From BBC News · · 3m
When America will know who won the midterms
Results could take hours, days or weeks. Here's the timeline and what to watch.
In brief
Results could take hours, days or weeks. Here's the timeline and what to watch. US midterm elections determine which party controls Congress. Results may not be known for weeks depending on how tight races are and state counting rules. Originally reported by BBC News.
What's at stake in these midterms
Millions of Americans are voting in midterm elections that will determine which party controls Congress. The outcome could significantly impact President Donald Trump's presidency.
How many seats each party needs
To win the House of Representatives, a party needs two hundred eighteen seats. In the Senate, a party needs fifty-one seats for an outright majority, or fifty if the vice-president breaks a tie.
When first results arrive
First results will start coming in after six pm Eastern Standard Time, eleven pm GMT. But early races in Kentucky and Indiana are considered safe bets, so they won't reveal much about the overall outcome.
Key Senate races to watch early
Tight Senate contests in Ohio and Maine close at seven thirty pm and eight pm Eastern time respectively. These races could provide early indications of how the electorate is voting across the country.
How media outlets project winners
US media outlets use models to project which way a state has voted before the full vote count is complete.
What happened in twenty twenty-two
In twenty twenty-two, Republicans and Democrats remained in a tight race for Congress on November ninth, a day after the midterms. The full picture took several days to emerge.
House result took ten days
CBS News projected Republicans had secured the two hundred eighteen seats needed for a House majority on November seventeenth, twenty twenty-two. That was ten days after the midterm elections.
Nevada Senate race took four days
Counting in Nevada's crucial Senate race took four days. Democrats' narrow victory brought them to fifty seats, allowing them to retain control because then Vice-President Kamala Harris held a tie-breaking vote.
Georgia runoff took until December
Georgia's Senate contest required a runoff election because no candidate passed the fifty percent mark in November. Results were not available until December seventh, when Democrats won the seat.
Seven toss-up Senate races
Cook Political Report identifies seven Senate races as toss-ups: Alaska, Kansas, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Ohio and Texas. Six are held by Republicans and one by Democrats.
Democrats' path to Senate control
Democrats need to win four of the seven toss-up seats plus four classed as likely or leaning Democratic to reach fifty-one and take Senate control. Losing Michigan makes this much harder.
Why vote counting takes time
Each state administers elections with its own rules. Some process mail ballots before election day; others only begin on November third. Mail-in ballots take considerably longer to count as officials verify signatures.
Alaska's ranked-choice voting
In Alaska, ranked-choice voting could mean tabulations take considerably longer than elsewhere. Controversy over ballots could mean legal challenges complicate the process further.
When new members take office
Outgoing members of Congress leave office on Sunday, January third. New members may take office on the same date unless Congress passes a law setting a different day.
The takeaway
US midterm elections determine which party controls Congress. Results may not be known for weeks depending on how tight races are and state counting rules.
