November 3, 2026, 6:30 p.m.: Off on a Tangent election coverage is getting underway.
- Polls in Virginia are scheduled to close at 7:00 p.m.; anybody already in line by that time can vote.
- I call winners using a proprietary method that incorporates official returns, exit poll data, media calls, and other sources.
- Live returns for the races I’m following are based on Virginia Department of Elections data feeds. I also monitor various secondary sources, so it is sometimes possible to call a race before returns are displayed.
- My live coverage will continue at least until all the races I’m following have been called, or 1:00 a.m., whichever comes first. Updates will continue as time permits until the Virginia results certified.
7:00 p.m.: Virginia’s polls will be closing after voters already in line cast their ballots. Results should begin coming in soon after.
7:06 p.m.: Tangent call: Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) has been reelected to the U.S. Senate.
7:43 p.m.: Tangent call: The Loudoun County Public Safety and Transportation bond referendums have passed.
8:03 p.m.: Tangent call: The Loudoun County School bond referendum has passed.
8:06 p.m.: Tangent call: Representative Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA 10th) has been reelected to the House of Representatives.
8:30 p.m.: It’s shaping up to be a good night for Democrats, which was expected. Exactly how good remains to be seen. For historical context, the party that wins the presidency almost always loses seats in the midterms—sometimes by historic margins.
9:03 p.m.: Tangent call: Virginia’s “Question 1: Abortion” referendum has passed.
9:41 p.m. Tangent call: Virginia’s “Question 2: Marriage” referendum has passed.
9:44 p.m.: Tangent call: Virginia’s “Question 3: Voting” referendum has passed.
10:16 p.m.: All of the races I’m monitoring are now called. This concludes my live coverage, but I will continue to make periodic updates until the Virginia results are certified and the national balance of power in the Congress is determined. Here is where we stand right now:
- Associated Press projections have the U.S. Senate at 45 Democrats and 36 Republicans with 19 seats not-yet-called.
- A.P. has the U.S. House of Representatives at 107 Democrats and 62 Republicans with 266 seats not-yet-called.
- CBS and some other outlets are projecting that the Democratic Party will gain a majority in the House.