Maryland voters may see election results begin rolling in Tuesday night, but the initial tallies won't necessarily tell the whole story.
Election officials still have mail-in and provisional ballots to count, and local election boards must verify the results before they can be certified.
Here's why it could take days before every vote is counted.
Why aren't Maryland election results final on Election Night?
One reason is the state's mail-in voting process. Maryland allows ballots postmarked on or before Election Day to be counted if they arrive at a local board of elections by 10 a.m. on the second Friday after the election. For the Nov. 3 general election, that deadline is Nov. 13.
Election officials begin processing mail-in ballots before
Election Day, but they cannot release those vote totals until polls close. Additional ballots arriving by the deadline can also affect the results in the days afterward.
Provisional ballots are another factor. These ballots may be cast by voters whose eligibility needs further review, including some people who register on Election Day. Election officials must determine whether those voters were eligible before their ballots can be counted.
When will Maryland finish counting ballots?
Local boards of elections begin canvassing mail-in ballots Thursday, Nov. 5, with additional counting scheduled for Nov. 13.
Provisional ballot counting is scheduled to begin Nov. 12. Local boards may need additional time beyond those scheduled canvassing dates to finish reviewing and counting ballots.
Maryland election officials must verify the vote count and certify results by Nov. 13, although some additional time may be needed in individual jurisdictions.
Until the certification process is complete, Election Night totals remain unofficial and can change as additional eligible ballots are counted.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why might Maryland election results take days to finalize?
