Election certification is a hot topic right now, and we want to make sure you have all of the facts about it going into November.

The Basics

What is Certification & Why Does it Matter? CERTIFICATION IS THE PROCESS BY WHICH LOCAL ELECTION OFFICIALS VERIFY THE RESULTS OF EVERYONE’S VOTES AND MAKE THEM OFFICIAL.
More importantly, it is a mandatory requirement of the job. Officials are legally bound to certify election results; the decision of whether or not to do so is not subject to their discretion.
Why is certification such a hot topic right now? Since 2022, nearly 30 officials have refused or threatened to refuse to certify an election. While this is an extreme minority of officials – refusing to certify undermines the will of the voters. THEIR ACTIONS ARE A DIRECT THREAT TO YOUR VOTE.
What are the consequences of refusing to certify? Thankfully, there are real consequences for those who refuse to certify. For example: in Nevada, Washoe County officials wouldn’t sign off on the results of the primary election, so the attorney general stepped in and threatened legal action until they did their jobs.
Rest assured, the general election WILL be certified. But that doesn’t mean we can ignore efforts to subvert the will of the people. Ways you can help: Sign up to be a poll worker! Be a nonpartisan poll monitor! And, most importantly, vote

The Process

Generally, in the weeks after Election Day, local election officials from each county or municipality meet to conduct a canvass – the process by which they “account for every ballot cast and ensure that the official results include each valid vote.” This process may also overlap with other post-election duties, such as mandatory audits and recounts.

Once the canvass is done, local election officials must formally approve and certify the final results. That’s the end of the process for local elections, but not statewide, cross-jurisdiction, or federal ones – including presidential races. For those, local officials will give their canvass returns to state official(s), who will complete their own canvass and certify the winners of each race.

This year, the deadline to submit a certificate of ascertainment – which identifies a state’s slate of presidential electors – is December 11. And given that all other steps of this process also have strict deadlines, it is imperative that officials comply and certify election results.

Supporting Certification Efforts

All Voting is Local, The Brennan Center for Justice, Campaign Legal Center, and Protect Democracy partnered to create resources which outline the legal tools available to respond to any certification issues that arise. They cover the certification processes in seven states, as well as generally.

We also created a fact sheet outlining potential certification issues for November and beyond. You can download and share it here.

Ways to help: