For Immediate Release – Nov. 4, 2020 – WASHINGTON, D.C. – Post-Election Day joint statement from the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) and the National Association of State Election Directors (NASED):
“We would first like to thank local election officials, the millions of voters and the thousands of election workers for their participation throughout the 2020 general election. Our nation’s democracy functions best when its citizens* come together to support free and fair elections.*
Over the course of the election, more than 100 million ballots were safely and securely cast, both in-person and by mail. Election offices nationwide are now diligently counting every eligible ballot cast. While the media has already called many races, it is important to remember these results are unofficial and numbers will continue to change until they have been reviewed and certified by election officials. Please know, this is standard for each election.
If you have questions about post-election processes, always turn to your state and local election officials as the trusted sources of accurate information. By doing so, you can avoid falling victim to misinformation from unverified sources. You can find links to state election offices on NASS’s nonpartisan website canivote.org.”
I would also add, that AFTER this process is complete, state legislatures decide electoral votes based on information they are given.
Most are bound by law to vote a certain way, and the supreme court also recently ruled that they may be punished if they do not vote as required, HOWEVER, they are still free to vote however they want, and accept the consequences of their actions, however, their votes are still legit and valid if that happens.
This is the current state of things. Also, court cases are still pending. Bush v Gore took till December to be resolved IIRC.