An election result is a dated publication about a defined contest and reporting area. Certification status, ballot accounting and the voting system determine what the numbers can support.

Identify the election and the reporting stage

A preliminary publication, an election-night update and a final certified result describe different stages. Electionpedia retains the source’s status rather than treating every displayed number as final. For historical research, the source version remains important because later corrections can change a total without changing the identity of the election.

Read the denominator

A vote share needs a denominator: candidate votes, valid votes, ballots cast or another published base. Turnout can use a different base again. Compare the labels before comparing percentages. A margin in votes and a margin in percentage points answer related but different questions.

Read the full election results guide →