RICHMOND, Va. — The balance of power in the Virginia General Assembly was at stake during Tuesday's general election. All 40 Senate seats and all 100 House of Delegates seats were on the ballot. In a state with a split government, the fate of several important issues depended on the outcomes of those races. Additionally, lots of important local races were to be decided, as well.
Despite expensive and time-consuming campaigning efforts, Republicans failed to win the majority of the Virginia Legislature. But complete results could take longer to come in.
Virginia has a history of close elections. In 2017, the race for House District 91 ended in a tie, and the balance of power in that chamber was decided when the winning candidate's name was pulled out of a bowl.
QUESTION
How long could it take for all ballots to be counted in Virginia?
SOURCES
ANSWER
It could take up to a week for the final votes to be counted, though nearly all will be counted by the end of Election Day.
WHAT WE FOUND
The vast majority of all votes will be counted within hours of the polls closing, but if a race has a razor-thin margin, the winner may not be known until next week.
Most voters vote in-person before or on Election Day or return their absentee ballots by Election Day.
Virginia state law allows absentee voters to postmark their ballots by Election Day. They then have an additional three days for their ballots to reach their county's elections office.
In most years, that would make Friday the deadline for mail-in ballots to be counted. In 2023, however, Veterans Day will be observed on Friday, Nov. 10, making Monday, Nov. 13, the third business day after Election Day.
Local election boards also have to review every provisional ballot to determine if they will be counted.
Voters may be asked to cast a provisional ballot for a handful of reasons. Among them: not bringing a valid ID to the polling location; applying for an absentee ballot but choosing to vote in-person; and voting immediately after registering on Election Day.
The county's general registrar's office may take up to seven days to research the voter and determine if their vote was valid. Every voter who casts a provisional ballot is given a date, time, and place where the local election board will announce whether their provisional ballot will be counted or rejected.