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When do Electoral College votes need to be in?

By Deb Riechmann
Published  November 4, 2020 5:49am MST
2020 Election
Associated Press

Presidents who lost the popular vote

The Electoral College and popular vote have only misaligned five times throughout 200 years of presidential elections.

Election Day is only one point in the process of the Electoral College, which decides who wins a U.S. presidential race.

After the polls close, states begin to count and certify popular vote results according to their respective rules. Federal law then requires governors to prepare, “as soon as practicable,” official certificates to report the popular vote in the state. These documents, often signed by governors, must carry the seal of the state. One copy is sent to the archivist of the United States.

RELATED: The Electoral College: How does it work? Why do we have it? Could it ever change? Here’s what you need know

Electoral College electors in each state don’t vote until Dec. 14. The electors’ votes typically align with the popular vote in each state. But not all states require the votes cast by electors to mirror the popular vote. Certificates recording the electoral vote results in each state must be received by the president of the Senate and the archivist no later than Dec. 23.

RELATED: What happens after Election Day on Nov. 3?

The official results of the electoral votes are sent to the new elected Congress, which is set to meet in a joint session on Jan. 6, 2021, and announce the results.