Prepare to Be Disappointed on Election Night

[brooklynite]

Roll Call:

After two years of campaigning in the latest most consequential election of our lifetimes, Election Night could be a huge letdown. The disappointment is not about which party prevails Nov. 6, but the reality that a combination of close races and West coast contests could prevent enough races from being called to determine majorities in Congress until days later.

In the Senate, more than 10 races could finish within single digits, and a handful of those contests look like they’re neck and neck. The close margins could make it difficult for media outlets to project a winner on Election Night. Since Republicans have just a two-seat majority, every Senate race matters, so anything left uncalled could make it difficult to figure out who will control the chamber next year.

Even if all the races are called, the special election in Mississippi is likely to go to overtime. Neither former Democratic Rep. Mike Espy nor appointed-GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith is likely to receive a majority of the vote on Nov. 6, since candidates from both parties appear on the same ballot, which will include Republican state Sen. Chris McDaniel. So the race will move to a Nov. 27 runoff.

Hyde-Smith is likely to win the election in the end (even if Espy finishes first in the initial balloting on Election Night), but if the Senate majority is hanging in the balance and hinging on a single seat, media outlets might be reluctant to declare a majority, especially after Democrats won a Senate special election in Alabama less than a year ago.

[Meadowoak]

1. The eve of Nov. 6, will be a nail biter.

[crazycatlady]

2. And what are (generic) you doing over the next 48 days

Go to your nearest Democratic office (or if you're in a safe district, Swing Left) and sign up to volunteer with a Democratic campaign. Doors need to be knocked and calls need to be made.

[Cartoonist]

3. Huh?

Someone's worried that we might have to wait a few days. No matter the result, the new Congress doesn't sit until late January.

[Hortensis]

4. Having to wait for results means anxiety and frustration, not

disappointment.