Now What Happens With All Those 2020 Election Ballots? They'll Be Around Longer Than You Might

Now What Happens With All Those 2020 Election Ballots? They'll Be Around Longer Than You Might Think


Twenty-two months. That’s how long it’s took England’s Nick Butter to run a marathon in every one of the 196 UN-recognized countries on the planet. It’s how long it takes for an elephant to carry a baby to term. And it’s also the lifespan of the ballot that you cast in the November presidential election.

With Joe Biden’s electoral win certified by Congress, the 2020 Presidential election is now behind us. But the more that 156 million ballots cast by Americans in November will remain under seal in storage areas across the country until at least September of 2022. That's thanks to a federal law that requires all ballots that include a race for federal office be kept for no less than 22 months.

"As you can imagine the city of Worcester is a decent sized city. We have 50 precincts. So it’s certainly a large operation when it comes to storing the ballots," said Worcester City Clerk Niko Vangjeli.

All ballots in Worcester, and elsewhere in Massachusetts, are required to be sealed in full public view on election night before being securely transported to a storage area. In Worcester, that’s in the basement of city hall.

Read more: https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2021/01/07/now-what-happens-with-all-those-2020-election-ballots-theyll-be-around-longer-than-you-might-think