Voters choose a president and members of Congress that can pass laws that can have a profound effect on their daily lives. Regardless of the outcome, election results can create a roller coaster of emotion and feelings of uncertainty as people contemplate what it will mean for their communities and hopes for the future. The heightened stakes of this year’s elections has led to increased scrutiny of the electoral process, which can lead to conspiracy theories and misinformation. Here are some tips to help you stay grounded and protect your mental health as the results come in.
Unofficial results based on the first choice votes counted on election day and through early voting, including any mail ballots canvassed but not yet counted or affidavit ballots. Unofficial results will be published on election night and will not include second or third choices. One week later, preliminary RCV elimination rounds will be tabulated and an unofficial report will be released that includes second and third choices. This report will be updated as the first and second choices are eliminated.
Surveys have consistently found that electoral expectations are driven by partisan biases, so it is not surprising that some voters are disappointed in unexpected outcomes. But it is equally important to remember that a high level of satisfaction with democracy can be just as meaningful when your preferred candidate loses an election as when your preferred candidate wins. Moreover, there is no evidence that disappointed voters are more or less suspicious of the integrity of electoral processes than those who expected their preferred candidate to win (Halliez and Thornton, 2022).