随着美国人于周二（11月3日）前往投票站参加中期选举，数百万选民已在最近几周提前投票，东海岸首批投票站将于下午6点关闭。在包括加利福尼亚州、俄勒冈州和华盛顿州在内的西海岸，最后的投票站将于晚上8点关闭。在夏威夷州和阿拉斯加州，投票将继续一到两个小时。但我们何时能知道结果？
As Americans head to the polls for the midterm elections on Tuesday, November 3, with millions having already voted early in recent weeks, the first polling stations will close at 6 pm on the East Coast. On the West Coast, including California, Oregon and Washington, the last polling stations will close at 8 pm. In Hawaii and Alaska, voting will continue for one to two hours. But when can we expect to know the results?
对于众议院，如果一方明显获胜，强劲趋势可能在美国东部时间晚上11点至午夜之间浮现。2018年特朗普首个总统任期内的中期选举即是如此，当时民主党获胜。然而，如果结果非常接近，可能需要数天时间。2022年，官员在投票后八天认证了结果。
For the House of Representatives, if one side wins clearly, a strong trend could emerge during the evening in the United States, between 11 pm and midnight on the East Coast. That was the case during the 2018 midterms under Trump's first presidency, when the Democrats prevailed. However, if the results are very close, it could take several days. In 2022, officials certified the results eight days after the vote.
原因很简单：由于结果取决于少数选区的仅几票之差，必须等到所有邮寄选票（可在选举日当天或之前寄出）收到后，计票才能最终完成。这些选票通常在数天后通过邮寄送达。
The reason is simple: with the outcome hinging on just a few votes in a handful of districts, counting cannot be finalized until all mail-in ballots, which can be sent up until Election Day, are received. These often arrive by mail several days later.
参议院的流程相同。明确趋势可能在晚上及关键选区浮现。位于东部时区的选区，如北卡罗来纳州、俄亥俄州或缅因州，预计最先报告结果。备受关注的得克萨斯州、爱荷华州和堪萨斯州位于中部时区，而密歇根州则跨越两个时区。
For the Senate, the process is the same. A clear trend may emerge in the evening and in key constituencies. Those on the East Coast time zone, such as North Carolina, Ohio or Maine, are expected to report first. Texas, Iowa and Kansas, closely watched races, are in the Central Time Zone, while Michigan straddles both time zones.
在一种情形下，一切取决于单个参议院席位。届时，所有目光将转向阿拉斯加州。由于共和党持续的法律挑战，结果可能仍存不确定性。共和党指控民主党鼓励一名与共和党候选人同名的候选人参选，涉嫌混淆选民。一名联邦法官周日驳回了特朗普政府的这一预防性主张，但共和党仍在继续推进其法律挑战。
In one scenario, everything comes down to a single Senate seat. In that case, all eyes would turn to Alaska. The outcome could remain uncertain amid an ongoing Republican legal challenge. Republicans have accused Democrats of encouraging a candidate who shares the Republican candidate's name to run in the race, allegedly to confuse voters. A federal judge rejected this preventive claim from the Trump administration on Sunday, but Republicans are continuing to pursue their legal challenge.
2022年，耗时四天才确定哪个党派掌握参议院多数席位，民主党于11月12日锁定多数。
In 2022, it took four days to determine which party held the Senate majority, with Democrats securing it on November 12.