Election officials may begin announcing some of the unofficial election results on Election Day, an hour after the polls close. Unofficial results will continue to be shared by state and local election officials for several days as they tabulate votes — and in Arizona’s most populated county, Maricopa County, it is expected to take more than a week.
In recent years, Arizona has experienced tightly contested races, requiring more time for the winners to be announced because most, if not all, votes must first be counted to accurately confirm a winner. However, no matter how quickly the outcome of a race is announced, these results are NOT official until election certification is complete.
Canvassing and certification requires extensive checks and balances at the local, county, and state level to ensure winners are officially declared only after every vote has been accurately counted, including all valid mail-in and provisional ballots. The entire process is laid out in Arizona’s Election Procedure Manual and Arizona state laws that meet federal requirements.
Arizona’s Canvass and Certification Process
Winners are declared during certification, not decided. Voters decide who wins when they cast their ballots. Election certifiers play an important procedural role in our elections process by making the verified results official – but they cannot overrule the will of the people. Any election official who refuses to certify is not only acting to disenfranchise voters in their county, they are committing a crime.
Below is a summary of what happens to your ballot after you vote. Keep reading to learn about the canvass and certification process at the county and state level.
Step 1: Counting Votes
Election officials involved: county recorders and election directors
County election officials – along with impartial poll workers and observers – work together to count, verify, and tabulate votes. This process is carefully safeguarded and monitored by election officials, with each county maintaining a livestream for public viewing.
During this step, poll workers and election officials verify voters' identities, inspect ballots, and look for any discrepancies and resolve them. County election officials also perform a hand count audit of a small percentage of the ballots as compared to the voting machines used within 24 hours after the polls close.
They prioritize accurate results over fast results to ensure every vote is counted. Once this process is complete, the results are transmitted to the county boards of supervisors.
Step 2: County Canvass and Certification
Election officials involved: county board of supervisors
2024 Deadline: November 21
The boards of supervisors from each of Arizona’s fifteen counties are required to hold a public meeting by the third Thursday after Election Day. They conduct a canvass during this meeting, where they review the results for each precinct or vote center in their county.
After all details have been reported, audits have been performed, and discrepancies are resolved, the board of supervisors declares the results of the election for their county and issues certificates to the winners. Results for state and federal elections are then immediately transmitted to the secretary of state.
Step 3: State Canvass and Certification
Election officials involved: secretary of state
2024 Deadline: November 25, with a maximum of 6 days postponement
The secretary of state conducts the canvass for federal, statewide, and legislative offices; retention elections for state judges and justices; and statewide propositions. While the governor, attorney general, and Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court are present, they do not play a direct role in the process.
The Secretary of State is responsible for certifying the state canvass and issuing signed and sealed certificates of election to candidates who received the most votes. The governor issues a proclamation for any proposition that receives a majority of votes on December 2, 2024.
Voters did their job. Now it’s time for election officials to do theirs.
Arizona’s canvassing and certification have long been considered uncontroversial formalities in the postelection process. However, in recent years, this process has been the target of baseless attacks by election deniers who care more about their preferred candidate winning than the will of the people.
Canvassing and certifying results is not an option – it’s the law. When necessary, courts and other elected officials have intervened to ensure important deadlines are met. The ACLU of Arizona is committed to protecting the rights of voters and is prepared to fight to uphold the democratic process. You, too, can play a part by paying attention to your county’s canvass and certification process and contacting your board of supervisors to let them know you affirmatively support their timely certification of election results.
