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Summary Table 17: How Election Results Are Reported

Updated March 15, 2022
Related Topic: Elections

Most states report absentee/mail ballots at the precinct level so that it’s possible to see voter turnout by precinct regardless of how the ballot was voted (in person or by absentee/mail ballot). Since absentee/mail ballots are accepted through Election Day in many states, it can take until days after Election Day before all ballots are counted.

In many states, especially those that handle large volumes of absentee/mail ballots, counting is done at a central location. The most common way to report absentee/mail ballot results is to add the tabulated votes from absentee ballots to the total tabulated at each precinct and report precinct results with both the absentee/mail and Election Day votes included.

Some states handle this process differently, though. Some send absentee ballots to precinct polling places on Election Day to be counted by the precinct-level scanners/tabulators. Others establish separate “absentee ballot precincts” that combine all mailed ballots from throughout the jurisdiction into one reporting unit, regardless of what precinct the voter is in. That approach loses the precinct-level data that is useful to candidates for campaigning and to election officials to allocate resources.

State Statute How Results Are Reported
Alabama Code of Ala. §17-11-10 By precinct. Absentee ballots are delivered to precinct polling places where they are counted and otherwise handled as if the voter were present and voting in person.
Alaska Alaska Stat. §15.20.201 By election district.
Arizona Ariz. Stat. §16-622 By precinct or election district.
Arkansas

A.C.A. § 7-5-416

 By precinct.
California West's Ann. Cal. Elec. Code §15373 By precinct. 
Colorado Colo. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 1-7-601 By precinct.
Connecticut Conn. Gen. Stat. § 9-150a, §9-147a By voting district.
Delaware 15 Del. C. § 5510 By district.
District of Columbia D.C. Mun. Regs. Tit. 3, § 808 By precinct.
Florida West's F.S.A. § 101.68, §98.0981 By precinct.
Georgia O.C.G.A. § 21-2-386 By precinct.
Hawaii HRS § 11-155 By district and precinct.
Idaho Idaho Code § 34-1007 By precinct.
Illinois 10 ILCS 5/19-8 By precinct.
Indiana IC 3-11.5-7-1 By precinct.
Iowa Iowa Code § 53.20, 53.23 Each county establishes a special “absentee ballot and special voters precinct.” Results from the special precinct are reported separately. For general elections, results are also reported by the resident precinct of voters. For all other elections, absentee results may be reported as a single precinct.
Kansas K.S.A. § 25-1134, 25-3206 By precinct.
Kentucky KRS § 117.275 By precinct.
Louisiana LSA-R.S. 18:573 Absentee and early voting votes are reported separately from precinct totals.
Maine 21-A M.R.S.A. § 759, 760-A By precinct, with military and overseas results counted centrally and reported separately.
Maryland MD Code, Election Law, § 11-302 By district, with absentee ballots reported separately.
Massachusetts M.G.L.A. 54 § 33H By precinct.
Michigan MCLS §168.765 et seq. By precinct.
Minnesota M.S.A. §203B.121 In state primary and general elections, absentee vote totals are added to the returns for the appropriate precinct. For other elections, vote totals may be added to the precinct or reported as a separate total.
Mississippi

Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-603

 By precinct.
Missouri V.A.M.S. 115.507 Absentee votes are reported separately, except where such reporting would disclose how any single voter cast his or her vote.
Montana Mont. Code Anno. § 13-15-404 By precinct.
Nebraska Neb. Rev. Stat. §32-1036 By precinct.
Nevada N.R.S. AB 321, §15 By precinct. The returns of mail ballots must be reported separately from the regular votes of the precinct, unless reporting the returns separately would violate the secrecy of a voter's ballot.
New Hampshire N.H. Rev. Stat. § 659:73 Absentee ballots are reported separately, by precinct.
New Jersey   Not specified.
New Mexico

N.M.S.A. 1978, § 1-12-70

 By precinct.
New York McKinney's Election Law § 9-209 By election district.
North Carolina N.C.G.S.A. § 163A-1315 By precinct, with absentee ballots reported separately.
North Dakota NDCC 16.1-07-12.1 An absentee ballot precinct is established for counting all absentee ballots in the county.
Ohio Ohio Rev. Code § 3509.06 By precinct.
Oklahoma 26 Okl. St. Ann. § 7-136 By precinct.
Oregon O.R.S. § 254.485 By precinct.
Pennsylvania 25 P.S. § 3146.8 By election district.
Puerto Rico Not specified.
Rhode Island R.I. Gen. Laws § 17-20-26 By election district.
South Carolina

S.C. Code § 7-15-420

 An absentee voting precinct for counting all absentee ballots is established in each county.
South Dakota

SDCL § 12-19-37, ARSD 5:02:14:04

 An absentee ballot precinct is established for counting all absentee ballots in each county, unless a paper ballot precinct has 10 or fewer absentee ballots cast at the time the polls open on Election Day, in which case absentee ballots in that precinct are counted at the polling place. Tally sheets include a space for results by precinct.
Tennessee Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-6-304 By precinct.
Texas

V.T.C.A., Election Code §67.017

 By precinct. The results report includes the number of voters that voted early in-person and absentee in each precinct.
Utah U.C.A. § 20A-4-104 By precinct. Absentee votes are added to the official return of each voting precinct.
Vermont 17 V.S.A. § 2588 By precinct.
Virgin Islands

18 V.I.C. § 667

 By precinct.
Virginia

VA Code Ann.

§ 24.2-712

 A central absentee voter precinct for counting absentee ballots is established in each county or city.
Washington

West's RCWA

29A.60.070

 Counties must produce cumulative and precinct returns.
West Virginia W. Va. Code, § 3-3-8 By precinct. Absentee ballots are delivered to polling places to be counted.
Wisconsin W.S.A. 6.88, 7.52 By ward (similar to a precinct elsewhere).
Wyoming W.S § 22-9-118, § 22-16-103 Absentee ballots are delivered to polling places for counting unless the county adopts an alternate procedure to count them centrally. The number of electors voting in person and by absentee ballot by precinct at the election is reported.

Note: This page should be used for general informational purposes only.

Our organization does not run elections and cannot provide legal advice. If you are a voter looking for assistance, please contact your local election official. You can find your local election official's website and contact information by using this database from the US Vote Foundation.

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