Election night results could take days to finalize

The 2026 midterm election voting concludes Tuesday, with vote counting beginning immediately but potentially lasting for weeks.

Control of the House is expected to become clear earlier due to larger margins, while the Senate race remains uncertain. Seven states feature particularly competitive Senate contests, and two of those states use ranked choice voting, a method that can extend the counting process. The House outcome likely depends on multiple seats, whereas the Senate could hinge on a single result.

Polls in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Virginia, and Vermont close at 7 p.m. Eastern Time. In Georgia, Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff is projected to defeat Republican Representative Mike Collins for the Senate seat. The governor’s race between Republican Rick Jackson and Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms is described as one of the most competitive in the South. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger noted that new laws require counties to report results within one hour of polls closing. In South Carolina, the Senate race between appointed Republican Senator Darline Graham and Democrat Annie Andrews is considered a toss-up by national polls, though the Cook Political Report gives Republicans the advantage.

Polls close at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time in North Carolina, Ohio, and West Virginia. North Carolina is viewed as the most likely state for Democrats to flip a Senate seat. The race is between former Governor Roy Cooper and Michael Whatley, a former Republican National Committee chairman. Democrats last won a Senate race in the state in 2008. In Ohio, Republican Senator Jon Husted and former Senator Sherrod Brown are deadlocked. The governor’s race features Democrat Amy Acton leading Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, who recently released an attack ad featuring Acton’s estranged mother.

At 8 p.m. Eastern Time, polls close in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Washington, and D.C. This marks the closing of polls in more than half the country. Maine’s Senate race pits incumbent Republican Susan Collins against late-entry Democrat Troy Jackson. Collins holds a seat in the only state won by Kamala Harris in 2024 where a Republican currently serves. In Florida, Republican Representative Byron Donalds holds a slight poll advantage in the governor’s race over Democrat David Jolly. The state’s redrawn congressional maps create seven competitive House seats, two of which are toss-ups according to the Cook Political Report. Pennsylvania’s three toss-up House races now lean toward Democrats.

Polls close at 9 p.m. Eastern Time in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. At this point, polls are closed in more than 80% of the states. Arizona’s governor’s race between Democrat Katie Hobbs and Republican Andy Biggs has tilted toward Hobbs. In Texas, Democrat James Talarico challenges Republican Ken Paxton for governor. Talarico may take an early lead due to early voting data, while Paxton may gain ground as counties report totals. The governor’s race between Greg Abbott and Gina Hinojosa remains close, with Abbott favored. In Kansas, Democrat Adam Hamilton has made the Senate race against Republican Roger Marshall too close to call. Iowa’s open Senate race between Republican Ashley Hinson and Democrat Josh Turek is considered close, with three of the state’s four Republican-held congressional seats competitive.

Michigan’s Senate race between Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers remains a toss-up. The governor’s race favors Democrat Jocelyn Benson over Republican John James. Minnesota’s Senate race between Democrat Peggy Flanagan and Republican Michelle Tafoya is a long-shot pickup target for Republicans. The race is complicated by questions regarding fraud in state agencies under Flanagan’s watch. Competitive House races continue in Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, and New York.

Polls close at 10 p.m. Eastern Time in Montana, Nevada, and Utah. Montana’s 1st Congressional District features a toss-up race between Democrat Sam Forstag and Republican Aaron Flint. The Senate race includes independent candidate Seth Bodnar, who is seen as having a shot against the Republican incumbent. In Nevada, Republican Governor Joe Lombardo faces Democrat Aaron Ford in a toss-up governor’s race.

Polls close at 11 p.m. Eastern Time in California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. California’s congressional map was redrawn by voters in 2025 in response to redistricting efforts by President Trump. This change made the state less competitive for Republicans, with close races tilting toward Democrats in the final weeks.