FACT CHECK #L81TGKHS

WHAT WE FOUND

The claim is FALSE. Official election results in Pennsylvania are not finalized or reported as final within 24 hours of an election 18. While news organizations may provide unofficial calls or predictions, these are based on preliminary data and are not legally binding 3. The formal process of canvassing and certification occurs after the polls close and involves verifying every ballot, which can take several days or weeks 16. Specific procedures for scanning mail-in and absentee ballots into the statewide system must be followed to ensure accuracy 2 17. Furthermore, legal rulings regarding undated or misdated ballots often introduce complexity that prevents an immediate final count 10. Experts specifically note that for the 2026 elections, the public should not expect to know the final results right away due to the necessary time for accurate processing 18.

SOURCES

1. 1 · pa.govFACT-CHECKER
   Fact-Checking Pennsylvania-Related Election Claims

   TIER A

2. 2 · electionfactspa.comWEB
   How Does Pennsylvania Ensure Final Election Results Are Accurate?

   TIER B

3. 3 · electioninnovation.orgACADEMIC
   CEIR Explains: How Election Results Coverage Really Works

   TIER A

4. 4 · kcra.comFACT-CHECKER
   FACT CHECK: President Trump's false statement about counting ...

   TIER A

5. 5 · pbs.orgFACT-CHECKER
   AP FACT CHECK: Trump's false claims, fuel on a day of chaos - PBS

   TIER A

6. 6 · ballotpedia.orgWEB
   Ballot curing rules by state, 2022 - Ballotpedia

   TIER B

7. 7 · ncsl.orgWEB
   When Absentee/Mail Ballot Processing and Counting Can Begin

   TIER B

8. 8 · campaignlegal.orgWEB
   Common Questions and Answers About the 2020 Election Results

   TIER B

9. 9 · reuters.comFACT-CHECKER
   Fact check: Post mixes Pennsylvania primary and general election ...

   TIER A

10. 10 · whyy.orgWEB
    Court ruling on undated ballots brings confusion as Pa. counties ...

    TIER B

11. 11 · politifact.comFACT-CHECKER
    Pennsylvania - PolitiFact

    TIER A

12. 12 · harvardlawreview.orgWEB
    Identifying and Minimizing the Risk of Election Subversion and ...

    TIER B

13. 13 · verifiedvoting.orgWEB
    What's This Rumor about Rockland County? - Verified Voting

    TIER B

14. 14 · apnews.comFACT-CHECKER
    There were not more votes than voters in Pennsylvania | AP News

    TIER A

15. 15 · brennancenter.orgWEB
    How Vote Counting Rules Have Changed in Key States Since 2020

    TIER B

16. 16 · eac.govACADEMIC
    Election Results, Canvass, and Certification

    TIER A

17. 17 · delcopa.govACADEMIC
    Election Results | Delaware County, Pennsylvania

    TIER A

18. 18 · bipartisanpolicy.orgWEB
    Why We Might Not Know Election Results Right Away

    TIER B

19. 19 · seventy.orgWEB
    Election Resources for Media - Committee of Seventy

    TIER B

20. 20 · papers.ssrn.comWEB
    [PDF] Reducing Lost Votes by Mail: Evidence on Vote Curing from ...

    TIER B