/01/2020 | "For the purpose of canvassing elections specified in subsection (a), the state board of canvassers shall meet on the call of the secretary of state, in the secretary's office, as soon as convenient after the tabulation of the returns is made. In the case of general elections, the meeting shall be called not later than December 1 next following the election, except when the date falls on Sunday, then not later than the following day, and may recess from time to time until the canvass is completed." | Link | Link |
| Kentucky | 11/23/2020 | "Last day for state board of elections to meet to tabulate votes and make out certificates of election (not later than third Monday after election)." | Link | Link |
| Louisiana | 11/17/2020 | "On or before the fourteenth day after the primary or general election, if no action has been timely filed contesting the election to the office of a state candidate, the secretary of state shall promulgate the returns for state candidates, proposed constitutional amendments, and recall elections by publishing in the official journal of the state the names of the state candidates for each office in the election, the text of the proposed constitutional amendment, and recall elections and the number of votes received by each such candidate, proposed constitutional amendment, and recall elections as shown by the returns transmitted by the clerks of court from the compiled statements by the parish boards of election supervisors." | Link | Link |
| Maine | 11/23/2020 | "Within 20 days after an election, the Secretary of State shall tabulate the election returns and submit a certified copy of the tabulation to the Governor." | Link | Link |
| Maryland | 12/08/2020 | "The Board of State Canvassers shall: (1)(i) convene only after a presidential primary election, a State general election, or a general or special general election that includes a candidate for member of the Congress of the United States; (ii) convene within 35 days of that election; and (iii) if a majority of members of the Board of State Canvassers is not present, adjourn for not more than 1 day; (2) determine which candidates, by the greatest number of votes, have been elected to each office and which questions have received a sufficient number of votes to be adopted or approved; (3) prepare statewide election results for each candidate and question, based on the certified copies of the statements made by the boards of canvassers; and (4) prepare and transmit a certified statement of the election results to the State Board of Elections." | Link | Link |
| Massachusetts | 11/18/2020 | "The clerk of each city and town and in Boston the Board of Election Commissioners, within fifteen days after the day of any election therein for a senator in congress, representative in congress, governor, lieutenant governor, councillor, state secretary, state treasurer, state auditor, attorney general, clerk of courts, register of probate, sheriff, district attorney, senator or representative in the general court, or for presidential electors, shall transmit to the state secretary copies of the records of votes cast for such officers, together with copies of the records of votes cast on any constitutional amendment, law or proposed law, and on any question submitted to them by statute in any senatorial or representative district or in two or more cities or towns." | Link | Link |
| Michigan | 11/23/2020 | "Board of State Canvassers meet to canvass November general election." | Link | Link |
| Minnesota | 11/24/2020 | "The State Canvassing Board shall meet at the OSS to canvass the certified copies of the county canvassing board reports received from the county auditors - on the 3rd Tuesday following the State General Election." | Link | Link |
| Mississippi | 11/13/2020 | "Deadline for County Election Commissions to transmit to the Secretary of State their counties’ General Election returns, including their certified recap sheets and the total number of votes cast in the county for each candidate." | Link | Link |
| Missouri | 12/08/2020 | "The secretary of state shall convene the board of state canvassers to total the abstracts of each general election and the board shall, not later than the second Tuesday in December following the general election, issue a statement announcing the results of the general election for federal officers, governor, lieutenant governor, state senators and representatives, circuit judges, appellate and circuit judges subject to the provisions of Article V, Section 25 of the State Constitution, secretary of state, attorney general, state treasurer and state auditor." | Link | Link |
| Montana | 11/30/2020 | "State canvass completed – Canvass Board declares elected the individuals having received the highest number of votes cast for each state-certified office and proclaims the adoption or rejection of statewide ballot issues and sends certified copies of the reports and results to the Governor." | Link | Link |
| Nebraska | 11/30/2020 | "Board of State Canvassers meets to certify the election results." | Link | Link |
| Nevada | 11/24/2020 | "On the fourth Tuesday of November after each general election, the justices of the Supreme Court, or a majority thereof, shall meet with the Secretary of State, and shall open and canvass the vote for the number of presidential electors to which this State may be entitled, United States Senator, Representative in Congress, members of the Legislature, state officers who are elected statewide or by district, district judges, or district officers whose districts include area in more than one county and for and against any question submitted." | Link | Link |
| New Hampshire | 12/02/2020[4] | "The secretary of state, as soon as may be, shall lay all returns received pursuant to RSA 660:25 before the governor and council, and the votes shall be examined and counted and the election of the person having the largest number of votes declared and certified, and the certificate thereof shall be made out and transmitted in the manner described in RSA 659:84." | Link | Link |
| New Jersey | 12/08/2020 | "Deadline for Meeting of Board of State Canvassers to Certify General Election Results." | Link | Link |
| New Mexico | 11/24/2020 | "The state canvassing board shall meet in the state capitol on the third Tuesday after each statewide election and proceed to approve the report of the canvass and declare the results of the election or nomination of each candidate voted upon by the entire state and by the voters of more than one county." | Link | Link |
| New York | 12/07/2020 | "State Board of Canvassers meet to certify General Election." | Link | Link |
| North Carolina | 11/24/2020 | "After each general election, the State Board of Elections shall meet at 11:00 A.M. on the Tuesday three weeks after election day to complete the canvass of votes cast in all ballot items within the jurisdiction of the State Board of Elections and to authenticate the count in every ballot item in the county by determining that the votes have been counted and tabulated correctly." | Link | Link |
