(NewsNation) — With former President Donald Trump projected as winning the 2024 presidential election and the Republican Party flipping the Senate, Democrats’ last hope for a foothold in Washington now rests in the House of Representatives.
Why are the results for the House taking so long?
Several key states, including California and New York, will continue counting mail ballots received after Election Day, provided they were postmarked by Nov. 5.
This legal framework means final results in these crucial contests could take days or even weeks to determine.
California, the nation’s most populated state, with its high volume of mail ballots and voter-friendly counting rules, traditionally takes weeks to process all votes.
With multiple competitive House races in California still undecided, the final balance of power might not be known until late November, according to a few estimates.
Path to control the House
The magic number remains 218 seats for either party to claim the majority, currently held by Republicans under Speaker Mike Johnson. The Democrats’ path to victory requires picking up at least four seats net.
So far, Republicans have been able to flip two seats, with many holding on to their seats.
NewsNation partner The Hill contributed to this report.
