As Americans vote in the 2026 midterm elections on Tuesday, attention will soon turn from polling booths to counting rooms. Millions of ballots cast early, by mail and in person, must be tallied across thousands of counties, and the process can confuse even seasoned observers.
The key point is that the numbers seen on election night are unofficial. News organisations such as the Associated Press (AP) will project winners first, but official results are certified only weeks later, following a formal verification process.
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All 435 House seats, 35 Senate seats and 36 governorships are on the ballot. A party generally needs 218 seats in the House to secure a majority.
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Who Counts The Votes
The United States has no nationwide body responsible for collecting and releasing election results. Counting is handled locally by county and state election officials. News agencies employ vote-count reporters who work with local officials to gather results directly from the counties or precincts where ballots are first counted.
Election Night Results
Officials publish unofficial results after polls close. These figures change as in-person, mail-in, provisional, overseas and military ballots are counted. Each state has its own rules governing when different types of ballots can be counted.
Election-night counts in every state include most ballots cast in person on Election Day. Some also include early or absentee ballots, while counting often continues for several days afterwards. Even a "100% precincts reporting" figure is still unofficial.
How Winners Are Called
A race call is a media declaration, not a legal result. News organisations declare a winner only when they conclude that no other candidate can overtake the leader once all votes are counted. These calls are not based on campaign lobbying, announcements by other outlets or victory speeches.
A race may be declared "too close to call" if there is no clear winner, even after all ballots except provisional and late-arriving absentee ballots have been counted.
Canvass And Certification
The official result comes through the canvass. In this process, local officials review the unofficial results, correct any reporting errors and finalise the totals. The process covers mail, overseas, early, Election Day and provisional ballots.
Results are then certified by a local board, the state's chief election official or a state canvassing board, depending on the state. This typically takes weeks.
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Recounts
Once results are certified, some close races can go to a recount. The margin of victory determines whether a recount is triggered, while the timing depends on the state. A recount helped Al Franken win his Minnesota Senate seat in 2008.
What To Expect On Election Night
Many races will be called on Tuesday night or early Wednesday. Tight contests and states that count mail-in ballots slowly could take several days to resolve. A projected winner is not official until the state certifies the result.
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