President-elect Donald Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris within the 2024 presidential race, however a number of key dates are nonetheless forward within the certification course of earlier than he takes the oath of workplace for his second time period.
Although thought-about bureaucratic prior to now, the certification course of has come underneath elevated public scrutiny for the reason that 2020 election, when Trump and his allies pushed false, unproven claims of widespread voter fraud and unsuccessfully challenged the ends in court docket.
Election officers and consultants repeatedly stress that U.S. elections are free and honest.
The disinformation marketing campaign in the end culminated within the Jan. 6, 2021, riot on the U.S. Capitol that briefly delayed a joint session of Congress from certifying the 2020 election outcomes. Trump has been charged with 4 counts in a case introduced by particular counsel Jack Smith stemming from his post-election conduct.
In late 2022, as a direct response to the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol, Congress handed the Electoral Rely Reform Act to tighten and make clear the principles of the electoral certification course of.
Listed below are the important thing presidential election certification dates for battleground states, the Electoral School and Congress.
Battleground state certification deadlines
Arizona
State deadline: Nov. 25, 2024
County boards of supervisors have till Nov. 21 to formally rely votes in a course of generally known as the “canvass.” Upon completion, the boards should ship a replica to the secretary of state, who has till Nov. 25 to complete the statewide canvass and subject certificates of election.
Georgia
State deadline: Nov. 22, 2024
County election superintendents should certify outcomes by 5 p.m. ET on Nov. 12 and instantly ship them to the secretary of state, who has till 5 p.m. on Nov. 22 to certify the votes forged and transmit them to the governor.
Michigan
State deadline: Nov. 25, 2024
Boards of county canvassers should full a canvass of the election by Nov. 19 and ahead the outcomes to the secretary of state inside 24 hours. The Board of State Canvassers should then meet to complete its canvass and certify the end result by Nov. 25.
Nevada
State deadline: Nov. 26, 2024
Boards of county commissioners should end the canvass of poll returns and ship the outcomes to the secretary of state by Nov. 15. A majority of justices from the Nevada Supreme Court docket should then meet with the secretary of state by Nov. 26 to canvass the vote. As soon as the statewide canvass is finished, the governor will subject certificates of election.
North Carolina
State deadline: Dec. 2, 2024
County boards of elections should meet at 11 a.m. ET on Nov. 15 to canvass the votes and mail abstracts — kinds displaying the votes forged for every candidate — to the State Board of Elections and Clerk of the Court docket. The State Board of Elections will then meet at 11 a.m. on Nov. 26 to conduct a statewide canvass. Barring any protest, the state board will subject certificates of election on Dec. 2. If a protest is pending, the state board may delay certification till 10 days after its closing determination on the matter.
Pennsylvania
Deadline: Nov. 25, 2024
County boards of elections should submit unofficial outcomes to the secretary of the commonwealth by 5 p.m. on Nov. 12. If after 5 days there are not any petitions for recounts or recanvasses filed, the county boards will certify the outcomes with the secretary of the commonwealth. Boards should certify by Nov. 25 even within the occasion of a recount or a recanvass. The secretary will then conduct a statewide canvass and current the outcomes to the governor, for which there is no such thing as a state deadline.
Wisconsin
State deadline: Dec. 1, 2024
County clerks have till Nov. 19 to ship licensed vote statements to the Wisconsin Elections Fee. The fee chair should then conduct a public canvass and certify the outcomes by Dec. 1.
Full Electoral School election outcomes certification deadline
Secure harbor deadline: Dec. 11, 2024
Below federal legislation, states have till Dec. 11 to certify election outcomes, generally known as the protected harbor deadline.
Assembly: Dec. 17, 2024
After this date, state election outcomes turn out to be finalized. On Dec. 17, Electoral School electors will meet and forged votes for the presidential candidates in line with the desire of their states. The outcomes are then despatched to Congress.
U.S. Congress election outcomes certification deadline
Certification deadline: Jan. 6, 2025
On Jan. 6, 2025, 4 years after the assault on the Capitol, the Home of Representatives and the Senate will convene to rely and finalize the votes forged by the Electoral School. Lawmakers can object to a state’s electors, however the 2022 Electoral Rely Act raised the required threshold to one-fifth of the Home and Senate to proceed with the objection.
