US Midterms Put Vote Counting and Election Trust in Focus

Millions of Americans are voting in the 2026 midterm elections on Tuesday, November 3, with control of Congress and numerous state governments at stake. However, voters may have to wait hours, days or even weeks to learn the outcomes because state election procedures, mail-in ballots and closely contested races determine how quickly results become available.

According to The Guardian, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 33 Senate seats are being contested. Additionally, 36 states are holding gubernatorial elections, alongside numerous legislative and local government contests.

Election officials typically use machines to count paper ballots, with additional hand counts and audits helping verify accuracy. Results are released in batches, while procedures such as signature verification and opportunities to correct ballot information can extend the counting process.

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, Utah, Washington and the District of Columbia automatically send mail ballots to active registered voters. According to CBS News, California accepts ballots postmarked by Election Day that arrive within the following week, although verification requirements can delay their inclusion in reported totals.

Pennsylvania and Wisconsin also face counting delays because their election laws prevent officials from processing mail ballots before Election Day. The Guardian reported that some states permit ballots postmarked by Election Day to arrive afterward, a practice upheld by the US Supreme Court.

David Becker, executive director and founder of the Center for Election Innovation & Research and a CBS News contributor, questioned whether congressional control would become clear immediately.

"If we do, then there's a very big wave going on," Becker said.

He warned that uncertainty surrounding close contests could create opportunities for political misinformation.

"It's almost certain that the candidates who think they're doing poorly are going to be spreading lies and disinformation about it, trying to fill that vacuum," Becker said.

Becker also expressed concern about President Donald Trump's potential reaction to the results, citing his conduct following the 2020 presidential election.

"I will if they're honest elections," Trump said when asked whether he would accept the midterm results regardless of the outcome.

Lawrence Norden, vice president of the Elections and Government Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, highlighted the risks associated with uncertainty during the counting period.

"It flourishes in that period of time between voting and getting the results," Norden said.

He explained that the uncertainty becomes more prolonged when candidates finish with particularly narrow margins.

"When it's super close, it's not going to matter how fast you are counting the ballots," Norden said.

Becker distinguished the actual pace of ballot processing from public expectations shaped by election coverage.

"Our perception of counting speed is not related to actual counting speed," Becker said.

He explained that election officials work to process and publish unofficial results as quickly as possible, while news organizations independently assess whether enough votes have been counted to identify a likely winner.

"Election officials are racing to unofficially count as many ballots as possible and report them out," Becker said.

He also explained how media projections influence public perceptions of election night.

"But our perception is largely driven by when the media calls elections," Becker said.

William Gates, executive director of Arizona State University's Mechanics of Democracy Laboratory, described how election projections can vary significantly between contests within the same state.

"They call the race at 8:01 (p.m.) because we all know the Democrat's going to win," Gates said, describing predictable California contests.

He contrasted those elections with closely followed contests that require additional counting and verification.

"We had some primaries that people were paying a lot of attention to — mayor of Los Angeles, the California governor's race," Gates said.

Gates also discussed Arizona's experience following the 2020 presidential election, when Maricopa County faced intense scrutiny after Joe Biden won the state. Fox News projected Biden as the winner on election night, while CBS News and other networks waited until November 12, 2020, to make their projections.

"The reality is that Arizona doesn't really take any longer to count the votes than other states," Gates said.

He attributed the heightened attention to the state's competitive political landscape and the frequency of closely contested elections.

"But the reason that they can attack us while they, you know, don't receive any comments is because we have very close elections," Gates said.

According to Gates, Maricopa County's position as a major competitive electoral district makes its results particularly susceptible to public scrutiny.

Becker emphasized that completing the entire counting and certification process on election night is not realistic.

"Election officials have never completed counting on election night," Becker said.

He pointed to the complexity of American ballots and the certification requirements imposed on every state.

"It can't be done. Our ballots are way too complex. So it's going to take some time, and every state takes weeks to certify the election," Becker said.

The Associated Press and other news organizations project winners using unofficial results, historical voting patterns, ballot return information and the number of outstanding votes. These projections do not replace official counting or certification by local authorities.

The Associated Press has said it announces a winner only when it is highly confident in the outcome. Close races may trigger automatic recounts under state or local laws, particularly when the margin falls within a narrow percentage threshold.

Changing leads during counting also do not establish evidence of electoral misconduct. Mail ballots and in-person votes can produce different voting patterns, allowing candidates who initially trail to move ahead as additional ballots are processed.

The Guardian reported that the 2024 presidential election was projected by the following morning, while the final US House race from that election was not called until December 3. The difference illustrates how congressional contests can require substantially more time to resolve.

For the 2026 elections, the first results are expected after 6 p.m. Eastern Time, or 3 p.m. Pacific Time, when polling places close in Indiana and Kentucky, according to CBC News.

Other states will report results according to their respective polling schedules, with Alaska and Hawaii scheduled to close their polls at midnight Eastern Time, or 9 p.m. Pacific Time.

Final election outcomes will remain subject to local canvassing and official certification, even after news organizations project winners.