Some Races Might Not Be Decided On Election Night

As voters head to the polls to cast their votes in the 2018 midterm elections, not every race may be decided by the time the polls close. 

In Georgia, there is a growing chance that the race for governor will have to be decided in a December 4th runoff. Democrat Stacey Abrams and Republican Brian Kemp are nearly tied in most polls, but Libertarian Party candidate Ted Metz could siphon enough votes to prevent either of them from gaining the 50% majority required to avoid a runoff election. 

Another election that could result in a runoff is the four-way race to fill the seat of retired Mississippi Senator Thad Cochran (R). Because there was no primary due to Cochran's retirement, two Democrats and two Republicans will all face off for the seat. Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith was appointed to fill the vacated seat and holds a comfortable lead, but it is unlikely that she will be able to secure over 50% of the vote. In most polling, Hyde-Smith leads Democrat Mike Espy and Republican Chris McDaniel, but even her campaign is not confident she can avoid a runoff. Even so, she stands a good chance of defeating both Espy and McDaniel in a one-on-one election.

In California, there are five toss-up races which could determine which party controls the House of Representatives. The race to watch in California is the 48th district where incumbent Dana Rohrabacher (R) is trying to hold off a charge from his Democratic challenger Harley Rouda.

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