Election results are an important part of the democratic process and help ensure that votes are counted accurately and that candidates and parties are awarded seats or elected to office. The ability to clearly communicate election results helps voters make informed decisions and hold officials accountable for their actions. The ability to compare results across counties and over time is also a critical component of democracy.
As a service to the public, the Federal Election Commission compiles information about election results for federal elections from state and local election offices. We also publish Federal Elections, a biennial compilation of official, certified election results for the Senate, House of Representatives and (when applicable) the President.
The vitriol that surrounds the 2020 presidential election and the subsequent protests that have taken place across the country, fueled by claims of voter fraud and intimidation, are a stark reminder of how crucial it is to be able to trust that election results will be certified in a timely manner. While it’s important to have mechanisms for elections to be challenged, they are best suited after the canvass and certification processes have been completed.
Research shows that one’s perception of electoral integrity is jointly influenced by their expectation or forecast and the actual outcome, and that dissatisfaction with democracy increases if the outcome is unexpected (links 1.a, 1b, and 1.c). This likely explains why the 2000 Al Gore loss resulted in a higher level of dissatisfaction for Democrats than Republicans who expected George W. Bush to win, despite the fact that the recount dispute did not affect their level of confidence in the results (Halliez and Thornton 2022).