Why Are the Election Results Taking So Long?

The 2022 election is here, and up for grabs are all 435 seats in the House of Representatives, 35 Senate seats, and 36 governorships (plus plenty of big local races, including for Los Angeles mayor). Nationally, Republicans have a chance to flip both houses of Congress, but some key races are very close.

When can you expect results? Will some contests drag on for days, like the 2020 presidential election did? When will we know who won the Senate? I talked with a few experts about what to expect from this year’s Election Day, and below are five takeaways.

1. Some races might not be called on Election Night. That’s normal.

“ is not a term that’s used in the United States Constitution,” David Becker, the executive director and founder of the Center for Election Innovation & Research,