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Alabama
Code of Ala. §17-11-10
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7 a.m. on Election Day.
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After the polls close on Election Day.
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Alaska
Alaska Stat. §15.20.201
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Seven days before Election Day.
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8 p.m. on Election Day.
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Arizona
Ariz. Stat. §16–550, §16-551
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Upon receipt.
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Tallying can begin immediately after processing, but results may not be released before all precincts have reported or one hour after the close of polls on Election Day. Releasing information earlier is a felony.
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Arkansas
A.C.A. § 7-5-416
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Seven days before Election Day.
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8:30 a.m. on Election Day, but results are not reported until after the polls close on Election Day.
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California
West's Ann. Cal. Elec. Code § 15101
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Twenty-nine days before Election Day.
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A vote count can be accessed or released at 8 p.m. on Election Day.
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Colorado
C.R.S.A. § § 1-7.5-107.5
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Upon receipt.
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Fifteen days before Election Day, but the count cannot be released until after 7 p.m. on Election Day.
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Connecticut
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 9-150a
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At the discretion of the local registrar of voters.
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At the discretion of the local registrar of voters.
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Delaware
Del. Code Ann. tit. 15, § 5510
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Thirty days before Election Day.
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Tabulation scanning can begin when processing is complete.
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District of Columbia
D.C. Mun. Regs. Tit. 3, § 808
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Signatures can be verified and the secrecy envelope removed prior to tabulation. Exact timing not specified.
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After the polls close on Election Day.
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Florida
West's F.S.A. § 101.68
§ 101.5612
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Upon receipt.
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Upon the completion of the public testing of automatic tabulating equipment (which begins not more than 25 days before early voting commences). Releasing the results early is a felony.
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Georgia
O.C.G.A. § 21-2-386
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Signature verification conducted upon receipt, and further processing can begin at 8 a.m. on the third Monday before Election Day.
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7 a.m. on Election Day.
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Hawaii
HRS § 15-9, § 11-108, §11-152
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Signature verification conducted upon receipt, and further processing can begin eighteen days before Election Day.
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Eighteen days before Election Day, but results cannot be disclosed until after the polls close on Election Day.
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Idaho
Idaho Code §34-1005, § 34-1007, §34-1008
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Signature verification conducted upon receipt. Ballots are not opened until they are delivered to the polls or central location for counting.
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After the polls close on Election Day.
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Illinois
10 ILCS 5/19-8
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Signature verification must begin within two days of receipt.
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After the polls close on Election Day.
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Indiana
IC 3-11.5-4-11, 3-11.5-4-12
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Signature verification conducted upon receipt. Processing begins on Election Day, unless county adopts resolution to start up to 3 days before Election Day.
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Depending upon the county, 6 a.m. on Election Day or immediately after the electronic poll books used at each polling place or vote center have been updated to indicate the county received the absentee ballot.
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Iowa
Iowa Code §53.23
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The day before Election Day if directed by the commissioner to do so.
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On Election Day, at a time set by the election commissioner to allow a reasonable amount of time to complete the count of absentee ballots by 10 p.m. on Election Day. The commissioner may also choose to convene the board the day before the election.
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Kansas
K.S.A. § 25-1134
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Prior to Election Day. Exact timing not specified.
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Ballots may be counted prior to Election Day, but final tabulation shall not be completed until Election Day.
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Kentucky
KRS § 117.087
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May begin 14 days before Election Day and must start by 8 a.m. on Election Day.
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8 a.m. on Election Day. Explicitly prohibits the release of results before 6 p.m.
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Louisiana
LSA-R.S. 18:1313, 18:1313.1
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Parishes with more than 1,000 absentee ballots may begin three days before Election Day with written approval of the secretary of state, or one day before Election Day without. Parishes with fewer than 1,000 absentee ballots may begin prior to the close of polls on Election Day.
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Counting may begin before the polls close on Election Day, but no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day.
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Maine
21-A M.R.S.A. § 759, 760-B
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Seven days before Election Day if notice of processing times is posted at least 30 days before the election.
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After the polls close on Election Day.
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Maryland
Md. Election Code Ann. § 11-302
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Eight business days before the first day of early voting.
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When polls open on Election Day. Vote totals cannot be released until polls close on Election Day. |
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Massachusetts
M.G.L.A. 54 § 94 and § 95
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Upon receipt.
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On Election Day and no later than an hour after the polls close.
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Michigan
MCLS §168.765(a)
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Jurisdictions with at least 5,000 people may begin processing 8 days before election day, and other jurisdictions may begin the Monday before election day.
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At 7 a.m. on Election Day. Anyone with access to absentee ballot counting must sign an oath that information related to processing and tallying will not be communicated in any way until after the polls close.
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Minnesota
Minn. Stat. § 203B.121
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Verification upon receipt. After the close of business on the 19th day before the election, verified ballots can be opened and deposited in a ballot box.
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After the polls close on Election Day.
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Mississippi
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-639
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On Election Day when polls open.
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After the polls close on Election Day.
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Missouri
V.A.M.S. 115.299, 115.300
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Five days before Election Day.
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On Election Day.
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Montana
Mont. Code Anno., § 13-13-241
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Signature verification conducted upon receipt. Three business days before Election Day, election officials may open the secrecy envelope and place the ballot in a secured ballot box until tabulation occurs.
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One day before Election Day, if using a vote-counting machine. Tabulation using a manual count may not begin until Election Day. Access to an electronic system containing early tabulation results is limited to the election administrator and the election administrator’s designee.
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Nebraska
Neb. Rev. Stat. §32-1027
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Verification can begin the second Friday before Election Day. If approved, the envelope can be opened, the ballot unfolded and flattened and placed in a sealed container.
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Twenty-four hours before the opening of the polls. No results shall be released until after polls close on Election Day.
