Merged 2026 Mid-Term election outcomes: US Congress

[Mongrel]

Hand counting is impracticle. And takes forever.

If it's the only thing that's changed yes.
Although I still find it funny that we do the count by hand in the UK, have elections on a Thursday but still manage to get the newly elected person sworn in the following Monday.

 

[jimbob]

And also why I don't want to move away from hand counting those ballots. Yes it's fallible, but it's also much, much harder to game.

Absolutely.

A voting system has to be not only fair but seen to be fair. And transparent so everyone can understand and see how it works.

As well as being robust.

I'll refer to the British system as that's what I'm most familiar with, but many democracies have similar solutions.

The make-up of the constituencies and size of the constituencies is controlled by an independent electoral commission. And there are consultations when changes are proposed. There are national guidelines for each polling station and uniform opening times.

The vote at every polling station is open to scrutiny from representatives of the candidates and every ballot and every ballot box. They can see people entering the polling station, and the ballot boxes can be watched by anyone in the polling station. The booths are private, so what someone can see, is a person putting a folded ballot paper into the ballot box.

The count is also watched by the candidates or representatives of the candidates. And is counted by hand.

And as you say, there are things that could do to cheat the vote.

One could try to vote multiple times, but even before we required photo ID, it would be risky and only get a handful of votes that almost certainly wouldn't affect an election.

When the casting the of the votes through to the count is based on paper and pencil and no machines, there is a scope for error (which is why recounts are sometimes requested) but any effort sufficient to affect even an election for a single seat would require massive logistics and be likely to be caught.

The same cannot be said for a system relying on electronic voting machines, a global hack might flip say 5% of the votes the other way with no way for normal people to prove it and possibly difficulty even for professionals with the required access.

 

[jimbob]

Hand counting is impracticle. And takes forever. Trump, of course, wants paper ballots hand counted and results with an hour.

It is with your current setup.

But the Canadians manage it.

Safeguards for Counting Votes and Reporting on Results

---

www.elections.ca

 

[grmcdorman]

It is with your current setup.

But the Canadians manage it.

Safeguards for Counting Votes and Reporting on Results

---

www.elections.ca

We don't usually¹ have the complicated ballots that the US typically has, though.

—
1. There was a by-election with over 100 candidates, nearly all protest candidates: https://ctcnews.ca/2025/07/18/100-candidates-clash-in-alberta-byelection/

 

[Resume]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2094502718085697553

Now send me my ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ ballot, you cheating mother ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊.

 

[Segnosaur]

If it's the only thing that's changed yes.
Although I still find it funny that we do the count by hand in the UK, have elections on a Thursday but still manage to get the newly elected person sworn in the following Monday.

I don't think it is all that surprising that votes can be counted fast in the UK (and canada), even if counted by hand.

Under the westminster system (used in the UK and canada), you really only have one "decision" to make/mark on your ballot: who you want as your local member of parliament. No separate decision about who to pick for prime minister or monarch. Not even a ranked choice ballot where you have to make "second" picks.

Compare that to the US. You have to pick your local house members at minimum. But most of the time you also have to pick your senator as well. And if its not a mid-term, election year, throw in the presidency.

And depending on the state you live in, you may also have various lower level offices to get filled. Perhaps a referendum or 2.

When you have a ballot with a dozen questions on them, it becomes much harder to count by hand, and some sort of machine processing becomes needed.

 

[Trebuchet]

We don't usually¹ have the complicated ballots that the US typically has, though.

—
1. There was a by-election with over 100 candidates, nearly all protest candidates: https://ctcnews.ca/2025/07/18/100-candidates-clash-in-alberta-byelection/

Yes. This will be a relatively simple ballot for us because none of the statewide offices are up for elecetion this year nor is a US Senator. But we will still be voting for a US Representative, County Council, several countywide offices* like prosecutor, auditor, assessor, etc., a local judge, and the state Supreme Court. And my ballot in unincorporated Jefferson County will be different from those in the City of Port Townsend, and different again from those in other outlying areas.
*All of which, for some reason, are unopposed. But they still have to count the ballots.

 

[jimbob]

I don't think it is all that surprising that votes can be counted fast in the UK (and canada), even if counted by hand.

Under the westminster system (used in the UK and canada), you really only have one "decision" to make/mark on your ballot: who you want as your local member of parliament. No separate decision about who to pick for prime minister or monarch. Not even a ranked choice ballot where you have to make "second" picks.

Compare that to the US. You have to pick your local house members at minimum. But most of the time you also have to pick your senator as well. And if its not a mid-term, election year, throw in the presidency.

