NORFOLK, Va. — Election Day is upon us in Virginia and you may have some questions about how the votes will be counted once the polls close.
Every seat in the Virginia General Assembly is up for election this year. Currently, the Democrats have a razor-thin majority in the Senate, while the Republicans control the House of Delegates. That's caused a political stalemate in Virginia's legislature for the last two years.
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The polls opened at 6 a.m. and will close at 7 p.m. Then, the counting process begins. Here are three things to know about how the votes will be counted in Virginia.
How long will it take to count the votes in Virginia?
When the polls close at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Virginia election officials will start the process of reporting results.
The Virginia Department of Elections doesn't have a timeline for how long it will take to report the results, but they will show up online after the polls close. Election night vote totals are considered unofficial and won't be considered final until certification.
The department's online results page breaks down results by five different types of voting methods, individual races, localities, and precincts.
In what order will the votes be counted?
The count will start with early votes, mailed absentee ballots and Election Day results once the polls close.
Election officials will then count provisional ballots and absentee ballots that were postmarked by Election Day but received afterward. Absentee ballots must be received by Monday, Nov. 13.
Will there be a recount of votes?
Under Virginia's law, a candidate can request a recount where there is under a 1% difference in the vote total between candidates in a race. The state doesn't have automatic recounts.