Media outlets will begin projecting winners within hours of the polls closing on November 3, 2026. These projections are just that: projections. They are unofficial. Outlets base them on votes counted up to that point, and, in some cases, voter surveys. Vote counting and other post-election procedures continue for days or weeks depending on the state. The results become official only once states complete the certification process.
There is no federal deadline for certifying results in non-presidential elections, such as the 2026 midterms. That’s up to the states, and they have deadlines and procedures for counting votes, reviewing results, and certifying elections. As a result, some states require certification in less than a week, while others allow several weeks.
