Elections & Voting
How Elections Work
An American election is not one event on one night. Candidates qualify for ballots, voters prepare, primaries may determine nominees, ballots are cast, election officials count and reconcile votes, results are canvassed, and the appropriate officials certify the final result.
Elections, in five simple steps
Start here: a short explanation before the details.
- Get ready — Check your eligibility and registration requirements, and learn what is on your ballot.
- Learn about the choices — Read about candidates and questions on the ballot.
- Cast your ballot — Vote using the choices your state allows, such as in person or by mail.
- Count and check — Election workers count ballots and check the totals.
- Make results official — Officials review the results and certify them. Close races may need extra checks.
Elections are run mostly by state and local officials. Rules are not exactly the same everywhere.
What kind of election is it?
Primary Election
Primaries are generally used to decide which candidates advance from the nomination stage toward the general election. For many partisan offices, that means choosing a party's nominee.
Winning a party primary does not mean the candidate defeated the opposing party.
General Election
The general election is the election in which voters choose among the candidates who qualified for the ballot under the applicable rules. Federal general elections are held in November of even-numbered years.
Special Election
A special election fills a vacancy or decides a question outside the regular schedule for that contest. It may take place on the same day as another scheduled election.
Runoff
Some jurisdictions require another election when no candidate satisfies the threshold required to win the first election. The trigger and procedure depend on the jurisdiction and office.
How primaries differ
There is no single nationwide primary system. The National Conference of State Legislatures groups state primary systems into categories including closed, partially closed, open to unaffiliated voters, partially open, open, and multi-party systems. States may also use different rules for presidential primaries than for other state and federal offices.
Closed and partially closed systems
General idea: Party affiliation can determine who may participate in a party's primary.
Varies: Registration deadlines, treatment of unaffiliated voters, and party choices differ.
Open and partially open systems
General idea: Voters may have more flexibility about which party primary they participate in.
Varies: States differ on whether voters make a public or private party choice and whether that choice affects affiliation.
Multi-party / top-candidate systems
General idea: Candidates from multiple parties may appear on the same primary ballot, with a set number advancing.
Varies: Top-two, top-four and other systems do not all work the same way.
Caucuses and party processes
General idea: Political parties may use caucuses, conventions, or other nomination processes as well as primary elections.
Varies: Party rules and state law determine when and how these processes are used.
Source: NCSL: state primary systems.
Who Are You Electing — and How Often?
President
Term: 4 years
Presidential elections occur every four years. The November popular vote is part of a larger Electoral College process, so presidential elections get their own guide.
U.S. House
Term: 2 years
All 435 voting House seats are regularly up for election every two years, in both presidential-election years and midterm-election years.
U.S. Senate
Term: 6 years
Senate terms are staggered. A different class of senators is regularly elected every two years, so roughly one-third of Senate seats are on the ballot at a time.
State & Local Offices
Schedules: Vary
Depending on the jurisdiction, voters may elect governors, state legislators, county and city officials, school boards, judges and other officers. Ballots can also contain constitutional amendments, initiatives, referenda or other questions.
Who Actually Runs an Election?
U.S. election administration is highly decentralized. Every state has a chief election official with an oversight or advisory role, but elections are usually administered locally—often by counties, and in some states by cities or townships. The U.S. Election Assistance Commission reports that the country has more than 10,000 election jurisdictions.
Federal
The Constitution and federal statutes establish protections and minimum requirements for federal elections, including voting-rights protections, military and overseas voting requirements, and portions of registration, provisional-voting and voting-system law.
State
State constitutions, statutes and regulations establish many of the rules governing registration, ballot access, voting methods, deadlines, recounts, canvassing and certification.
Local
Local election offices often do the hands-on work: maintaining voter records, preparing ballots, operating voting locations, processing ballots, tabulating votes and conducting local canvasses.
Political parties
Parties have their own roles in nominating candidates, setting certain party rules, conventions and caucuses. They do not replace government election officials in administering the general election.
Source: EAC: election administration.
Before Election Day
Candidates qualify for the ballot
Candidates must satisfy the requirements that apply to the office and the jurisdiction. Filing deadlines, petitions, filing fees, party nomination processes and write-in requirements can vary.
