US midterm results may take days to settle control of Congress

Americans will begin receiving results from the closely contested US midterm elections on Tuesday evening, but the balance of power in Congress could remain uncertain for days. Democrats are seeking to wrest both chambers from President Donald Trump’s Republican Party, with all 435 House of Representatives seats and 35 of the Senate’s 100 seats being contested.

Voting ends first in parts of Indiana and Kentucky at 6pm Eastern Standard Time, or 23:00 GMT. Poll closures will continue across the country throughout the evening. California and Washington close at 11pm EST, followed by Hawaii and most of Alaska at midnight. The last polling places, in the remaining parts of Alaska, including the western Aleutian Islands, close at 1am EST on Wednesday.

Initial tallies will show ballots counted rather than necessarily establish winners. Election officials publish totals as processing proceeds, while news organisations such as The Associated Press assess whether a contest can be called. Decisive margins can allow calls before every ballot is counted, but tight races may require hours or days of additional reporting. Official certification follows later.

Mail voting could extend the count in several states. California conducts elections mainly by mail, with large batches arriving and undergoing verification after voting ends, potentially leaving close House contests unresolved for days or weeks. Arizona counties must check signatures on mail ballots dropped off on Election Day. Washington also counts ballots after election night if they were postmarked by Election Day.

In Nevada, ballots are mailed to every registered voter, and those postmarked by Election Day may arrive as much as four days afterward. Voters have six days after the election to correct signature problems, potentially pushing results into the following week. Alaska and Maine use ranked-choice voting, which can require additional counting. If Alaska’s Senate contest needs another ranked-choice tabulation, that round is scheduled for November 18.

Other states could provide substantial totals earlier. According to The Associated Press, Florida had counted about 99 percent of its votes by 10:51pm EST in the 2024 general election. Ohio typically includes all or nearly all early and absentee votes in its initial release, while North Carolina is expected to include most mail voting results in its first update.

Previous reporting patterns offer some indication of how the night could unfold, without establishing when winners will be known. Pennsylvania reached 90 percent reporting at 12:48am EST the morning after the 2024 election, and Wisconsin reached that level at 2:22am. Establishing House control took eight days in 2024. This year, many individual races could be called on Tuesday, while congressional majorities remain unsettled.

Recounts and court challenges could further lengthen the process. Depending on state law, a narrow margin may trigger an automatic recount or allow a candidate to request one. Candidates can also contest results in court. Such disputes may take days, weeks or longer to resolve.

Trump has questioned whether he would accept the outcome, saying, “I will if there are honest elections.” However, the president cannot overturn congressional results simply by rejecting them. Individual states administer and certify elections, and challenges must proceed through established legal processes. The Constitution gives the House and Senate final authority over election disputes concerning their own members.