Under the U.S. Constitution, elections are conducted by each state. Unofficial results often are reported soon after polls close, sometimes within hours. News organizations often announce presumed winners of national races within hours or by the early morning of the next day. But the official result takes longer for several reasons. State laws vary regarding when to count ballots that are mailed in, dropped off, or cast during in-person early voting. Though they go by different names, all seven battleground states allow some kind of absentee or mail-in voting. And all offer early in-person voting, which is now underway throughout most states.