And depending on the state you live in, you may also have various lower level offices to get filled. Perhaps a referendum or 2.

When you have a ballot with a dozen questions on them, it becomes much harder to count by hand, and some sort of machine processing becomes needed.

We have separate ballot papers for each election.

And maybe one should not choose the local dog catcher at the same time as the guy in charge of The Football.

 

[Armitage72]

Hand counting is impracticle. And takes forever. Trump, of course, wants paper ballots hand counted and results with an hour.

Correction, he wants results as soon as his side is in the lead, then stop counting.

 

[Trebuchet]

Correction, he wants results as soon as his side is in the lead, then stop counting.

Or just not have elections at all.

 

[P.J. Denyer]

We have separate ballot papers for each election.

And maybe one should not choose the local dog catcher at the same time as the guy in charge of The Football.

Yeah this. Plus, if we do run them both at the same time, we count the 'Who is running the country?' ballots first and leave the dog catcher for Monday

 

[kookbreaker]

Texas is closing polling locations in advance of the upcoming election.

Plan to cut polling sites in major Texas county draws protests as Senate battle looms

Plans in one of Texas’ largest counties to use dozens fewer polling location than previous years is drawing protests from Democrats who say the reductions could create confusion in the November midterm elections.

www.pbs.org

 

[PitPat]

Texas is closing polling locations in advance of the upcoming election.

Plan to cut polling sites in major Texas county draws protests as Senate battle looms

Plans in one of Texas’ largest counties to use dozens fewer polling location than previous years is drawing protests from Democrats who say the reductions could create confusion in the November midterm elections.

www.pbs.org

"We're clearly not trying to suppress the vote," Rep. Matt Shaheen, the Republican chairman of the House Elections Committee, said of polling site reductions in Texas. "That's a silly accusation."

I think you clearly are, Matt. I'm sure Tarrant County moving from purple to blue has nothing to do with it.

 

[Gulliver Foyle]

If it's the only thing that's changed yes.
Although I still find it funny that we do the count by hand in the UK, have elections on a Thursday but still manage to get the newly elected person sworn in the following Monday.

Our elections are the more complicated to count STV, held on a Friday and the count only ever goes past the Monday if the last seat is very tightly contested.

But then again neither the UK nor Ireland have insanely huge constituencies like the US has.

 

[Gulliver Foyle]

We don't usually¹ have the complicated ballots that the US typically has, though.

—
1. There was a by-election with over 100 candidates, nearly all protest candidates: https://ctcnews.ca/2025/07/18/100-candidates-clash-in-alberta-byelection/

The biggest complications with US ballots are a) positions that should be appointed are elected and b) all voting happens on the one day. This leads to massive ballots with a voter being asked to decide on twenty or thirty different things, most of which have gotten no exposure.

 

[Lukraak_Sisser]

Texas is closing polling locations in advance of the upcoming election.

Plan to cut polling sites in major Texas county draws protests as Senate battle looms

Plans in one of Texas’ largest counties to use dozens fewer polling location than previous years is drawing protests from Democrats who say the reductions could create confusion in the November midterm elections.

www.pbs.org

The most freedomish democratic country in action again.

Electing like its 1826 still. Yet one more thing where the US is clearly not as organized or up to date as the EU and other western countries.

 

[Trebuchet]

The biggest complications with US ballots are a) positions that should be appointed are elected and b) all voting happens on the one day. This leads to massive ballots with a voter being asked to decide on twenty or thirty different things, most of which have gotten no exposure.

That's why sensible places send out mail ballots and voter information pamphlets beforehand. You can read the candidate statements, in their own words, and make informed decisions in your own time in your own house.

 

[PitPat]

Even with the pamphlets it does take some time to research though, depending on the election. At least it does for me; there always a bunch of county judge seats that I'd rather they just appoint TBH.

 

[Gulliver Foyle]

That's why sensible places send out mail ballots and voter information pamphlets beforehand. You can read the candidate statements, in their own words, and make informed decisions in your own time in your own house.

Over here, there's four categories of position you can vote for, local authority councillors, Teachtaí Dála, MEPs and the President (unlike the US a largely ceremonial role). Add referenda into that mix and I've got five things I'll ever vote for at an official level.

The US votes on too much stuff, by design; making it harder for citizens to know what they're voting for.

 

[jimbob]

Over here, there's four categories of position you can vote for, local authority councillors, Teachtaí Dála, MEPs and the President (unlike the US a largely ceremonial role). Add referenda into that mix and I've got five things I'll ever vote for at an official level.

The US votes on too much stuff, by design; making it harder for citizens to know what they're voting for.

Exactly