Several races may be simply too close to call. In the tossup state of Alaska, absentee voting among far-flung residents could present a counting challenge that might take days to resolve. In 2008, Democrat Mark Begich – now in a desperate fight to defend his seat against Republican Dan Sullivan – had to wait two weeks before it became clear that he had the votes to force incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Stevens to concede.
Then there’s the issue of recount. Colorado, another tossup state, requires an automatic recount if the margin of victory is less than or equal to 0.5 percent of the highest vote cast. In other states, losers in tight races might request a recount. Also in 2008, it took courts five months to declare Minnesota Democrat Al Franken the victor by 312 votes in his Senate race.
