Election night results in the United States are often not what most Americans assume them to be, with winners declared long before every ballot is actually counted.
What television networks and social media platforms announce as results are typically projections made by news organizations based on early returns and demographic data, not a complete tally of all votes cast.
Stephen Richer, a Republican who served as clerk and recorder for Arizona’s Maricopa County, described election night as a deeply stressful experience defined by public pressure and misinformation.
“Those days, those were hell for me,” Richer said, recalling limited staff, limited space, and an endless stream of accusations from people claiming incompetence or corruption.
The key factor determining how quickly a race appears to be resolved is not counting speed but rather the margin of victory, which allows analysts to project a winner with confidence.
“Margins matter,” Richer said, pointing out that Utah draws far less scrutiny than Arizona despite both states counting votes at comparable speeds, simply because Utah’s Republican candidates win by wider margins.
California has become the most prominent example of a state where competitive congressional races combine with slow ballot counting to create long waits for final results.
Charles Stewart, an elections expert at MIT, described the situation bluntly, saying “California just has a big target on its back” given its mix of mail voting, competitive districts, and ongoing attacks from President Trump.
Kim Alexander, who runs the California Voter Foundation, identified the core problem as what she calls “the pig in the python” issue, where millions of vote-by-mail ballots are returned on Election Day itself, creating a processing logjam.
Some California counties see up to 50% of their vote-by-mail ballots turned in on Election Day, meaning the bulk of counting work cannot even begin until later in the week.
“We have all these amazing rights and opportunities that we give to our voters, and the price we’re paying is a longer vote count,” Alexander told NPR, adding that the delay does not have to be as prolonged as it currently is.
California allocated $40 million to accelerate its counting process this midterm cycle, with a portion directed toward voter education urging people to return ballots earlier rather than waiting until Election Day.
Research conducted earlier this year found that when voters in California’s San Joaquin County received postcards encouraging earlier voting, they were more likely to meet the deadline that permitted election-night counting.
Alexander noted that California faces fewer competitive House districts this cycle, with just three races considered competitive compared to nine ahead of the 2022 elections, reducing the likelihood the nation will be waiting on the state to determine House control.
Alaska presents another significant flashpoint for delayed results, with MIT Election Lab data showing it was the last state in 2024 to reach 95% of its ballots counted, with its lone House race not called until November 20, fifteen days after Election Day.
With polling showing a tight Alaska Senate race in 2026, the entire country could potentially wait weeks to learn which party will control the U.S. Senate.
