Congressional Control May Remain Unclear After Midterms
WHO:
ABC News - The Associated Press will call races in all 435 U.S. House districts and 35 Senate contests.
ABC News - House control depends on the parties’ seat totals; Senate control depends on whether Democrats or Republicans reach the threshold for a majority.
ABC News - Vice President JD Vance can cast a tiebreaking vote for Republicans in a tied Senate.
NBC News Politics - Ryan Nobles, Steve Kornacki, Kristen Welker and Hallie Jackson reported on the approaching midterm elections.
The Source - The Action Network’s 2026 midterm election model projects Democratic majorities in both chambers.
Fox News - Lawmakers could negotiate power-sharing agreements if the Senate is tied.
WHAT:
Fox News - More than 54 million ballots had already been cast nationwide through early voting.
NY Post - Four New York battleground elections could affect which party controls the House; party leaders and political strategists said New York could again play a pivotal role.
ABC News - House control requires 218 seats. Republicans had 219 members caucusing with them, one above the majority threshold, and there were two vacancies.
ABC News - The Senate majority threshold is 51 seats for Democrats or 50 for Republicans because the Republican vice president can break a tie. Republicans held a 53–47 edge.
ABC News - In 2022, the AP called Senate control four days after Election Day and House control eight days after. In 2024, it called Senate control the day after Election Day and House control eight days after.
ABC News - California counted half its votes after Election Day in 2022; thousands of mail ballots were dropped off on Election Day.
The Source - The Action Network model projected that Democrats were positioned to win majorities in the House and Senate.
Fox News - Senate ties could leave control of the chamber uncertain; 50–50 splits in 2000 and 2020 offer precedents for possible negotiations.
WHERE:
ABC News - California, the nation’s most populous state, has counted ballots after Election Day. Alaska and Maine use ranked-choice voting and have key Senate races.
WHY:
ABC News - The timing of control calls is uncertain because some states take days to count ballots and ranked-choice voting can delay results.
HOW:
ABC News - In ranked-choice voting, if no candidate receives more than 50% of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated and their votes are redistributed to voters’ second choices.
ABC News - The AP says it will declare a winner only when no scenario would allow trailing candidates to close the gap; it does not make projections.
Fox News - Lawmakers could negotiate power-sharing agreements in 2027 if the Senate is tied.
(UPDATED November 3, 2026 09:59 UTC)
More than 54 million ballots were already cast, as voters decided control of Congress. Republicans held narrow advantages, while a model projected Democrats could win both chambers. Close races and slow counts may delay results; Senate ties could prompt power-sharing negotiations.
--
(UPDATED November 3, 2026 09:01 UTC)
Democrats are projected to win majorities in both chambers, but control remains uncertain. The House requires 218 seats; Republicans hold a narrow edge, with vacancies. Senate ties could prompt power-sharing, while slow counts and ranked-choice voting delay decisions.