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Nevada
N.R.S. AB 321, § 11, 13, 15
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Signature verification conducted upon receipt.
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Fifteen days before Election Day, and counting must be completed by the seventh day after the election. Results may not be reported until the close of the polls.
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New Hampshire
N.H. Rev. Stat. § 659:49
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At 1 p.m. on Election Day, unless a different time, no earlier than two hours after the opening of the polls, is posted and announced.
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After the polls close on Election Day.
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New Jersey
N.J.S.A. 19:63-17, 19:63-22
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Signature verification conducted upon receipt. The inner envelopes cannot be opened until Election Day.
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Five days before Election Day; explicitly prohibits the release of results before polls close.
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New Mexico
N. M. S. A. § 1-6-14
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Any time after mailed ballots have been sent until the fifth day before the election, the county clerk may convene an election board to verify returned mail ballots. If more than 10,000 absentee ballots are sent, they may be opened and inserted into an electronic voting machine two weeks before Election Day. If fewer than 10,000 absentee ballots are sent, they may be opened and inserted into an electronic voting machine five days before the election.
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Absentee ballots are inserted into vote-counting machines before Election Day, but votes are not counted until after the polls close. It is unlawful for a person to disclose the results of a count prior to the close of the polls or the deadline for receiving mailed ballots.
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New York
McKinney's Election Law § 9-209
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Verification within four days of receipt. Ballots are placed in counting machines and scanned the day before the first day of early voting.
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One hour before the polls close on Election Day, but results cannot be released until the close of polls on Election Day.
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North Carolina
N.C.G.S.A. § 163‑230.1 and 163-234
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At county board of elections meetings, beginning the fifth Tuesday before Election Day. Counties using optical scan devices may remove ballots from their envelopes and place them in tabulators.
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5 p.m. on Election Day, unless a resolution is adopted at least two weeks before the election to allow counting for all absentee ballots to begin at 2 p.m. on Election Day. Results shall not be announced before 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
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North Dakota
NDCC, 16.1-07-12
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Three business days before Election Day.
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After the polls close on Election Day.
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Ohio
Ohio Rev. Code § 3509.06
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Processing, including using automatic tabulating equipment to scan ballots, may begin before the time for counting ballots at a time determined by the board of elections. Exact timing not specified.
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Exact timing not specified, but the count may not be disclosed prior to the close of the polls.
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Oklahoma
26 Okl. St. Ann. § 14-123, 14-125
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10 a.m. on the Thursday before Election Day, or earlier with approval by the secretary of the state election board.
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On Election Day or prior to Election Day with approval by the secretary of the state election board. When counting occurs before Election Day, the county election board shall remove the election results storage media from the voting device, without obtaining a printout of results, and seal ballots counted that day in a transfer case secured by the sheriff until the time the board next meets to count. Results cannot be reported earlier than 7 p.m. on Election Day.
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Oregon
O.R.S. § 254.478, § 260.705
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Upon receipt.
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Results may not be made public until after 8 p.m. on Election Day.
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Pennsylvania
25 P.S. § 3146.8
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7 a.m. on Election Day.
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At 7 a.m. on Election Day, but the votes may not be recorded or published until after the polls close.
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Puerto Rico
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Not specified. |
Not specified. |
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Rhode Island
R.I. Gen. Laws § 17-20-26, §17-22-1
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Twenty days before Election Day.
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8 p.m. on Election Day.
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South Carolina
S.C. Code Ann. § 7-15-420
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7 a.m. two days before Election Day.
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7 a.m. on Election Day. Results may not be reported until after the polls close.
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South Dakota
SDCL § 12-19-43, § 12-19-46
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On Election Day prior to the close of the polls.
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After the polls close on Election Day.
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Tennessee
Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-6-202, § 2-6-303, § 2-6-304
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Signature verification conducted upon receipt.
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On Election Day after the polls open and no later than four hours before closing for general elections, or two hours before closing for all other elections.
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Texas
V.T.C.A., Election Code § 87.0241, § 87.027§ 87.041
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No more than 20 days before Election Day.
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When the polls open on Election Day. In a jurisdiction with more than 100,000 people, counting can begin at the end of the early in-person voting period.
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Utah
U.C.A. 1953 § 20A-3a-402
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Processing may begin before Election Day. Exact timing not specified.
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Counting may begin before Election Day. Exact timing not specified. Results may not be reported until after the polls close on Election Day.
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Vermont
17 V.S.A. § 2546a, 2546b
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Ballots may be deposited into the vote tabulator 30 days before Election Day, if the board of civil authority votes to do so.
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At the close of polls on Election Day.
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Virgin Islands
18 V.I.C. § 666, 667
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Upon receipt. |
After all absentee ballots have been processed. |
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Virginia
VA Code Ann. § 24.2-709.1, § 24.2-712
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Upon receipt.
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At the close of polls on Election Day, but ballots may be inserted into ballot-counting machines prior to the closing of the polls. If absentee ballots are counted by hand, tallying may begin after noon on Election Day. Vote counts may not be reported until after the polls close.
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Washington
West's RCWA 29A.40.110, 29A.84.730
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Upon receipt.
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8 p.m. on Election Day. No person may divulge any results of the count prior to 8 p.m. on Election Day. A violation is a misdemeanor.
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West Virginia
W. Va. Code, § 3-3-8
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Absentee ballots are delivered to precincts on Election Day.
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On Election Day. Results may not be disclosed until the polls close and precinct returns are posted on the door of polling places; to do so is a violation of the oath taken by the counting board.
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Wisconsin
W.S.A. 6.88
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After the polls open on Election Day.
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After the polls open on Election Day.
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Wyoming
W.S § 22-9-121 and 125
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The Thursday or Friday preceding Election Day.
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On Election Day.
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