Why California Vote Counts Can Continue After Election Day

California vote totals can continue changing after polls close because some mailed ballots are accepted after Election Day. State rules allow a ballot postmarked by Election Day to arrive within seven days after Election Day and still be accepted. California law also establishes procedures for handling vote-by-mail ballots received after Election Day.

The state’s counting process has separate steps. Counties may work on vote-by-mail envelopes before Election Day, but they cannot tabulate those ballots until the polls close. Before a mailed ballot can be counted, its envelope must be processed and its signature verified.

That timing matters when many mail ballots are returned on Election Day. An NPR explainer connects delayed race calls with both the closeness of a contest and the speed of ballot counting. The same explainer identifies California’s large Election Day mail-ballot volume as a factor that can slow the count.

The number of competitive congressional districts has also varied. California had nine competitive congressional districts in 2022 and three in 2026. A close contest can remain unresolved while additional returns are processed, particularly when the remaining ballots could affect the result.

California’s reported semifinal totals do not include every ballot that may ultimately be part of the official count. The official canvass includes eligible vote-by-mail ballots and provisional ballots left out of the semifinal count.

The Secretary of State’s office requires counties to finish the official canvass no later than the 30th day after an election. That deadline is separate from the point when news organizations or election analysts may determine that a contest can be called.

California is not the only state where counting can extend beyond the first wave of results. MIT Election Lab data cited by NPR showed that Alaska was the last state to reach 95% of ballots counted in the 2024 election.

The main distinction is between ballots being received, ballots being processed and votes being included in an official canvass. California’s rules allow some ballots to arrive after Election Day, while the state’s procedures require additional review before those ballots enter the count.