LIVE Blog: Decision 2026 – The Midterm Elections

Polls closing back East; NBC projects Georgia Democratic senator retains seat

4:40 p.m. (Nov. 3) -- NBC News projects that Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff has won re-election against Republican Rep. Mike Collins, prevailing in Georgia after a nationally watched race that was defined, at times, by heated personal attacks.

Ossoff’s projected win would be a major hold for Democrats in one of the most closely divided battleground states in the country — and one that both sides saw as critical for control of the Senate earlier this election cycle.

Oregon ballot returns top 53%; two Central Oregon counties outpace state

3:30 p.m. (Nov. 3)-- The Oregon Secretary of State posted an Election Day ballot returns update Tuesday afternoon, reporting that more than 1.66 million ballots had been received, approaching 54% of the total. 

Locally, Deschutes County was well outpacing the state returns, with nearly 169,000 ballots received, or nearly 61% of the total. Crook County had more than 13,000 ballots back, over 61%, while Jefferson County had nearly 51% of its ballots back, more than 9,100. 

Deschutes County Clerk Steve Dennison posted an Election Day afternoon video of the ballot sorter machine doing its thing: 

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8:00 pm (Nov. 2nd) -- In 24 hours, Oregon voters will get their first look at results from the 2026 midterm elections. The state’s unofficial returns are scheduled to begin appearing online, but those first numbers will be an early snapshot - not the final count.

Before a ballot is counted, election workers check the signature on its return envelope against the voter’s registration record. If a signature is missing or does not match, the county sends the voter a notice with instructions for resolving the issue. Voters have 21 days after the election to resolve a signature challenge.

The state’s posted election-night and subsequent returns remain unofficial until certification. Oregon requires post-election audits, and the Secretary of State’s current election information lists Dec. 10 as the date final results are expected to be certified and made available.

Editor's Note: Information provided by the Oregon Secretary of State's Office

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