How the rules for counting ballots differ across key swing states ahead of the 2024 election

Four years after 2020 gave us an “election week,” voters are heading to the polls wondering: How long will it take states to count their ballots this year?

Several dynamics have changed since the last presidential contest: Many voters have returned to in-person voting after the Covid pandemic, and many states have rewritten their laws to allow election officials to begin processing mail-in ballots ahead of Election Day. These two changes are expected to speed up tabulation, but it may still take days to get a complete picture of the election results.

Close elections take longer for news organizations like NBC News to call because winners can be decided by absentee and provisional ballots, which can take days for election officials to process and count.

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Absentee ballots sent in by mail take longer to process than in-person votes because election officials must verify voters’ identities and remove them from the envelopes.

And provisional ballots are cast by people who election officials could not immediately confirm were eligible to vote when they cast their vote. These ballots are separated from the eligible ballots until officials can investigate whether the votes are valid.

As we inch closer to Election Day, here’s a breakdown of the rules surrounding how the seven key battleground states likely to swing the presidential election can count those ballots.

Arizona

Mail ballots: Voters in Arizona mostly vote by post, so last-minute drop-outs mean the count may take longer. State officials say counting ballots could take 10 days, although postal votes may begin to be counted upon receipt, according to Arizona psecretary of pdad.

Provisional ballots: Provisional ballots, which require additional research by officials or documents from voters, can be counted up to 10 days after the election under state law.

Georgia

Mail ballots: Georgia will begin processing mail-in ballots on Oct. 21, and they can be submitted until polls close on Election Day.

Preliminary votes: Voters have three days to show ID or registrars to verify their identity after casting provisional ballots, but results are expected soon.

Michigan:

Mail ballots: Major Michigan jurisdictions can begin processing mail-in ballots on Oct. 28, giving election officials a much-needed early jump on verifying mail-in ballots. Postal ballots must be received before the end of election day.

Provisional items: Clerks have until November 12 to process provisional ballots.

Nevada

Mail ballots: Postal ballots must be postmarked before election day and received no later than November 9. Election officials can begin processing them as soon as they receive them.

Provisional ballots: Voters have three days after election day to prove their residence and identity, if necessary. If their signatures do not match those recorded for their mail-in ballots, they have until Nov. 12 to “curate” their ballots.

North Carolina

Mail ballots: Postal ballots must be received before election day and will be partially processed throughout October.

Provisional ballots: Voters who failed to show sufficient ID at the polls have until Nov. 14 to bring the required ID to election officials. Election officials can process other provisional ballots until counties begin canvassing the results on Nov. 15.

Pennsylvania

Mail ballots: Election officials must receive mail ballots at the close of the polls on Election Day. Processing begins at 7 a.m. on Election Day, making the state one of the last battlegrounds to begin checking signatures and personal information on ballots.

Provisional ballots: County boards must review and decide whether to count provisional ballots within one week of the election.

Wisconsin

Mail ballots: Postal ballots must be received on election day at the latest. Treatment begins at 7 local time on Election Day, making Wisconsin the last state to begin processing ballots.

Provisional ballots: Voters have until 4:00 p.m. on the Friday after the election to provide all necessary documentation to election officials, such as proof of identity, to ensure their ballots are counted.