International
oi-Saumya Joshi
As
the
US
gears
up
for
the
presidential
election,
voters
will
soon
cast
their
ballots.
Democratic
nominee
Kamala
Harris
and
Republican
candidate
Donald
Trump
have
campaigned
vigorously,
reaching
out
to
voters
across
the
country.
This
election,
about
95%
of
registered
voters
will
primarily
use
paper
ballots
to
vote.
Here’s
a
straightforward
overview
of
how
voting
and
counting
work
in
the
US
elections.
Organizing
US
Elections
Unlike
many
countries
with
a
central
election
authority,
the
US
has
a
decentralized
election
system.
The
Federal
Election
Commission
(FEC)
oversees
campaign
finance,
but
state
and
local
authorities
handle
the
election
process.
Each
state
determines
its
own
rules
regarding
voter
eligibility,
ballot
design,
and
counting
methods,
leading
to
variations
across
the
country.
Voting
Methods
in
2024
Voters
can
cast
their
ballots
using
three
main
methods:
1.
Handmarked
Paper
Ballots:
The
most
common
way,
used
by
about
69.9%
of
voters,
where
individuals
mark
their
choices
on
paper.
2.
Ballot
Marking
Devices
(BMDs):
About
25.1%
of
voters
use
these
computerized
systems,
which
allow
selections
on
a
screen
before
printing
a
paper
ballot
for
confirmation.
BMDs
include
accessibility
features
for
voters
with
disabilities.
3.
Direct
Recording
Electronic
(DRE)
Systems:
Only
about
5%
of
voters
use
this
electronic
method,
which
records
votes
without
a
paper
trail.
DRE
usage
has
dropped
due
to
security
concerns,
especially
after
incidents
of
election
interference.
The
push
for
electronic
voting
began
after
the
2000
election’s
ballot
confusion
in
Florida,
but
security
issues
have
led
most
jurisdictions
to
favor
paper-based
systems
today.
How
Votes
Are
Counted
Votes
from
handmarked
paper
ballots
and
BMDs
are
usually
scanned
with
optical
scanners
that
automatically
count
the
results.
This
is
followed
by
state-level
audits,
which
may
involve
checking
the
counts
manually
or
using
machines.
Each
state
has
its
own
timeline
for
certifying
results,
with
the
final
tally
due
by
December
11
this
year.
Counting
In-Person
Votes
Votes
cast
on
Election
Day
or
during
early
voting
are
counted
after
polls
close.
Paper
ballots
are
taken
to
counting
centers,
while
digital
data
from
voting
machines
is
either
sent
electronically
or
delivered
by
hand.
Mail-In
Ballots
States
have
different
rules
for
processing
and
counting
mail-in
ballots.
Many
allow
officials
to
verify
these
ballots
before
Election
Day,
but
counting
often
starts
on
Election
Day,
with
results
kept
until
polls
close.
Verification
of
Mail-In
Ballots
Every
state
requires
a
signature
on
mail-in
ballots.
Many
use
signature
matching
for
verification,
and
some
states
have
additional
requirements
like
witness
signatures
or
notarization.
Ballot
Curing
In
states
that
allow
ballot
curing,
voters
can
correct
issues,
such
as
mismatched
signatures,
to
ensure
their
votes
are
counted.
Some
states
require
corrections
to
be
made
by
Election
Day,
while
others
allow
this
after
the
fact.
Eight
states
do
not
permit
ballot
curing.
Provisional
Ballots
Provisional
ballots
are
used
when
there
is
uncertainty
about
a
voter’s
eligibility.
These
are
counted
after
the
voter’s
eligibility
is
verified.
Ballots
from
military
and
overseas
voters
may
also
take
longer
to
verify.
The
Electoral
College
The
US
President
is
elected
by
538
electors,
who
represent
all
states
and
the
District
of
Columbia,
based
on
population.
Most
states
use
a
“winner-take-all” approach,
where
the
candidate
winning
the
popular
vote
in
that
state
receives
all
electoral
votes,
except
in
Maine
and
Nebraska.
To
win
the
presidency,
a
candidate
must
obtain
at
least
270
electoral
votes.
Certification
and
Inauguration
On
January
6,
a
joint
session
of
Congress
counts
the
electoral
votes.
If
a
candidate
reaches
270
votes,
they
are
declared
the
President-elect,
even
if
they
lose
the
national
popular
vote.
The
inauguration
occurs
on
January
20,
marking
the
start
of
their
four-year
term
in
office.
