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Tommy SantosCommon Sense Politics
Claim Checkelectionsstates

PBS Said A Slow Count Is Normal. State Law Agrees.

The backlash called it cheating and named Florida as the model. Florida's official returns are due Nov. 16, 13 days after the election.

By Tommy SantosNovember 2, 2026Supporting Info (24)
  1. L0 The Line
The Post
PBS News on X: If you go to bed on election night and don't know who won a midterm congressional race, that's normal. And if you wake up the next morning and find that a candidate who was behind hours earlier has since pulled ahead, that's normal, too.
PBS NewsHour on X, October 31, 2026, 2:02 p.m. EDT · Captured November 2, 2026 · Original · Archived Copy
The ClaimFalse

Benny Johnson: "Plenty of states, like Florida, count their ballots in real time and are done on election night."

Benny Johnson on X, November 1, 2026, 11:31 a.m. EST · Original
The Truth

No state's results are final on election night. Even Florida gives its counties until noon on Nov. 16 to file official returns.

The Text

"Returns must be filed no later than noon on the 8th day following a primary election and no later than noon on the 13th day following the general election."

Source: Florida Statutes § 102.112 (2026), Deadline For Submission Of County Returns, subsection (2). Retrieved 2026-11-02.
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The Full Piece Is For Subscribers

7 Sections · 24 Supporting Info

  1. 1Who Answered PBS
  2. 2What Election Night Gives You
  3. 3Florida's Three Deadlines
  4. 4Ballots The Law Counts After Election Night
  5. 5Where The Line Came From
  6. 6What's True In The Claim
  7. 7Long Counts And Fraud
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