HARRISBURG, Pa. — Election day is by far not the end of the process—it's really the beginning. Once we cast our votes, in person or by mail, it's up to each state to verify those ballots, tally the results, and review challenges, if there are any.
Then comes the next important part of the election: certification.
The date of our national election is set by the U.S. constitution, but it's counties that count the votes and the Secretaries of State that certify or finalize the results—not the media.
The date for certification is different in each state. For example, in Arkansas the deadline to certify results for the November 3 election is November 18.
However, in California, the state with the highest population in the country, they have more time. Their certification date is December 11.
In Georgia, a close battleground in the 2020 presidential election, their Secretary of State has only 17 days to certify the results. They must be certified on November 20, no later than 5PM.
Essentially, National elections are really fifty state elections. The results of the popular vote in each state determine which party's electors are part of the Electoral College and the Constitution spells out exactly when the electors meet to vote for President and Vice President: the Monday after the second Wednesday in December.
This year, that date is December 14th. That's when the election, by the people, will officially be over.