When to expect midterm results by state
The gist
Polls closed across the US on Nov. 3, but key races may take days or weeks.
State rules and margins decide when a winner is known, not election night.
How it unfolded
- Nov 5, 2024In the 2024 election, Alaska was the last state to reach 95% of ballots counted, and its lone House race was not called by the AP until Nov. 20.
- 2024The House race with the smallest final margin, 187 votes, was not called until 29 days after the election; House control was called 8 days after the election and Senate control at 12:06 a.m. on election night.
- Oct 30, 2026Votebeat reported that counting more than 100 million ballots takes time, and key races may well not be known on the night of Nov. 3.