Virginia 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 Virginia election results final on Election Night?
Virginia allows mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if they arrive at a voter's local registrar's office by noon on the third day after the election. For the Nov. 3 election, that deadline is noon Friday, Nov. 6.
Although election officials can begin processing mail-in ballots before Election Day, those votes cannot
be included in publicly reported totals until polls close. Ballots that arrive by the Friday deadline can add to or change the initial results.
Provisional ballots also must be reviewed to determine whether voters were eligible to cast them. These may include ballots from people who registered on Election Day or could not provide the required identification at their polling place.
When will Virginia certify election results?
Local electoral boards begin reviewing and verifying results Wednesday, Nov. 4. This process, known as the canvass, includes checking voting records and confirming that ballot totals are accurate. Boards have up to 10 days after the election to complete the process and report their results.
The Virginia State Board of Elections is scheduled to certify November election results on Dec. 7.
Until certification, the results remain unofficial and may change as additional ballots are counted and reviewed.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When will Virginia's election results become official?
