Whether the result is good or bad, election results can have psychological impacts on individuals. For example, if a person’s preferred candidate loses the race, they may experience feelings of disappointment, anger, frustration, helplessness, anxiety, or intrusive negative thoughts that interfere with daily functioning. These symptoms can occur in the short-term after an election, or they may be more long-lasting and debilitating depending on the individual.
It’s important to remember that there is nothing voters can do about election results once they are released. This means that no amount of staying in bed all day, avoiding phone calls, or refusing to answer the door will change the outcome. However, if you notice symptoms of political/election stress, it’s important to seek a mental health professional for support.
Providing information about the election results is key to maintaining transparency and public confidence in the process. In addition to the official election night results, it is helpful to publish ballot count data at each stage of the process (e.g., polling stations, district, regional/provincial and national results consolidation centers). The timely publication of election results can significantly increase public trust in the process.
Electoral results are determined by the number of votes received by a contestant, which can be calculated from multiple sources. Typically, a contestant must receive a majority of electoral votes to win the presidency or any other contested office. However, the results of an election can be impacted by a variety of factors, such as vote intention polls and projections made by poll aggregators. These estimates often have wide variances between their predictions and the final results, and this can lead to unexpected outcomes.
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