Why Election Results Change After Election Night
At the end of Election Night, the Department of Elections reports results from all polling places. However, there are ballots that cannot be processed on Election Night, including vote-by-mail ballots that the Department of Elections receives on Election Day, provisional ballots that are cast at polling places, and ballots with write-in votes. In general, it takes the Department two weeks or more to process these ballots. Each afternoon after Election Day the Department will release a cumulative report that includes provisional and vote-by-mail ballots processed that day.
All aspects of the election process are open to public view, so candidates, members of the media and the public may observe signature verification and processing of provisional and vote-by-mail ballots and write-in votes.