US midterm Election Day arrives with key races possibly uncalled for days
The gist
Voters head to the polls for the 2026 US midterms on Nov.
Control of Congress may hinge on slow mail-ballot counts in several states.
How it unfolded
- Oct 30, 2026Votebeat publishes a state-by-state guide to poll-closing times and counting speed, noting it is very possible, even likely, that the Senate, House or other key races will not be known on the night of Nov. 3.
- Oct 30, 2026PBS News announces election night special coverage; some 4,000 AP journalists will collect results from local precincts and election offices, with around 1,000 vote-entry clerks entering totals.
- Nov 2, 2026Georgia's Secretary of State's office says more than 2.7 million ballots were accepted in person statewide during early voting; over 63,000 cast in-person early ballots in Chatham County.