Millions of American voters are participating in midterm elections that could change the power structure in Washington.
The results of this election will determine which party will control Congress: the Republican Party, led by U.S. President Donald Trump, or the opposition Democratic Party.
Even after voting closes, it may take hours, days, or even weeks for the election results to be confirmed.
Let's look at when we will know the results of the midterm elections and what the main issues are.
When will the election results and congressional leadership be decided?
The U.S. Congress consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
218 seats are needed to secure a majority in the House of Representatives. The Senate has a majority of 51 seats, but if the ruling and opposition parties are tied at 50-50, the Vice President's party has control of the Senate because the Vice President exercises a casting vote.
The first vote counting results are expected to start coming out after 6 PM Eastern time (8 AM on the 4th in Korean time).
However, it is difficult to gauge the direction of the overall election based solely on the initial vote counting results. This is because Kentucky and Indiana are classified as Republican-dominated regions, and Vermont is classified as Democratic-dominated regions.
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While the vote count is in progress, BBC analysts will pay attention to competitive areas to gauge whether the election trend is in favor of President Trump.
There are several areas in the Eastern Time Zone where close races are expected for Senate seats.
Voting closes in Ohio at 7:30 p.m. (9:30 a.m. on the 4th, Korean time) and in Maine at 8:00 p.m. (10 a.m. on the 4th, Korean time). The results of the vote count in these regions can be an early indicator of the overall public sentiment of voters.
In some key constituencies, U.S. media outlets may begin to announce the victory of a particular candidate.
Media companies use various analysis models to predict which party or candidate won even before the entire vote count is complete.
This is a method of declaring victory when it is determined that a specific candidate is ahead to the point where there is no possibility of being overtaken by a rival candidate.
However, in some areas where the race is close, it may take a considerable amount of time for media outlets to predict the winner.
When the overall election results will be revealed is expected to depend on the degree of competition and which region's election results determine the final winner.
When will the 2022 midterm election results be released?
During the 2022 midterm elections, the Republican Party and the Democratic Party were locked in a fierce battle for control of Congress until November 9, the day after the election.
Although the Republican Party was widely predicted to win the House of Representatives, the race for control of the Senate remained tense until the last minute.
It took several days for the full election results to be outlined.
CBS News predicted on November 17 that the Republican Party won the 218 seats needed to secure a majority in the House of Representatives.
In Nevada, a key battleground that would determine the direction of the Senate, it took four days just to count the votes.
The Democratic Party won this region by a narrow margin, increasing the number of Senate seats to 50, and was able to maintain control of the Senate thanks to the casting vote of then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
In Georgia, a runoff election was held for the Senate race after no candidate received a majority of the votes in the November election.
The final results were not released until December 7, as the Democratic candidate won the seat.
What are the major competitive regions to watch out for in 2026?
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Cook Political Report, a non-partisan election analysis organization, classified the Senate elections in seven states, including Alaska, Kansas, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, and Texas, as extremely close.
Of these, six seats are currently occupied by Republicans, and the remaining one is a Democratic seat.
For the Democratic Party to win a majority in the Senate, it must secure four seats in these swing districts and also win four other districts classified as Democratic-leaning or likely to win. In this way, a total of 51 seats can be secured.
If the Democratic Party cannot keep Michigan's seats, securing a majority in the Senate will become much more difficult.
In Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive political outsider, is running against Republican candidate Mike Rogers, a close associate of President Trump and a former FBI agent.
The Democratic Party is also expecting victory in Texas. If former teacher James Talarico defeats Ken Paxton, the current state attorney general and close ally of President Trump, Texas will have a Democratic senator for the first time since 1988.
In the House of Representatives, Republicans currently hold a narrow lead. The Republican Party holds the 218 seats needed to secure a majority, and there is one independent member who votes with the Republican Party.
Some of the hottest battlegrounds in House elections are in the eastern United States, according to the Cook Political Report. Representative examples include New York's 17th Congressional District, Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District, and Virginia's 1st Congressional District.
When does voting close?
The results of the voter poll will be announced at 5 PM Eastern Time (7 AM on the 4th, Korean Time).
Through this, it is possible to gauge what issues voters consider most important.
Voting will close first in Kentucky and Indiana at 6 p.m. (8 a.m. on the 4th, Korean time).
Afterwards, attention is expected to focus on the vote counting situation in the following seven major competitive regions.
How is the vote counting done?
In the United States, each state manages its own elections, so the way ballots are processed and counted varies from state to state.
Which votes are counted first also varies by state. While some states, like Florida, process early voting and mail-in ballots before Election Day, some states begin counting votes on November 3rd.
Local election management authorities are sometimes handled by the National Election Commission or elected officials. They check the validity of individual votes, process them, and then count them. This process is called ‘canvassing.’
Most states require an official audit to be conducted after the election. In this process, ballots are manually recounted and compared with the mechanical counting results.
However, specific regulations vary by state, and manually recounting all ballots is generally only done when a recount is necessary.
Each state and local government has strict regulations regarding who can participate in the vote counting process, the order in which ballots are processed, and what procedures are open to the public.
This includes a process where observers from each political party can watch the vote counting process and, in some states, file formal objections.
image copyrightBloomberg via Getty Images
Why may vote counting be delayed?
In areas where races are close, it may take more time to count votes. This is because there is a possibility that a recount may proceed or lead to a legal dispute.
Mail-in ballots take significantly more time to count than regular votes because envelopes must be processed and signatures verified.
More than 30 states allow mail-in ballots to be processed before Election Day, but some do not.
Because of this, it may take several days for the vote counting results to come out in some areas.
In California, all ballots must be mailed on or before Election Day. However, ballots that arrive within 7 days after election day are also included in the counting.
Since election regulations and policies differ from state to state, delays in counting votes may occur systematically.
Because ranked-choice voting is applied in Alaska, it may take much more time to count votes than in other regions.
The controversy surrounding the ballot paper may also lead to a legal dispute and delay the announcement of results.
What if the election results are challenged?
After all votes are reflected in the final results and procedures such as recounts are completed, the election results are officially certified.
Certification is first done at the local government level, such as the county.
A statewide certification process is then conducted, which is generally handled by the State Board of Elections, with the Secretary of State participating.
The governor then signs a document certifying the elected representatives and senators and submits it to the National Assembly.
The election results may be challenged. Candidates can request a recount in closely contested areas, and in some states, a recount occurs automatically if the vote difference is within a certain range.
Additionally, candidates can file a legal challenge if they believe there was a problem with the election process.
Ultimately, Congress has the authority to make the decision. Candidates who lose in the House of Representatives and Senate elections can appeal the election results to Congress according to slightly different procedures.
In theory, the Senate and House of Representatives could deny a particular elected candidate entry into Congress or order a separate investigation.
When do newly elected lawmakers begin their terms?
The terms of office for existing lawmakers end on Sunday, January 3.
Because that date falls on a weekend, newly elected lawmakers can also begin their terms on the same date, unless Congress passes a bill setting a separate date.
*Additional reporting: James Fitzgerald, Yasmina Garcia-Fernández, Tom Gighegan, Mike Hills
