Election results will likely take a few days or even weeks to be finalized

People at polling location
(Image credit: Hill Street Studios/Getty Images)

Be prepared for midterm election results to take days or even weeks to be announced.

Back in 2020, it took a full week for President Biden to be declared winner, largely due to the number of early votes and mail-in ballots that usually get counted after the day-of votes. While it should not take as long this time given that midterm elections tend to have lower voter turnout than presidential elections, some close races may trigger recounts or even a runoff election, reports The New York Times. Mail-in ballots also need to be processed and some may arrive after Nov. 8.

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Devika Rao, The Week US

 Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.