Post Election Messaging Toolkit
Post-Election Timeline and Messaging Recommendations
In recent years, right-wing activists have grown increasingly emboldened to challenge the once-staid process of election administration and certification. January 6th, the concerted effort to spread disinformation and distrust in government in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, and Trump’s continued refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election all point to possible challenges we might face here in North Carolina after the polls close.
Below we lay out important dates and information about the tabulation and certification process, as well as recommended messaging for each phase.
Key Dates
November 5th, 7:30 p.m.
Polls close. At this point the Board of Election will release the pre-tabulated absentee ballot vote, which they have been allowed to start tallying since Oct. 1. Thanks to SB 747, they will not be allowed to start officially tabulating the early vote ballots until polls close, which means early vote totals will likely be released an hour or more later than usual. In addition, with the new photo ID requirement, we are anticipating more voters having to cast provisional ballots, and thus potentially a longer count and wait until final results are known.
November 14th, 5 p.m.
Deadline to show photo ID for those who cast a provisional ballot. Voters who cast a provisional ballot due to not showing an acceptable photo ID when they checked in to vote have up until this point to show an acceptable photo ID to their county board of elections (one day before county canvass). This does not apply to the voters who completed an ID Exception Form when casting their provisional ballot.
Deadline for absentee ballots to arrive from military and overseas voters. While SB 747 eliminated the grace period for most North Carolinians to get in their absentee ballot, federal law (UOCAVA) protects military and overseas voters, who have until 5 p.m. on the last business day before county canvass to have their ballots reach their county board of elections.
November 15th, 11 a.m.
County Canvass. Results on Election Night are unofficial. Canvass, which happens ten days after the election, is the official process of determining the votes have been counted and tabulated correctly, resulting in the authentication of the official election results.
Election officials will confirm that all eligible ballots have been counted, including ballots that were unable to be read in the precinct (ballot jams, torn ballots, etc.), all absentee ballots that came in before the deadline, and provisional ballots that they have determined should count.
The canvass meeting, held at the county board of elections office, is open to the public.
At the meeting, the board will prepare and sign all relevant, permanent public documents. The county board will retain one copy; a copy will be filed with either the clerk of Superior Court or a municipal clerk; and a copy will be provided to the State Board of Elections.
November 26th – December 6th
State canvass. By state law, the State Board of Elections must meet on the third Tuesday after Election Day (November 26th) to complete the state canvass. However, if for some reason they have not received all the county canvasses at that point, they may delay for up to 10 days (until December 6th).
Six days after the state canvass is complete (December 2nd at the earliest), the State Board must certify the election results and send the certification to Secretary of State Elaine Marshall.
December 11th – December 16th
Gov. Cooper declares the presidential electors from the winning side. Once Secretary of State Marshall receives the certification from the State Board of Elections, she notifies Gov. Cooper of the winning presidential and vice presidential candidate. Gov. Cooper must immediately issue a proclamation setting forth the names of the presidential electors. Federal law (ECRA) states that this must happen by December 11th, however there are provisions to extend this deadline to December 16th if needed.
December 17th
Presidential electors meet in every state. The named presidential electors meet and cast their ballots – one vote each for president and vice president – and then transmit these votes to the National Archivist and the President of the Senate in D.C.
January 6th
Joint session of Congress to count the electoral votes. Vice President Harris, as President of the Senate, presides over the count, announces the results of the Electoral College vote, and declares the winner.
January 20th, noon
Inauguration Day. The President-elect and Vice President-elect take the Oath of Office and officially become POTUS and VPOTUS.
Recommended Messaging by Phase
OUR ELECTIONS ARE SECURE / RESPECT THE PROCESS (Now – Nov. 5th)
Our elections work because many, many people are dedicated to making sure they remain fair, secure, accurate, and accessible. This includes the bipartisan state and county Board of Elections officials, the trained poll workers who take an oath to uphold state election laws, the bipartisan election observers witnessing the voting process, and all the people involved in ensuring votes are tabulated correctly. The process to keep our elections safe is thorough and detailed, and one we should respect.
COUNT EVERY VOTE (Nov. 5th – Nov. 14th)
Elections are the foundation of our democracy. A time when we, the people, come together to have a say in the future of our country. Voting is our voice and that is why it is critical that every vote is counted. This includes every absentee ballot from the voters in the west and our military members overseas. It means every provisional ballot that had to be cast because of the new photo ID law and every ballot that has to be cured. It’s a long, thorough process, and one that is vital to our democracy.
With a Harris victory:
THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE MUST STAND (Nov. 15th – Dec. 17th)
In America, the people choose our leaders, and the people have spoken. There is no administrative, legislative, or judicial body that can overrule the will of the people. The county and state board of elections, the Secretary of State, and the Governor all have a duty to fairly and accurately report the vote counts. Election certification is meant to be timely, mandatory, and nondiscretionary – meaning there is no room for personal grievances or partisan games. The law is clear: the will of the people must stand.
WE’RE NOT GOING BACK (Dec. 18th – Jan. 6th)
The votes have been counted and certified. The Electoral College has met and voted. We all remember the national travesty that was January 6th, 2021. But we are not going back. The people have spoken and all that is left is for our leaders in Congress to do their duty and count the votes fairly. It is time to turn away from this shameful flirtation with dictatorship and coups and chart a new way forward built on respect and decency.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE PRESIDENT-ELECT (Jan. 7th – Jan. 19th)
MADAM PRESIDENT! (Jan. 20th)
