Key facts
- A party needs 218 seats for a House majority and 51 for an outright Senate majority, per the report.
- Republicans held 218 House seats, the exact number needed for control, plus one independent who votes with them.
- Democrats would need to win four Republican-held Senate seats plus four leaning Democratic seats to reach 51.
- In 2022, CBS News projected Republican control of the House on November 17, eight days after the election.
- Counting in Nevada's 2022 Senate race took four days, and Georgia's contest went to a run-off.
- More than 30 states allow ballots to be processed before election day; others begin only afterward.
Millions of Americans voted in midterm elections on November 3, with the outcome deciding which party controls Congress and shaping the rest of President Donald Trump's term. The report said results in close races might not be projected for hours, days or even weeks.
Congress has two chambers. A party needs 218 seats for a House majority and 51 for an outright Senate majority; a 50-50 Senate gives the vice president a tie-breaking vote. First results were due after 18:00 EST from Kentucky and Indiana, which the report described as safe bets for Republicans and Democrats respectively.
The report pointed to tight Senate contests in Ohio, where polls closed at 19:30 EST, and Maine, where they closed at 20:00 EST, as early signs of the electorate's mood. US media outlets use models to project states before full counts finish, and in close states those projections can take a long time.
In 2022, Republicans and Democrats were still fighting for Congress on November 9, a day after the midterms. CBS News projected Republican control of the House on November 17, counting in Nevada's Senate race took four days, and Georgia's contest went to a run-off.
Republicans held 218 House seats, the exact number for control, plus one independent who votes with them. The report said Democrats would need four Republican-held Senate seats plus four leaning Democratic seats to reach 51, and that losing Michigan would make a Senate majority much harder.
Each state runs its own count. More than 30 states allow ballots to be processed before election day, while others start only afterward, and California counts mailed ballots that arrive within seven days. Alaska's ranked-choice system could lengthen tabulation, and recounts or legal challenges could follow.
Results are certified locally and then statewide, usually by a canvassing board of the secretary of state, before the governor signs certifications sent to Congress. Losing candidates can file contests, and both chambers can refuse to seat a winner or order an investigation.