Midterm elections are here, and the question is — should you stay up late to know election results? Or will we even know anything tonight?
All of the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are on the ballot, 35 Senate seats and 36 states will be voting for governor in these midterm elections. This election will determine what the majority is in the Senate and in the House.
Here are some of the races that we might not have results for on Tuesday night.
Arizona
Two key races in Arizona include the race for Senate seat and the governor. Officials in the highest populated county, Maricopa County, predict that counting ballots could take as long as 12 days following the election, The Washington Post reported.
Alaska
Some experts are predicting that the results of the Alaska congressional races could remain unknown until as late as Nov. 23, per The Washington Post.
“This is nothing new for us, folks, “ Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Ala., told The Washington Post. “Don’t be alarmed.”
Pennsylvania
Officials in the state are “already warning” to expect delays in knowing election results in one of the most hotly contested races in the country. John Fetterman and Dr. Mehmet Oz are contending for the open Senate seat, per Reuters.
Why does it take so long to know election results?
It all goes back to how voters are allowed to vote and how those votes get counted. Experts warn to be wary about initial reports. Depending on when a state counts mail-in ballots, it could skew more Republican or Democrat, per Reuters.
“It’s very likely we will know virtually nothing on election night, and that is normal,” David Becker, the founder and executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, told The Guardian.
Why lawsuits could slow down election results
Another issue with getting quick results is that some battleground states are already experiencing litigation around election results. As of Nov. 3, at least 120 cases have been filed, mostly focused on how voting takes place, including absentee and mail in ballot voting. Other cases involve criticism of election officials, hand-counting and voting machines, according to CNN.
Here are the midterms live updates reported by Deseret News.