Methodology · Presidential elections
Certified results
Official post-canvass vote totals — and why votes cast is not a turnout rate.
Certified results are the official totals a state publishes after its canvass: provisional and late-arriving ballots are counted, discrepancies resolved, and the outcome formally signed. They routinely differ a little from election-night tallies. This dataset is built from certified state returns (1976–2024) and county returns (2000–2024) compiled by the MIT Election Data & Science Lab.
Total votes cast is not turnout. A turnout rate divides votes by an eligible population — registered voters or the voting-age/voting-eligible population — and this dataset carries no registration or population denominators, so no turnout rate is computed here. A growing raw vote total may reflect population growth as much as engagement; compare shares and margins across years, not raw totals.
Also known as: official results, canvass, certification.
See certified results in the data
Explore presidential results by state and county — margins, two-party shares and the swing between cycles. Start free — no credit card needed.
Certified results — FAQ
What is certified results in election results data?+
Official post-canvass vote totals — and why votes cast is not a turnout rate. Certified results are the official totals a state publishes after its canvass: provisional and late-arriving ballots are counted, discrepancies resolved, and the outcome formally signed. They routinely differ a little from election-night tallies. This dataset is built from certified state returns (1976–2024) and county returns (2000–2024) compiled by the MIT Election Data & Science Lab.
Why does certified results matter?+
Total votes cast is not turnout. A turnout rate divides votes by an eligible population — registered voters or the voting-age/voting-eligible population — and this dataset carries no registration or population denominators, so no turnout rate is computed here. A growing raw vote total may reflect population growth as much as engagement; compare shares and margins across years, not raw totals.
Where does this election results data come from?+
County-level presidential returns come from the MIT Election Data and Science Lab (MEDSL). pumsdata is an independent product and is not affiliated with MEDSL or with any campaign, party or election authority.