Overview
- Election night is underway with returns arriving unevenly because states close polls at different times and count ballots under different rules.
- Pre‑election polling shows Democrats with an edge and they must net at least three House seats and four Senate seats to win control.
- News organizations will publish exit polls and may project individual winners when the data meet statistical thresholds, even before official certification.
- Alaska’s Senate contest between Mary Peltola and Dan Sullivan and other races using ranked‑choice voting require vote redistribution steps that can delay final results.
- Final control of Congress could take days or longer to determine because mail and early ballots often take extra time to process and close contests can prompt recounts or legal challenges.