Understanding When Each State in the United States Must Certify Election Results

Following the conclusion of the results from all states in the United States presidential election, Donald Trump secured the White House with 312 electoral votes. The next step involves each state certifying its election results and submit them to the Congress for the official declaration of Trump’s victory.

On the night of November 5th, media outlets announced the voting results of Trump and his opponent, Kim Ho-lai, based on the counting results in each state. After securing enough electoral votes, Trump declared victory before 2:30 am on November 6th and gave a victory speech.

However, after the initial announcement of each candidate’s vote share, states still need to certify the election results. The certification process may take several days or even weeks, depending on the circumstances in each state.

The first step is to verify the ballots to ensure all valid votes are counted. This stage involves verifying the number of mail-in votes, early voting, overseas voting, and Election Day votes against the number of registered voters. Many states also conduct audits after elections to verify if the voting equipment used during the election counted correctly. In extremely close races, a recount may be necessary, which could prolong the certification process.

Once the above steps are completed, the votes receive certification. Each state has a different deadline, stipulating that election officials must release a written statement attesting to the validity of the election results before the deadline.

Subsequently, members of the Electoral College will gather in mid-December at their respective state capitals to cast their electoral votes for President and Vice President. This year, it is scheduled for December 17th.

States will then send the Electoral College voting results to Vice President Kim Ho-lai and the Archivist. On January 6, 2025, a joint session of Congress, presided over by Vice President Kim Ho-lai, will tally the electoral votes from all the states, certify the final vote count, and formally announce the elected President.

Below is a list, based on information from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and state officials, of the final deadlines for states to certify the results of the 2024 presidential election. It is essential to note that dates could change if a state conducts a recount. Additionally, some deadlines are provisional or yet to be determined.

November 7th

– Delaware

November 12th

– Oklahoma
– South Dakota
– Vermont

November 13th

– Wyoming

November 14th

– South Carolina

November 19th

– Florida

November 20th

– Missouri

November 21st

– Louisiana
– Minnesota

November 22nd

– North Dakota

November 23rd

– Georgia

November 25th

– Kentucky
– Maine
– Michigan
– Tennessee
– Utah

November 26th

– Idaho
– Indiana
– Montana
– Nevada
– New Mexico
– North Carolina

November 27th

– Alabama
– Connecticut

November 30th

– Alaska
– Arkansas
– Hawaii
– Massachusetts

December 1st

– Wisconsin

December 2nd

– Arizona
– Colorado
– District of Columbia
– Iowa
– Kansas
– Nebraska
– Virginia

December 4th

– New Hampshire

December 5th

– Maryland
– New Jersey
– Washington
– West Virginia

December 6th

– Illinois
– Mississippi
– Ohio

December 7th

– California

December 8th

– Texas

December 9th

– New York

December 12th

– Oregon

States with undetermined dates

– Pennsylvania
– Rhode Island