The Process Starts Locally
The certification of an election in Florida is a decentralized process that becomes centralized over time. It all begins in the state's 67 counties. On election night, after the polls close at 7 p.m. local time, each precinct begins tabulating votes. These initial numbers are unofficial and are reported to the county's Supervisor of Elections. Florida law requires counties to begin reporting these unofficial results shortly after polls close and to continue providing updates throughout the night. These are the numbers you see scrolling across your screen on election night, but they are far from the final word.
County Canvassing Boards Get to Work
The real verification work begins with the County Canvassing Boards. Each board is typically composed of three officials: the county's
Supervisor of Elections, a county court judge who serves as the chair, and the head of the county commission. These boards are responsible for the official canvass of the vote, a process that includes verifying the accuracy of voting machines, examining vote-by-mail ballots to ensure signatures match what's on file, and ruling on provisional ballots. They work in public, ensuring transparency as they reconcile vote totals and prepare the first official returns for their county. Their duty is considered ministerial, meaning they must certify the results as tabulated and do not have the discretion to refuse.
The First Big Deadline
The counties don't have unlimited time. By noon on the 13th day after a general election, each county canvassing board must submit its official certified results to the Florida Department of State. If a county misses this deadline, the state is required to ignore the late submission and certify the results it already has on file, unless an emergency has occurred. This deadline creates a crucial checkpoint, ensuring all local results are compiled in a timely manner for the final, statewide review.
What About Recounts?
Florida is famous for recounts, and the rules are very specific. An automatic machine recount is triggered if the margin of victory in a race is one-half of one percent (0.5%) or less. If that machine recount produces an even smaller margin—one-quarter of one percent (0.25%) or less—it triggers a manual recount. During a manual recount, counting teams physically examine ballots that the machines couldn't clearly read, known as 'overvotes' (where a voter marked more than one candidate) and 'undervotes' (where the machine detected no choice). For federal and statewide races, the Secretary of State orders these recounts. Candidates cannot request a recount; it's an automatic process dictated by the margins.
