Publication Summary

Audits and recounts are two different post-election processes, but both are designed to build confidence in our elections—they help demonstrate that the winner won and the loser lost. Audit and recount laws vary by state and several states are expected to have close contests in November’s election. The table below summarizes important information about audit and recount laws in Alaska, Arizona, California, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin. 

For more information, read Verified Voting’s blog outlining the differences between audits and recounts. Visit Verified Voting’s Audit Law Database and Recount Law Database to learn even more about the laws, timelines, regulations, and procedures in all fifty states.

Audits and Recounts in 2026: A State By State Summary by Verified Voting