The 2018 midterm elections have been a top news story for months now, and with election day upon us, many are wondering when we will finally see some results.
Americans have the chance to vote for congressional representatives, senators and state officials on Tuesday. These races will have a huge impact on policy moving forward, as a Democratic House or Senate could effectively stall the Trump administration — or even begin seeking a means of impeachment. However, because states control the way voting is done within their borders, it will be some time before the results of the election are in.
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All states require the polls to be open at 6 a.m. on election day, according to a report by Express. They can close at different times, however, ranging from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. across the country. A full list of polling times by state is available here.
In the meantime, each poling location will begin counting results as soon as they close for the day. Obviously, it is hard to predict how long this will take, as one must account for the size of the state, the unpredictable turnout and of course the possibility of snafus or malfunctions. However, looking at previous years we can get a ball park estimate for the results.
In the 2014 midterm elections, the Associate Press confirmed that the Republican party had the majority in the Senate at 11:25 p.m. This means that, with any luck, we can get some idea of which party holds the legislative branch of the government by midnight tonight.
For individual races, the wait could be much longer. It is not safe to expect reliable results for the entire country until at least 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 7. On the other hand, interest is at an all-time high in this election, as so many Americans are obsessed with the Trump administration — one way or the other. With all eyes on them, polling locations could either take their time to make sure they get it right, or work relentlessly to bring people the results they want.
At the same time, the increased interest has placed extra attention on a few notable races across the nation. Many people are hyper-focused on the race between Senator Ted Cruz and Beto O’Rourke in Texas, which means that national news outlets will likely watch that one closely. Another historic race is that for Georgia Governor, which has come down to Brian Kemp and Stacey Abrams. Abrams stands to become the first black female U.S. governor in history if she wins.
A summary of major election results will likely be available by midnight on Tuesday, while a fully detailed accounting of the election will be in the headlines tomorrow.
