A full result could take days: when will we know the US midterms outcome?

What the results will decide

The elections determine which party controls Congress, made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Republicans currently hold the House by a narrow margin, with 218 representatives—the number needed for control—and an independent who votes with them.

Seven Senate races are rated toss-ups by the Cook Political Report: Alaska, Kansas, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Ohio and Texas. If Democrats lose their Michigan seat, securing a Senate majority becomes much harder. Democrat Abdul El-Sayed is challenging Republican Mike Rogers, a Trump ally and former FBI agent.

When early clues may arrive

A voter poll is due at 17:00 EST (22:00 GMT), offering an indication of the issues on voters’ minds. The first election results are expected after 18:00 EST (23:00 GMT), from Kentucky, Indiana and Vermont—states considered safe for Republicans or Democrats, so early figures may reveal little about the overall outcome.

Ohio polls close at 19:30 EST (00:30 GMT), where Republican Senator Jon Husted is neck-and-neck with Democrat Sherrod Brown. At 20:00 EST (01:00 GMT), voting ends in Maine and in most of Michigan, Kansas and Texas. Iowa and remaining parts of Michigan, along with Kansas and Texas, close at 21:00 EST (02:00 GMT). Alaska’s polls close at 01:00 EST (06:00 GMT).

Why counting can take days

Each state sets its own election rules. Local officials verify, process and count ballots in a process called canvassing, following rules on who can take part, how votes are handled and whether partisan observers can watch or raise challenges.

Recent races offer a warning

In 2022, control of Congress remained uncertain the day after the midterms. CBS News projected Republicans had won the 218 House seats needed for a majority on 17 November, several days after election day.

Georgia’s Senate contest went to a runoff because no candidate received more than 50% in November. This year, a close Alaska race has drawn attention over a second candidate named Dan Sullivan appearing on the ballot.