US Midterm Elections Begins 2026: When Will Results Be Declared, How Are Votes Counted? Explained

With voting underway in the US midterm elections, one of the biggest questions is when Americans will know which candidates have won. However, there is no fixed timeline for the declaration of results, as vote counting is managed independently by local authorities across different states, each following its own rules and procedures.

While the outcome of some contests may become clear shortly after polling ends, closely fought races could take several hours, days or even weeks to determine a winner.

This year's midterm elections will decide all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 33 seats in the Senate. Additionally, voters are choosing governors in 36 states, alongside candidates in numerous statewide and legislative contests. Elections are also being held for local councils and school boards.

The gap between the end of voting and the announcement of results can sometimes create uncertainty and an information vacuum. Such situations can be exploited by partisan groups to circulate misinformation and allegations of electoral fraud.

US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly denied the results of his 2020 election defeat and questioned other election outcomes he disagreed with, has attempted to assert federal control over elections. However, courts have rejected those efforts. Election officials are now preparing for possible interference in the electoral process.

Here's how votes are counted in the US midterm elections, how news organisations declare winners and why some results may take longer than others.

US Midterm Elections: How Are Votes Counted?

American voters can cast their ballots in person during early voting or on Election Day. Millions also vote through postal ballots.

The rules governing mail-in voting vary across states. While some states automatically send mail ballots to all registered voters, others allow voters to request them.

In certain states, ballots sent through the mail can be counted even after Election Day, provided they carry a postmark dated on or before Election Day. The US Supreme Court recently upheld this practice.

Most paper ballots are counted using machines, with partial manual counting and audits conducted to verify the accuracy of the results. Vote totals are generally uploaded and reported in batches rather than all at once.

In some jurisdictions, mail ballots received on Election Day are processed in advance, with their results released shortly after polling stations close. This usually happens around an hour after the closure of polling.

Another factor that can affect the counting process is the provision allowing voters to correct errors or provide additional information on their mail ballots. These procedures are known as curing periods.

Voters may be given an opportunity to verify their signatures or submit missing information to ensure their ballots are included in the final count. Such ballots are often among the last to be tabulated.

Consequently, counting may take longer in densely populated areas or states that have broader voting access provisions, including universal mail voting and curing periods.

However, a delayed result does not necessarily indicate a problem with the electoral process. Closely contested races also require greater scrutiny because every ballot could potentially influence the final outcome.

According to the MIT Election Data and Science Lab, even the slowest-counting states had tabulated a majority of their votes within approximately eight hours in the 2024 elections. All states except California had counted more than 75% of their votes within two days.

When Are US Election Results Considered Final?

Although media organisations may declare winners before every ballot has been counted, election results are not officially final until the votes have been canvassed and certified by local authorities.

The canvassing process involves reviewing and confirming the vote totals before the results receive official certification.

In extremely close contests, the margin between candidates may trigger an automatic recount under state or local election laws. These recounts can significantly delay the final declaration of results.

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Media organisations generally avoid calling races when the margin falls within the threshold for an automatic recount.

Unlike presidential elections, US midterm elections do not involve the Electoral College. Therefore, there is no requirement to follow the separate electoral vote process that determines the winner of a presidential contest.

How Do News Organisations Declare Election Winners?

News organisations, particularly the Associated Press (AP), play an important role in projecting winners during US elections.

They analyse early and unofficial vote counts to determine which candidate is most likely to have won a particular contest. These projections, however, do not affect the official counting or certification process. Election authorities continue counting all ballots and completing the required procedures even after a media organisation has declared a winner.

Candidates often wait for the AP and other news organisations to call a race before announcing victory. However, in particularly close contests, some candidates may refuse to concede even after a media organisation has projected their opponent as the winner.

The Associated Press has maintained that it does not declare a winner unless it is "highly confident of the outcome".

Its research team examines several factors, including local election rules, counting procedures, previous election results and patterns in ballot returns.

In some constituencies, particularly those considered strongly partisan or where candidates face little meaningful opposition, a winner can be projected shortly after the initial results become available.

The difference in counting timelines was evident during the 2024 elections. The presidential race was called in the early morning hours of the following day. However, according to the MIT Election Data and Science Lab, the final US House race from the 2024 elections was not called until December 3.

Can Election Winners Change Overnight?

It is possible for a candidate leading in the initial count to lose that advantage as additional ballots are tabulated.

This is a normal part of the counting process and does not, by itself, indicate electoral manipulation.

However, President Trump and his allies have previously alleged, without providing evidence, that election officials discovered additional ballots or introduced fake votes into the counting process during overnight hours to change the outcome of races.

Such changes in the lead are sometimes described as a "red mirage" or "blue shift". The terms refer to situations in which a Republican candidate initially leads but subsequently loses that advantage as more votes are counted.

One of the factors behind these shifts is the pattern of mail-in voting. Depending on the state and voting preferences of different groups, mail ballots may produce different results from those recorded during in-person voting.

These patterns are not uniform across the country. They have also changed in recent years as voters' perceptions of the safety and reliability of mail-in voting have evolved.

As a result, the candidate leading in the initial count may not necessarily be the eventual winner once all eligible ballots are included.

Will Donald Trump Interfere In The US Midterm Vote Counting?

Concerns about possible interference in the electoral process have become an important part of the political atmosphere surrounding the midterm elections.

Distrust in election results among Republican voters has increased, with President Trump playing a prominent role in promoting claims of electoral fraud and questioning election outcomes.

Meanwhile, Democratic and independent voters have expressed concerns that Trump could attempt to influence the counting, tabulation or certification of votes.

During the 2020 presidential election, Trump attempted to pressure election officials into overturning the results. Those efforts were unsuccessful. However, concerns have been raised that more Trump loyalists now occupy positions of power than they did in 2020.

Election officials across the country have maintained that sufficient checks and balances exist to prevent attempts to overturn results, seize ballots or otherwise interfere with the electoral process.

Courts have also repeatedly blocked such efforts in the past.

As the midterm elections progress, the counting and certification processes will remain under close scrutiny. While some winners may emerge within hours of polling ending, the final outcome in closely contested races could take considerably longer to establish.

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