Why Ohio will know its election results sooner than some battleground states

Voters may not know the winner of the presidential race on election night, but they’ll know where Ohio stands.

County boards of elections are allowed to get a head start on early and absentee votes, which will make Tuesday’s count go more quickly. Key battleground states such as Wisconsin do not let election officials process absentee ballots before Election Day.

Here’s how Ohio will tally and report results.

When does Ohio count early, absentee ballots?

Boards of elections could begin processing and scanning absentee ballots on Oct. 8, the first day of early in-person voting. They can’t count the ballots until after polls close at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Election officials are required to upload their first batch of absentee results by 8 p.m., according to a directive from Secretary of State Frank LaRose.

Where can I see results on election night?

Once polls are closed, Ohioans can track unofficial election results on this newspaper’s website.

Local boards must update their numbers either every half hour or hour, depending on the county, until all precincts have reported results.

Will any ballots be counted after election night?

Election officials will tally outstanding absentee and provisional ballots they receive by Nov. 9. Absentee ballots returned by mail must be postmarked no later than Monday to be counted.

What are unofficial election results?

All election results are unofficial until boards complete their official canvass. They can begin that process on Nov. 11 and must submit certified results to LaRose’s office by 2 p.m. Nov. 20.