What should journalists do when the polls close on Election Night?

Our friends at VotingWorks, a non-partisan non-profit focused on voting technology, have put together two guides that delve into the election process once the polls close and ensuring a candidate actually won through risk-limiting audits.

Three Key Takeaways

1. There are never official results on Election Night — and don’t expect to be able to call a winner with an increase in vote-by-mail.
2. If a particular contest is close, a full hand recount may be required from election officials.
3. In a risk-limiting audit, the lower the risk limit, the more ballots that need to be manually examined.

Download and view both guides below:

Next Steps:

• Download the After the Polls Close guide
• Download the Risk-Limiting Audits guide
• Sign up for the Election SOS newsletter
• Join Election SOS Switchboard to connect with other journalists