How the Post-Election Tally Works

In Virginia, election returns are not complete on Election Day. There's still a chance for a relatively small number of additional ballots to be validated and added to the vote totals. This second tallying process normally concludes the Friday after the election, unless Friday falls on a holiday, in which case the process is moved to the Monday following the election.

Below are the two types of ballots that can be considered on the Friday after Election Day:

1. Ballots received in the mail by noon the Friday after the election

State law allows mail ballots postmarked on or before Election Day to be considered this year if the post office delivers them by noon on the Friday after election day or, if that is a holiday, on the following Monday. In addition to a legible postmark, each ballot must meet the same requirements for mail ballots that were received on or before Election Day.

This tally may also include ballots which were left in a drop box on Election Day but were not processed and tabulated that evening.

2. Provisional Ballots

Voters whose eligibility could not be confirmed at the polling location on Election Day have the right to cast a provisional ballot. This preserves the voter's right to confirm his or her eligibility to vote over the next few days. Circumstances that result in provisional ballots include:

• "Same-day registration" voters who wait until the last minute to apply to vote
• The voter's name is not listed in the poll book.
• The voter had been mailed an absentee ballot but did not bring it to the polls.
• The voter provides no acceptable form of ID and refuses to sign an ID confirmation statement.

This year, voters will have until noon on the Friday following the election to provide additional information that would help local officials validate his or her eligibility to vote.

Recent elections where post-Election ballots changed the outcome

November 2022