Politics1 min read

Why it could take a while to know who will control Congress

By · Via PBS NewsHour · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The Associated Press is tracking all 435 House seats and 35 Senate contests to determine if parties can reach the required majorities. Republicans currently maintain narrow margins in both chambers, needing 218 House seats and 50 Senate seats to secure control. Recent history highlights these regular delays, as House control took eight full days to officially verify in both the 2022 and 2024 election cycles. Vote redistribution procedures from ranked choice voting in Maine and Alaska also threaten to prolong the timeline if candidates fail to clear the initial majority threshold.

Key points

  • Prolonged vote tabulations across both chambers are standard outcomes driven by razor-thi…: Prolonged vote tabulations across both chambers are standard outcomes driven by razor-thin margins rather than unexpected procedural failures.
  • Ranked choice systems in states like Alaska and Maine require time-consuming vote redistr…: Ranked choice systems in states like Alaska and Maine require time-consuming vote redistributions if no candidate wins over 50 percent initially.
  • The Associated Press will refrain from projecting winners until trailing candidates have…: The Associated Press will refrain from projecting winners until trailing candidates have no mathematical path to close the vote deficit.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

By — Mike Catalini, Associated Press Mike Catalini, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/why-it-could-take-a-while-to-know-who-will-control-congress Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Why it could take a while to know who will control Congress Politics Nov 3, 2026 11:40 AM EST WASHINGTON (AP) — The stakes in Tuesday's election — which party will control Congress — are crystal clear. But when that will be known is impossible to say. The Associated Press will be calling races in all 435 House districts and the 35 Senate contests that are up for election this year. Control of the House depends on which party reaches 218 seats. Currently, 219 members caucus with Republicans, just one more than the minimum needed for a majority when all seats are filled. There are two vacancies now. Stand with free and independent journalism. Join Press Pass from PBS News The bar for the Senate is 51 seats for Democrats or 50 for Republicans, since Vice President JD Vance can cast a tiebreaking vote for his party. Republicans have a 53-47…

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