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More than a dozen key races remain too early to call one week after Election Day
One week after Election Day, more than a dozen races remained uncalled, leaving the final sizes of Democrats’ majorities in Congress uncertain. Democrats were on track to hold 54 Senate seats and had won 255 House seats, their largest House majority since 2008, with further gains possible as counting continued.
In Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom led Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith by about 2,600 votes, while in Alaska Democrat Mary Peltola led Senator Dan Sullivan by about 2,500, with 76% of votes counted. Mississippi still had provisional and absentee ballots to process, with results due to be certified on 3 December; Alaska’s remaining ballot count and possible ranked-choice tabulation could extend into November. Several House contests were also close, including four unresolved races in North Carolina, where candidates can request a recount if the margin is 1% or less.
In short
- More than a dozen congressional races were still uncalled.
- Democrats had won 255 House seats and were on track for 54 Senate seats.
- Close contests in Mississippi and Alaska could add to Democrats’ Senate total.
Explained simply
US elections are held at different levels of government, including contests for the Senate and House of Representatives, which together make up Congress. Each state elects two senators, while House seats are divided among states by population; voters also choose governors and other state officials.
Election results may remain uncertain after polling day because officials still need to count ballots, including postal and provisional votes. Close contests can lead to recounts, and Alaska uses ranked-choice voting, in which later preferences on ballots may be counted if no candidate wins outright.
The final results determine how many seats each party holds and can affect its ability to pass legislation. States have their own counting and certification schedules, so the outcome of some races can take longer to confirm.