When will we know 2026 midterm election results? It may take some time, but that's normal

Waiting days to learn who won a midterm race is ordinary, and so is a trailing candidate overtaking a rival after election night, according to PolitiFact reporting carried by PBS NewsHour. Even so, politicians and their allies have previously portrayed late-arriving ballots as evidence of fraud, or claimed that only Democratic-led cities count slowly.

Election technology expert Ryan Macias says states all follow their own legislatures' rules; what varies is how soon the media can confidently project a winner, usually depending on the margin. Joe Lenski of SSRS notes that some Senate and House contests remain open for days, and in Alaska and California possibly a week or two. Competitive Senate races include Michigan, Maine, Iowa, Alaska, Kansas and Texas, and recounts can add more time.

Mail ballots take longer because workers must verify voters' identities. California accepts ballots postmarked by Election Day and received within a week, a policy the Supreme Court upheld in June, and its counties have 13 days to report most results. In Detroit, officials expect about 95% of ballots reported on election night, though Daniel A. Baxter, the city's chief of operations for elections, called that an estimate rather than a guarantee.

Summarized by PolitiKool from PBS NewsHour’s reporting. Read the full story at PBS NewsHour →