Midterm elections 2026: how are votes counted and when will we know the results?
Also reported by Al Jazeera
Summary
Election officials count and verify ballots under state and local rules, so the timing of results varies by state and race. News organizations may project winners from unofficial results, but officials still count all valid ballots and later certify the results.Key Facts
- All 435 House seats and 33 Senate seats are up for election in 2026.
- Governors’ offices in 36 states are also on the ballot, along with state and local races.
- Voters can cast ballots in person or by mail, and rules for accepting and counting mail ballots differ by state.
- Paper ballots are usually counted by machines, with audits and partial hand counts used to check results.
- Some states accept mail ballots for several days after Election Day if they were postmarked by Election Day.
- Narrow results may trigger recounts under state or local laws, delaying a final outcome.
- Local authorities canvass and certify results; news organizations can project winners earlier based on unofficial counts.
- In 2024, all states except California had counted more than 75% of votes within two days, according to MIT’s Election Data and Science Lab.
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