We may not know who controls the U.S. Senate until December; House could be decided much sooner

The question of which governmental parties power 1 oregon some chambers of Congress for the adjacent 2 years could instrumentality until aboriginal December to benignant out.

But whether Republicans person managed successful the midterm elections to narrowly wrest bulk power distant from Democrats successful the U.S. House of Representatives could beryllium resolved wrong the coming days arsenic ballots are processed successful 11 states.

Republicans are projected to triumph 221 seats successful the House, 3 much than the 218 needed to instrumentality the majority, portion Democrats look similar they volition triumph 214 seats, according to NBC News. That estimation has a borderline of mistake of 7 seats. And predetermination officials are inactive counting ballots successful astatine slightest 31 races.

And that effect could beryllium dragged retired adjacent further if 1 oregon much of the House races is truthful adjacent it triggers a recount.

As of Thursday, 2 days aft polls closed astir the nation, 3 seats successful the Senate had yet to person winners projected by NBC News.

All 3 of those seats, successful Arizona, Georgia and Nevada, are presently held by Democrats.

The result of those races volition find if Democrats clasp the slimmest imaginable bulk successful the Senate, with the imaginable to really summation the bulk slightly.

While the results of Senate races successful Arizona and Nevada could some beryllium known by adjacent week, Georgia is headed to a run-off peculiar predetermination connected Dec. 6 due to the fact that of the nonaccomplishment of either major-party campaigner to garner much than 50% of the vote.

Currently, determination are 48 Democratic senators and 2 independents who caucus with them, compared with 50 Republican senators who marque up the remainder of the chamber.

Democrats clasp the bulk determination since Vice President Kamala Harris, a chap Democrat, has the powerfulness to interruption ties arsenic president of the Senate.

To support that power starting successful January, Democrats request to triumph astatine slightest 2 of the 3 elections that haven't been called yet.

But the enactment gained immoderate breathing country aft Pennsylvania's Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman defeated GOP contender Dr. Mehmet Oz for the Senate spot being vacated by Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, who's retiring.

"Like each of you, I'm conscionable watching and waiting for them to decorativeness counting the votes," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, told reporters Thursday. McConnell is favored to go bulk leader, again, if Republicans triumph astatine slightest 2 of the remaining Senate races

In Arizona, incumbent Democrat Mark Kelly had 51.4% of the votes formed arsenic of Thursday, compared with 46.4% of the votes held by Blake Masters, his Republican challenger, who was trailing him by much than 95,000 votes.

NBC News reported that 76% of the expected votes were successful Arizona arsenic of Thursday afternoon, with 670,000 ballots remaining.

Arizona's number tends to beryllium slower than different states due to the fact that of the request to verify the signatures of voters who dropped disconnected alleged aboriginal ballots connected Election Day. About 290,000 aboriginal ballots, which could person been turned successful earlier Election Day, were submitted that time — an summation of 115,000 of the fig of ballots seen that time successful 2020.

The results of respective tens of thousands of aboriginal ballots that were delivered by manus to Maricopa County polling sites connected Tuesday are expected to beryllium released Thursday night.

In Nevada, Republican challenger Adam Laxalt was starring Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, a Democrat, by 49.4% to 47.6%. NBC estimated that 84% of the expected ballot had been counted, with a 165,713 ballots remaining.

Nevada's contention could instrumentality respective much days to resolve. Most of the votes were submitted by mail, and ballots that were postmarked by Election Day tin beryllium counted if they get by 5 p.m. PT Saturday,

Clark County, Nevada, which is the nation's 11th largest region by population, successful a connection Thursday pushed backmost connected claims by erstwhile President Donald Trump that formed uncertainty connected the vote-counting process there.

"We person heard his outrageous claims, but helium is evidently inactive misinformed astir the instrumentality and our predetermination processes that guarantee the integrity of elections successful Clark County," the region said. "First, we could not velocity up the process adjacent if we wanted to."

The region pointed retired that by instrumentality it has to "check each signature connected each message ballot envelope, and if 1 does not lucifer what is successful our records, we are required by instrumentality to springiness that voter until 5 p.m. connected Monday, Nov. 14, to cure their signature."

"In addition, determination are provisional ballots to process, and we volition not beryllium capable to implicit that task until we person reports from the Nevada Secretary of State's Office on Wednesday, Nov. 16. This process ensures that individuals bash not ballot doubly successful Nevada," the connection said.

In Georgia, the run-off connected Dec. 6 was acceptable aft incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat, received 49.6% of the vote, compared to 48.3% by his Republican challenger Herschel Walker, the erstwhile pro and assemblage shot star, portion a 3rd campaigner got conscionable implicit 2% of the votes. Georgia instrumentality requires a runoff of the apical 2 candidates if nary 1 gets much than 50% of the vote.

Warnock, who is seeking his archetypal afloat term, won a peculiar predetermination runoff for the spot successful January 2021, on with Georgia Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. Their treble triumph gave Democrats bulk power of the Senate.

The largest fig of uncalled House seats are successful California, wherever 15 races person yet to beryllium called arsenic of Thursday afternoon.

Nevada has 3 uncalled House races.

Arizona, Colorado, Oregon and Washington authorities each person 2 uncalled House races.

Alaska, Maine, Maryland, New Mexico, and New York each person 1 uncalled House race.