Was control of Congress really decided on election night?

## What is being said Posts on election night said Democrats had already won control of both the House and the Senate, while others insisted control would not be known for days.

## What the record shows The AP calls a race only when trailing candidates have no remaining path to victory; it does not make projections. According to the AP, the Senate was called for Democrats at 11:37 p.m. ET on November 3, and the House was called for Democrats at 1:28 a.m. ET on November 4. The AP reported that Democrats flipped Senate seats in several states, including Kansas, Iowa, Texas, Ohio, Maine, North Carolina, and South Carolina, and held seats in Georgia and Michigan.

## What is still unverified or pending As of Wednesday morning, November 4, the AP had not called several key races, including the Alaska Senate, Mississippi Senate, Alaska governor, Kansas governor, and dozens of House seats. In the Kansas governor's race, Democrat Cindy Holscher was leading Republican Ty Masterson, but late mail ballots were still being counted, and Kansas has no automatic recount, though a candidate may request one. Official results will come from state canvasses and certification, not election night counts.

AP race calls are not official results. Each state certifies its own results after counting and canvassing are complete. For your area, check your county election office or Secretary of State.