Voters register or update their records
Most states require voter registration. North Dakota does not. Where registration is required, deadlines, same-day registration, and procedures for updating an address or party affiliation differ by state.
Ballots are prepared
Election officials determine which contests and questions belong on each ballot, prepare ballot styles for the appropriate precincts or districts, test voting systems and prepare voting locations and election workers.
Voting may begin before Election Day
Depending on the jurisdiction, voters may have access to early in-person voting, absentee/mail voting, or both. The timing and procedures are not uniform nationwide.
Source: North Dakota Secretary of State: no voter registration.
Mail voting and early voting
In its July 17, 2026 summary, NCSL reports that 29 states offer no-excuse absentee voting, meaning any voter may request an absentee/mail ballot without giving a reason. Eight states plus Washington, D.C. conduct elections primarily by mail and automatically send ballots to active registered voters in the covered elections. In-person voting options still exist; “mostly mail” does not mean voters must use the postal service. Thirteen states require an eligible excuse for ordinary absentee voting.
General U.S. rule
Federal law requires absentee voting protections for qualifying military and overseas voters in federal elections. Every state also provides absentee voting to at least some other eligible voters.
Your state's rule
Whether any voter can request a mail ballot, whether ballots are automatically mailed, application deadlines, return deadlines, identification or signature procedures, drop-box rules and curing procedures can vary.
Early in-person voting varies too. NCSL’s August 11, 2026 overview reports that 47 states, Washington, D.C., Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands offer early in-person voting to all voters. Alabama, Mississippi and New Hampshire do not offer universal early in-person voting, although eligible voters may have absentee options.
Source: NCSL: mail-voting classifications (July 2026).
Early-voting overview (August 2026). Counts describe the cited national summaries, not a substitute for your election office’s current instructions.
Election Day: Casting a Ballot
At an in-person voting location, election workers use the procedures required by their jurisdiction to determine whether a voter is eligible to receive a regular ballot. The exact check-in and identification rules differ by state. Voters then mark and cast their ballots using the voting method provided by the jurisdiction.
What if there is a problem with the voter record?
In federal elections, the Help America Vote Act generally requires a provisional ballot when a person says they are registered and eligible but their name does not appear on the eligible-voter list, or an election worker says the person is not eligible. Election officials later determine whether that voter was eligible under applicable law.
A provisional ballot is counted to the extent required when officials determine it meets applicable eligibility rules. The voter must also have access to a free system for finding out whether it counted and, if it did not, why. A small number of states are exempt from HAVA's provisional-ballot requirement because of their qualifying registration arrangements, including North Dakota’s lack of voter registration.
Source: EAC: HAVA and provisional voting.
What Happens After the Polls Close?
Election officials tabulate ballots
Jurisdictions count ballots according to state law and local procedures. That can include Election Day ballots, early-voting ballots, absentee/mail ballots and eventually eligible provisional, military and overseas ballots.
Unofficial results are reported
Election offices release preliminary results, often beginning on election night. Those numbers are useful, but they are not the final certified result.
The canvass checks the election records
During the canvass, officials review and reconcile election records and vote totals, resolve applicable discrepancies, and incorporate ballots that are legally countable under the jurisdiction's rules. Many states also conduct post-election audits.
Results are certified
The officials designated by state law certify the results after the required canvass and other prerequisites. Audits, recounts, and contests can occur before or after certification, depending on the law. Who certifies and the deadline for doing so vary by jurisdiction and office.
Source: EAC: canvass and certification.
Why Can Results Change After Election Night?
Election night results are preliminary. States have different rules governing when different categories of ballots can be processed and counted. Some valid ballots may therefore be added to the reported totals after election night.
Mail Ballots
States have different return deadlines. Some require mailed ballots to arrive by Election Day; others allow qualifying ballots to arrive later when they satisfy the state's timing requirements.
Provisional Ballots
Officials must research the voter's eligibility before determining whether the ballot can be counted.
