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VERIFY: Video of ballots being collected after election day not what it seems

After President Trump shared a video of election workers still collecting mail-in ballots the day after election day, viewers are wondering if something is going on.

SACRAMENTO, Calif — President Trump shared a video on his Twitter page that shows ballots being collected the day after the election, and it turns out it was recorded in Los Angeles.

The video has since gone viral and people want to know what exactly is happening here?

Every drop box has a designated team that goes out and picks up the ballots per the California Secretary of State's protocol. The LA County registrar actually responded to the President's tweet, on Twitter, saying the drop boxes were closed and locked at 8 p.m. on election night and then collected the following day.

These are valid ballots, processed and counted during the post-election canvass.

Think of it this way: election day is by far not the end of the process. It is really the beginning.

Once people cast their votes, in person or by mail, it's up to each state to verify those ballots, tally the results, and review challenges, if there are any.  

Then comes the next important part of the election: certification.    

The date of our national election is set by the U.S. constitution. But it is counties that count the votes. And US Secretaries of State certify or finalize the results. Not the media. The date for certification is different in each state.

For example, in Arkansas for the Nov. 3rd election the deadline to certify results is November 18. But in California – the state with the highest population in the country – we have more time. The state certification date is December 11.

In Georgia, a close battleground in the 2020 presidential election, their secretary of state has only 17 days, Nov. 20, to certify the results at no later than 5 p.m.

Basically, national elections are really just 50 state elections. The process is not over yet. And so if you see videos making the rounds on social media that you have questions about, feel free to reach out to the ABC10 Voter Access Team by texting us at 916-321-3310.

Continue the conversation with Chris on Facebook.

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