Midterm results could take days to confirm
The Associated Press will only announce winners when a gap becomes insurmountable, a process that previously took up to eight days for the House.
By Rebecca Foster ·
Voters in the United States face a wait of several days before it is known which party holds the majority in Congress. The Associated Press, which is tasked with calling the 435 House districts and 35 Senate races, does not release projections. The network declares a winner only when it determines that the trailing candidate can no longer close the gap.
The path to a confirmed result has grown slower in recent cycles. In 2024, the AP called the Senate majority the day after Election Day, while the House result waited eight days. The 2022 midterm elections followed a similar pattern, with the Senate call arriving four days after voting and the House call arriving eight days after.
Current margins make the final count delicate. Republicans hold 219 House seats, but two vacancies exist. A party needs 218 seats to control the chamber. In the Senate, Republicans hold a 53 to 47 advantage. Democrats need 51 seats to claim control, while Republicans need 50, as Vice President JD Vance provides the tiebreaking vote.
Statewide counting procedures extend the timeline. California, the most populous state, relies heavily on mail ballots. In 2022, half of the state's votes were counted after Election Day. Alaska and Maine, both with key Senate contests, use ranked choice voting. If no candidate secures 50 percent of the vote in the first round, the lowest candidate is eliminated and votes are redistributed. This process adds time to the final tally.