Military & Overseas Ballots
Federal law protects absentee voting for qualifying military and overseas citizens, while applicable deadlines and counting procedures determine when ballots are included.
Who “Calls” an Election?
News organizations and other analysts may project a winner when they conclude the remaining uncounted vote cannot realistically change the apparent outcome. A media projection is not the government's certification of the election.
Election night: Media organizations may call a race.
Official process: Election officials continue counting eligible ballots, conduct the canvass and certify results according to law.
The same distinction matters when a candidate concedes. A concession is a political tradition, not the legal mechanism that certifies an election. For presidential elections specifically, the National Archives states that a concession speech has no effect on the states' duties in the Electoral College process.
Source: National Archives: concessions and the Electoral College.
Recounts, Audits and Election Contests Are Different
Audit
A post-election audit checks aspects of the reported result or voting process using procedures established by the jurisdiction. Audits are not the same thing as recounting a close race.
Recount
A recount re-tabulates or reviews votes in a particular contest. Depending on state law, a recount may be automatically triggered by a close margin, requested by an authorized person or party, or ordered by a court.
Election Contest
An election contest is a legal process challenging an election or result under applicable law. It is not simply another name for a recount.
Recount rules vary considerably. As of September 2026, NCSL reports that 26 states and Washington, D.C. provide automatic recounts under specified conditions, while 41 states and Washington, D.C. allow a recount to be requested in at least some circumstances. The eligible requester, margin, deadline and cost rules differ by state.
Source: NCSL: recount rules (September 2026).
A quick reference for state differences
Compare the national framework with state-specific rules
| Topic | General framework | Check locally |
|---|---|---|
| Primary participation | Primaries help determine which candidates advance toward the general election. | Who may participate and how candidates advance. |
| Early voting | Most states offer a period for eligible voters to cast ballots in person before Election Day. | Whether it is available to everyone, dates, hours, locations and terminology. |
| Mail voting | Absentee/mail voting exists throughout the country in some form. | Who qualifies, whether a request is needed, deadlines, return methods and verification. |
| Recounts | Close or disputed contests may be subject to recount procedures. | Automatic triggers, who may request one, deadlines, procedures and payment. |
| Canvass & certification | Preliminary results are reviewed through an official post-election process before final certification. | Which officials perform each step and when it must be completed. |
| Ballot receipt deadlines | A ballot must satisfy the deadline and return rules that apply where it was cast. | Whether a mailed ballot must arrive by Election Day or may arrive afterward under specified conditions. |
Presidential Elections Add Another Layer
The presidential election does not end when a state finishes counting its popular vote. States appoint presidential electors, electors cast electoral votes, and Congress counts those electoral votes under federal law. If no presidential candidate receives the required electoral majority, the Constitution provides a contingent-election process.
That process deserves its own page because the phrases “won the election,” “president-elect,” and “became president” can refer to different stages.
Check the Rule That Applies to You
A national explainer can tell you the framework. It cannot safely substitute for your state's current deadlines and procedures. For registration status, voting locations, mail-ballot deadlines, identification requirements and other current instructions, use your official state or local election office.
Sources & Further Reading
- EAC — Election Audits Across the United States (including timing)
- North Dakota Secretary of State — Voting without voter registration
- U.S. Election Assistance Commission — Helping America Vote: Election Administration in the United States
- U.S. Election Assistance Commission — Who Is in Charge of Elections in My State?
- U.S. Election Assistance Commission — Election Results, Canvass, and Certification
- U.S. Election Assistance Commission — Overview of Federal Election Laws
- National Conference of State Legislatures — State Primary Election Types
- National Conference of State Legislatures — Early In-Person Voting
- National Conference of State Legislatures — No-Excuse Absentee and Mostly Mail Voting
- National Conference of State Legislatures — Mail-Ballot Receipt and Postmark Deadlines
- National Conference of State Legislatures — Election Recounts
- USA.gov — Congressional and Midterm Elections
- National Archives — Electoral College Frequently Asked Questions
Reviewed October 15, 2026 • Batch 356. Election law changes. State counts are dated to the linked 2026 source summaries. Always verify current voting instructions with the appropriate state or local election authority.