Are Concession Speeches Legally Binding?

Kerry holdouts want to know.

Nov 03, 20041:55 PM

This morning “Explainer” readers have been clamoring to know: Are concession speeches legally binding? When Kerry concedes, will vote counting in Ohio stop? As Emily Yoffe explained in this 2000 Explainer, concession speeches are courtesies—they carry no legal weight. And they don’t halt vote counts, either. Ohio will continue to count its provisional ballots, even after Kerry’s concession speech.