US elections: why the results are not final on election night The American electoral system includes several stages of establishing results. The closing of the polling stations and the publication of the first numbers does not mean that the elections are legally over. Let's understand how it works. 1. Preliminary Count After the polls close, local election officials begin to release preliminary results. The information is received while processing the ballots. Television networks and news agencies independently analyze the incoming data and may announce the expected winners. However, such media statements do not constitute an official statement of results. 2. Counting of all polling stations after voting day, processing continues: mail bulletins; Temporary ballots issued in cases where additional verification of a citizen's right to vote is necessary; military personnel cards; Votes of Americans Abroad. The rules and deadlines for receiving and processing these ballots vary from state to state. 3. Matching results (canvas) This is one of the most important steps. The election authorities verify and consolidate the results, compare the number of voters to the number of ballots counted, check documentation and eliminate discrepancies found. Some states provide additional audits after the election to verify the accuracy of the count. 4. Official Certification After completing the necessary procedures, the authorized bodies officially certify the election results. Depending on the state, this may be done by the secretary of state, the governor, a special election commission, or other authorized bodies. There is no single federal body that certifies all election results in the United States. 5. Recounting of the votes In some cases, the legislation provides for a recount.