What happens to your ballot after you vote?

CAMERON COUNTY, Texas ( ValleyCentral ) — What happens to your vote after you’ve cast a ballot?

As election season heats up, there have been some concerns raised in other parts of the country about the possibility of local and state election boards not certifying the results .

Cameron County Elections Administrator Remi Garza told us, “Once all the votes are tallied on election night, including the early vote and ballot by mail, there are still additional processes that are in place. There’s reconciliations that happen.”

His office first compares the combination forms, the book voters sign when they check in to vote, against the electronic poll book and the number of ballots cast at that location.

After election day, the county still has about six more days where late ballots by mail and overseas ballots can be received and added to the total number of votes cast.

“It’s that time, we can make any adjustments if we find something that isn’t correct. If a ballot got uncounted, we can then add it to the total. With the help of a District Judge, because you can’t just start adding ballots to it. You have to go to court in order to re-open the ballot boxes after an election has been completed,” Garza said.

Garza said it is important to remember that the vote totals shown on television and the county’s website are unofficial. The results aren’t official until a final canvassing report has been created and adopted by the canvassing authority.

Garza said the final report includes, “The summary of each vote total for each candidate. Then has a precinct-by-precinct breakdown for each candidate,” of how the votes were tallied.

It is during this period of time, before the final canvassing report is completed, that candidates can request a recount at their own expense.

After the canvassing is done, there’s a different and more complicated set of hurdles candidates have to clear if they want to actually challenge the results of an election.

“They have to allege specific types of things”, Garza said, “People who shouldn’t have been able to participate in the election, did participate in the election. That somebody was providing a level of assistance that was illegal when somebody was going to vote.”

He added that even if there are errors, that doesn’t automatically mean the election results are void. Whatever issues a candidate is raising has to be sufficient enough to put the question of the election in doubt, or that the number of votes in question would be higher than the margin of victory.

Once the comparison and counting are complete, and the final canvassing report is prepared.

“We distribute it to the Commissioners Court. They review it, and then they approve it. Essentially, that certifies an election on a local level,” Garza said.

Certifying an election is a mandatory procedure and has to be done in a certain amount of time, Garza said.

If there are any disputes among Commissioners about certifying an election, a judge would have to be brought in to issue a writ of mandamus , requiring them to do their duty.

For state and federal offices, election administrators upload that information to the Secretary of State’s website. The Governor will ultimately certify statewide elections.

Garza reminded the community to update their voting information if it’s no longer accurate, and that the last day to register to vote in November’s elections is Oct. 7.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KVEO-TV.