Local officials have started to certify the results of the 2024 presidential election in a process that has been relatively quiet compared to the chaos that followed Donald Trump’s loss four years ago. Georgia is the first state to begin certifying, with election boards in suburban Atlanta counties voting on Tuesday. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger praised the election as “free, fair, and fast.”
Unlike four years ago, where Trump and his allies pressured certification boards in several states to delay the process, this year’s certification has been smooth so far. Some Republican officials, like Michael Heekin from Fulton County, expressed concerns about certifying election results, but ultimately certification is a necessary step before any election challenge can proceed.
This year, there have been conspiracy theories circulating within both parties about the election results. Despite this, post-election audits are being conducted in counties and jurisdictions across the country to ensure the accuracy of the vote. Hand-counting ballots and comparing results to machine tallies are part of this process.
Each state, including presidential battlegrounds like Nevada, Arizona, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, will go through the certification process. The state’s top election officials will provide vote totals and ensure the accuracy of the results before certification. In Wisconsin, for example, a bipartisan decision was made to start over the process of counting ballots when an issue was identified.
Meagan Wolfe, Wisconsin’s top election administrator, attributed the success of the election to years of training and preparations by local election workers. The process of certification is crucial to ensuring the integrity of the election results and addressing any discrepancies that may arise.
Overall, this year’s certification process has been proceeding without the drama and controversy that characterized the certification process four years ago. The focus is on ensuring the accuracy and fairness of the election results, and local officials are working diligently to certify the results in a transparent and efficient manner.
