By County Communications, County of San Diego Communications Office
Nov. 3, 2026
Reading Time: 2 minutes
On election night, campaigns, candidates and voters want to see results as soon as possible. Counting ballots takes time to ensure every ballot is valid and accurately processed. Several factors contribute to the ballot-counting process:
The Registrar of Voters sent ballots to more than 2 million voters.
Voters may return ballots by mail on Election Day, Nov. 3. The Registrar counts all mail ballots postmarked by Election Day and received within seven days.
Residents who missed the registration deadline may cast a provisional ballot through 8 p.m. on Election Day. The Registrar must verify their registration before counting their ballot.
The Registrar will post the election night results on sdvote.com and the Registrar of Voters X account.
Election Night Results
The Registrar will post the first set of unofficial election night results shortly after 8 p.m.
This update includes mail ballots received before Election Day and ballots cast at vote centers through Nov. 2.
After vote centers close at 8 p.m., reporting will pause briefly as poll workers secure and transport ballots from over 200 vote centers across the county to the Registrar’s office.
The next round of results will only include ballots cast at vote centers on Election Day. No additional mail ballots will be included on election night. Staff will scan the ballots and post periodic updates until all vote center ballots are counted.
Final unofficial election night results may be posted around 1 a.m. or later. These results will include only Election Day ballots that can be processed immediately.
Post-Election Night Ballot Processing
Ballot counting continues after election night.
Mail Ballots
Ballots dropped off at vote centers, official ballot drop boxes or mailed on Election Day.
Mail ballots postmarked by Election Day, Nov. 3, and received within seven days.
All mail ballots must pass signature verification before they can be counted.
Provisional Ballots
Ballots cast by eligible voters who missed the registration deadline.
Staff must confirm each voter’s eligibility before counting the ballot.
The Registrar’s office cannot predict how many eligible unregistered residents will choose this option.
Post-Election Day Results Schedule
After election night, the Registrar will post additional unofficial election results on:
Thursday, Nov. 5, by 6 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 6, by 6 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 9, by 6 p.m.
Additional updates are at the Registrar’s discretion.
The Registrar’s office will be closed on Nov. 11, 26, and 27 in observance of County holidays.
Certification of Election Results
By law, election results must be certified by Dec. 3. All results remain unofficial until certification is complete. The Registrar expects to utilize the full certification period to ensure every legally cast ballot is counted efficiently and accurately.
Updates will be posted on sdvote.com and the final certified results will be available by Dec. 3.
Learn more at sdvote.com, or call (858) 565-5800 or toll free at (800) 696-0136.
County Communications is a communications specialist with the County of San Diego Communications Office.
