As election officials continued to count votes into Wednesday afternoon from the day before’s primary, some criticized state measures that require ballots thrown out in past elections to be examined more closely.

Detroit election officials said a state-mandated program that identifies flawed ballots slowed down the counting of absentee ballots. It was estimated that 10 percent of absentee ballots would have to be evaluated by hand.

In a society that relies on cable television for instant results and live coverage, waiting a few extra hours might make some a little antsy. But slower counting is a minor inconvenience to make sure every vote is counted accurately. People should not expect the know who won the election at exactly 8 p.m., when the polls close.

There were no results from an estimated 35,000 absentee ballots by the early morning hours on Wednesday, but workers continued to work hard counting the votes.

After the episode with the 2000 presidential election, it is obvious election officials need to address area election procedures. But before a faster technique can be designed, an accurate method for counting every single ballot must be established. Then faster and better methods can be tested and updated.

Getting it right is the most important issue in any election, and if it takes a few days or weeks, then so be it. Every vote can make a difference, and it’s important to give each vote a chance.