US midterm elections results 2026 explained: Why could counting take days and which states hold the key?

The US midterms will determine control of Congress, with narrow Republican majorities in both chambers and results potentially delayed by ballot counting and ranked-choice voting. Voters will also decide 36 governorships.

The US midterm elections are on us, and this time America will once again vote for which party will control the US Congress, but as usual the results of these elections might take some days to arrive at.

Control of the House of Representatives will depend on which party can reach the count of 218 seats. The Republicans are currently the majority in the House, but with the slimmest possible margin of one. There are currently two vacancies.

On the other hand, in the Senate, bar is 51 seats for the Democrats or 50 for the Republicans, since Vice President JD Vance will have the opportunity to cast his tiebreaking vote. Here also the Republican majority, 53-47, is pretty slim.

Quick answers to key questions

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QUESTIONS

Mail-in ballots, close contests, recounts and state-specific counting rules can delay final results. In California, ballots may arrive and be counted after Election Day.

If no candidate receives more than 50% of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their ballots are redistributed according to voters’ next choices. This process can take longer to complete.

The Senate battlegrounds highlighted in the articles are Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Ohio and Texas. Results in these contests could help determine which party controls the Senate.

A party needs 218 seats for a House majority. Democrats need a net gain of four Senate seats to take control; a 50–50 Senate would leave Republicans with the tie-breaking vote of Vice President JD Vance.

The first polling stations are scheduled to close at 4:30 am IST on Wednesday, November 4, and initial projections may follow within hours. Final results in close races could take several days or longer.

Why will it take a long time to reveal the winners?

Some states often take days to count their ballots. The most populous state in the US, California itself has seen thousands of mail-in ballots dropped off on Election Day. Half of the votes cast in California in 2022 were counted after Election Day, the Associated Press said.

Moreover, there are states like Alaska and Maine, which have key senatorial races this year, and these states use ranked choice voting.

Even if a candidate wins more than 50% of the votes in the first round, if no one reaches that threshold then the candidate who has the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed to the second choice of the voter. This is a process that can significantly delay results.

All eyes will be on Senate elections in n Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Ohio and Texas, while battlegrounds for the House race are scattered across the United States.

Who has the bigger purse?

The Republican Party has had a financial advantage over the Democrats. Combined, the Republican National Committee, its related congressional committees, as well as its corresponding super PACs have raised more than $2.2 billion.

On the other hand, the Democratic National Committee and its aligned committees and groups have been able to raise $1.3 billion.

However, when it comes to individual races, Democratic candidates have outperformed their GOP counterparts, raising more than $2.3 billion to about $1.6 billion.

Can Democrats pull off a milestone untouched since 2006?

For the first time since 2006, the Democrats are aiming to capture a majority of governors' officers. 36 states will be electing a governor on 3 November (local time), as they head into elections. Among the 50 US states, Republicans currently hold a 26-24 majority. If the Dems manage to pick up two more seats, they will be able to secure a majority, which had last happened for them in 2006.

As per AP, Democrats’ best opportunities to pick up a governor’s office are in Alaska, Georgia, Iowa, Nevada and Ohio.

Republicans’ best opportunity to capture an executive suite is in Kansas.

Democrats think they have a chance in Texas, Florida, Oklahoma and Nebraska while next on the GOP’s list are Wisconsin’s and Michigan’s open governor’s offices.