How the Post-Election Tally Works

In Virginia, election returns are not complete on Election Day. There’s still a chance for a small number of additional ballots to be validated and added to the vote totals. This second tallying process normally concludes on the Friday after the election. But since Friday is a national holiday (Veterans Day), the tally will take place on Monday, November 14.

In November 2021, there were 31,146 additional votes tallied on the Friday after Election Day, or 0.95% of the statewide total.

Post-Election ballots in November 2021

Below are the two types of ballots that can be considered on the Friday after Election Day:

1. Ballots received in the mail by noon the Monday after the election

State law allows mail ballots postmarked on or before Election Day to be considered this year if the post office delivers them by noon on Monday, November 14. In addition to a legible postmark, each ballot must have a witness signature and meet the same requirements for mail ballots that were received on or before Election Day.

This tally may also include ballots which were left in a drop box on Election Day but were not processed and tabulated that evening.

2. Provisional Ballots

Voters whose eligibility cannot be confirmed at the polling location on Election Day have the right to cast a provisional ballot. This preserves the voter's right to confirm his or her eligibility to vote over the next few days. Circumstances that result in provisional ballots include:

• The voter’s name is not listed in the poll book.
• The voter had been mailed an absentee ballot, but did not bring it to the polls.
• The voter provides no acceptable form of ID and refuses to sign an ID confirmation statement.

A new "same-day registration" law that goes into effect this year is expected to result in an increase in the number of provisional ballots cast. Any voter who casts a ballot the same day they register must vote provisionally, to give election officials a chance to confirm the voter’s eligibility.

This year, voters will have until noon on the Monday following the election to provide additional information that would help local officials validate his or her eligibility to vote.