It takes how long to count?

 Have you ever wondered how it can take so long to count votes in Washington when Florida has 90% of their total votes tallied by 9PM on election day?  Walla Walla and Franklin counties have trouble just getting their first count out by 9PM on election day.  Is this a county issue or could it be that the state legislature needs to step to the plate to make the changes to law needed to speed up the release of relevant election results?  If Florida can do it why can't we?

We may as well jump straight RCW's and Florida Statutes to flush out the differences.   

Washington RCW 29A.40.110 states: "Processing incoming ballots. (1) The opening and subsequent processing of return envelopes for any primary or election may begin upon receipt. The tabulation of absentee ballots must not commence until after 8:00 p.m. on the day of the primary or election.". 

Meanwhile in the 2022 Florida Statutes Title IX Chapter 101 Section 68 we find:  "(2)(a) The county canvassing board may begin the canvassing of vote-by-mail ballots upon the completion of the public testing of automatic tabulating equipment pursuant to s. 101.5612(2), but must begin such canvassing by no later than noon on the day following the election. However, notwithstanding any such authorization to begin canvassing or otherwise processing vote-by-mail ballots early, no result shall be released until after the closing of the polls in that county on election day. Any supervisor, deputy supervisor, canvassing board member, election board member, or election employee who releases the results of a canvassing or processing of vote-by-mail ballots prior to the closing of the polls in that county on election day commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084."  The testing of tabulating equipment can happen: "On any day not more than 25 days before the commencement of early voting"

Absentee/mail ballots must be processed then counted.  Both Washington and Florida are able to process their ballots upon receipt.  This means they can go through the exercise of signature matching/verification opening the ballot, reviewing that the ballot is not damage (will it run cleanly through the tabulation equipment), checking if there are write-in's...  Where Washington and Florida differ is when they can start counting/tabulating/tallying.  In Florida counties can begin tabulating votes "no more than 25 days before the commencement of early voting".  Meanwhile in Washington we are stuck waiting to tabulate "until after 8:00 p.m. on the day of the primary or election".  

Floridians know the results of a vast majority of races, unless extremely tight, before going to bed on election night.  Washingtonians sadly must go to bed not knowing the results of their elections until days or even a week later depending on how close a race is.  

Some might argue that we should just exercise patience, but why not follow Florida's example as it has already been pressure tested?