After Texas polls close on Election Day at 7 p.m., results will start trickling in as election workers and officials work through a detailed process to report votes accurately.
Election officials first post early voting totals shortly after 7 p.m., giving Texans their initial look at results. However, it may take hours to determine final outcomes, especially in large counties where ballots from hundreds of polling locations must be securely counted and verified.
In Texas’s largest counties, such as Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, and Collin, Election Day results are slower to report due to the volume of polling locations and rigorous security measures,
Election officials coordinate transporting, counting, and verifying ballots from hundreds of sites. Workers at these locations follow strict protocols to ensure election integrity, such as recording the number of votes scanned and ensuring ballots are securely packaged and transported back to the county’s central counting station.
Polling location supervisors play a crucial role, responsible for securing ballots and completing documentation at each polling site. For instance, Collin County officials say it can take nearly an hour for poll workers to wrap up paperwork and gather equipment once polls close. In some cases, this documentation and securing process can delay reporting, particularly in sprawling counties where polling locations are far from central counting stations.
To streamline the process, counties like Harris and Tarrant have designated drop-off points or substations across the county where election workers can deliver ballots, equipment, and paperwork. Harris County, with 700 polling locations, uses six such substations, while Tarrant County, operating 349 polling locations, has set up seven. This network helps expedite vote counting, ensuring ballots arrive more quickly for tabulation.
Once votes are received, county election officials enter totals into the state’s election management system, known as TEAM. The Secretary of State’s office then checks county reports for accuracy before posting them in the unofficial statewide totals. By Texas law, counties must submit their Election Day totals within 24 hours of polls closing, which requires long hours and sometimes overnight shifts to meet the deadline.
The results reported on election night are unofficial since counties must account for additional ballots, including late-arriving mail ballots, military and overseas ballots, and provisional ballots. According to Texas law, the deadline for receiving and processing these ballots extends through November 18. County commissioners will conduct a local canvass of votes by November 19 to finalize county totals.
The final statewide canvass, where the governor certifies the election results with the Secretary of State, is scheduled by December 9. This final step ensures that all Texas votes are thoroughly reviewed and officially recorded, concluding the election process.
Written with artificial intelligence.