ATLANTA — Voters across the Peach State will head to the polls to cast their ballots in the 2024 Presidential Election.
We'll all want to know the results right away, but counting the ballots will take some time.
According to the Georgia Secretary of State's Office's Election Data Hub, there are more than 7 million active voters in the state for this year's presidential election.
So, what can you expect on Election Night in Georgia? Here's what to know.
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What time do polls open and close on Election Day?
On Tuesday, Nov. 5, polls will open at 7 a.m. and typically close at 7 p.m. However, in past Georgia elections, polls have submitted a court order to request to stay open later if needed.
As long as you're in the line by 7 p.m., you'll be allowed to cast your ballot.
Where do I go to vote in Georgia?
You can find your polling location through the My Voter Page. Once you log into your account, you'll find the name and address of your voting precinct.
On your My Voter Page, you'll find information on early voting and absentee ballot drop box locations. You can also look at a sample ballot before you head to the polls.
When will we know election results?
According to SB 202, election officials can start scanning verified ballots before Election Day, but they cannot be tabulated until polls are closed on Election Day. So, we won't know precisely how long it'll take to count and verify the ballots.
Given the volume of ballots anticipated and the process it takes to tabulate votes, it is very much possible that the final results won't be known on election night.
What time will we start to see results on Election Night?
On Election Night, results in Georgia typically start to trickle in around 7:30 p.m. However, depending on how many people vote early or by absentee ballot, this could impact how quickly we see results-- possibly shortly after 7 p.m. for some races.
In the past, Democrat-heavy counties tended to be the most populous in the state and historically were slower to report on Election Day. So, in past elections in Georgia, we saw initial results skew more toward Republicans on Election Night because smaller counties tend to upload results faster.
However, in this election, we may see early results skewed toward Democrats because, in the last couple of election cycles, people who voted Democrat were more likely to embrace absentee voting. So, we could see initial election results came from absentee ballots. NBC News has analyzed weeks of early-voting data across the nation, which provides more insight into what we could see on Election Night.
According to SB 202, election officials must count ballots without stopping until they are done, and they must finish absentee ballot counting by 5 p.m. the day after the election.
Then, counties across Georgia must certify the final count by Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 5 p.m., after the election. So, any results we get on Election Night will be projected, unverified results.
Earlier this year, Gov. Brian Kemp signed HB 974, which allows the Secretary of State's Office to decide on more than one statewide race to undergo a risk-limiting audit. The presidential race could likely be included in the audits.
After the audits confirm that the results are accurate, the Secretary of State's Office will certify them by Friday, Nov. 22.
11Alive is committed to helping you vote confidently by understanding the 2024 election issues that impact you. Our goal is to educate and inform our audience about the election process. We plan to do that by verifying facts, providing context, and explaining the system. Get more election resources here at /vote.