| North Dakota | 11/20/2020 | "The members of the State Canvassing Board are the Clerk of the Supreme Court, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, and Chairman, or designated representative of the applicable state political parties. It must meet no later than 17 days after the General Election." | Link | Link |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 11/17/2020[5] | "As soon as is practicable after the tabulation of ballots is completed, the Commission shall issue certificates of election to the winning candidates for those Commonwealth or local elective offices in which no proceeding affecting ballots or election results has been initiated." | Link | |
| Ohio | 11/24/2020 | "Boards of elections must complete canvass of the Nov. 3, 2020 general election ballots no later than this date (21 days after general election)." | Link | Link |
| Oklahoma | 11/10/2020 | "The State Election Board shall use such county returns to certify the results of such election for all state officers and questions after 5 p.m. on Tuesday next succeeding the election." | Link | Link |
| Oregon | 12/03/2020 | "Last day for Secretary of State to canvass votes, prepare and deliver certificates of election and issue proclamation declaring election of candidates." | Link | Link |
| Pennsylvania | 11/23/2020 | "Last day for the county boards of elections to file with the secretary of the commonwealth returns from the November election[.]" | Link | Link |
| Puerto Rico | Not specified | "After the Commission has received the election material bags, it shall proceed to carry out a general canvass." | Link | Link |
| Rhode Island | Not specified | "The state board shall immediately, after the result has been ascertained, furnish to each candidate elected a certificate of that candidate's election[.]" | Link | Link |
| South Carolina | 11/11/2020 | "State Board of Canvassers meets to canvass votes, certify results and order any necessary recounts for state-level offices." | Link | Link |
| South Dakota | 11/10/2020 | "Last day for convening the state board of canvassers." | Link | Link |
| Tennessee | Not specified | "The governor, secretary of state and attorney general and reporter shall, as soon as the returns are received, publicly calculate and compare the votes received by each person for the office of member of the general assembly, presidential and vice presidential elector, member of congress, judge, chancellor, or district attorney general, and declare the person receiving the highest number of votes elected." | Link | Link |
| Texas | 12/03/2020 | "The governor shall conduct the state canvass at the time set by the secretary of state: (1) not earlier than the 15th or later than the 30th day after election day; or (2) for an election described by Section 65.051(a-1), not earlier than the 18th or later than the 33rd day after election day." | Link | Link |
| Utah | 11/23/2020 | "The state board of canvassers shall convene: (i) on the fourth Monday of November, at noon; or (ii) at noon on the day following the receipt by the lieutenant governor of the last of the returns of a statewide special election." | Link | Link |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | Not specified | "After the votes for each candidate have been tallied and counted by the election officers as provided in this chapter, such officers shall prepare a statement showing the number of votes cast for each person (upon the respective party tickets at primaries), the total number of ballots received from the board of elections (the number of each party at primaries), the number of ballots cast (the number of each party at primaries), the number of ballots (of each party at primaries) declared void, and any blank ballots cast for each candidate." | Link | Link |
| Vermont | 11/10/2020 | "At 10:00 a.m. all canvassing committees (statewide, county, senatorial, and representative) must meet to tally returns." | Link | Link |
| Virginia | 11/16/2020 | State officials certified statewide results on 11/18/2020.[6][7] | Link | Link |
| Washington | 12/03/2020 | "Last day for Secretary of State to certify November General Election results." | Link | Link |
| West Virginia | 12/03/2020 | "The certification of the results of the General Election should be sent to Secretary of State as soon as possible but no later than 30 days after the [election]." | Link | Link |
| Wisconsin | 12/01/2020 | "Last day for chairperson of the Wisconsin Elections Commission to certify the results of the General Election." | Link | Link |
| Wyoming | 11/11/2020 | "State Canvassing Board meets to certify state abstract." | Link | Link |
Certification deadlines organized by date
The chart below shows state election result certification deadlines for the November 3, 2020, general election. A longer bar indicates a date further from the date of the general election.[8][9]
To read the statutory requirements for results certification by state, click here.
More on voting on November 3
Voting requirements and deadlines
General information
- Voter ID requirements
- State election websites
- Early voting dates
- Voter registration requirements
- Voter registration deadlines
- Same-day registration
- States that require employers to grant employees time off to vote
- Election results certification dates
Absentee/mail-in voting
- Absentee/mail-in voting overview
- Eligibility
- Request deadlines
- Request requirements
- Return deadlines
- Signature and witness requirements
- When can states begin processing and counting ballots
elections information:
COVID-19 and elections
- Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020
- Changes to absentee/mail-in voting procedures in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020
Ballotpedia's 2020 election coverage
Footnotes
- ↑ This information was compiled by Ballotpedia staffers; specific sources include state statutes, election administration manuals, election calendars, and email inquiries. Sources are noted in the table.
- ↑ U.S. Election Assistance Commission, "Chapter 13: Canvassing and Certifying an Election," accessed October 8, 2018
- ↑ National Constitution Center, "What happens next in the presidential election process?" November 6, 2020
- ↑ WMUR 9, "NH presidential election results to be certified by governor, Executive Council on Dec. 2," November 16, 2020
- ↑ Commonwealth Election Commission, "Unofficial election results," accessed November 11, 2020
- ↑ Richmond Times-Dispatch, "Virginia delays statewide certification of election results, citing Richmond office's COVID outbreak," November 16, 2020
- ↑ Richmond Times-Dispatch, "State Board of Elections unanimously certifies Virginia's election results," November 18, 2020
- ↑ This information was compiled by Ballotpedia staffers; specific sources include state statutes, election administration manuals, election calendars, and email inquiries. Sources are noted in the table.
- ↑ U.S. Election Assistance Commission, "Chapter 13: Canvassing and Certifying an Election," accessed October 8, 2018
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