EXPLAINED: Why US's Nevada election results are taking days

With control of Congress pending, officials in Neva's closely watched races for Senate and House, as well as goverr, continued to tally votes on Thursday.

vote counting is taking days, but that's t abrmal for Neva , where a chunk of votes have previously t been tallied until after election night. In two most populous counties, officials warned up front that it would take days to process outstanding ballots.

NEVA'S WAY

A few things have slowed Neva's vote counting in recent elections.

First, Neva has also h problems with long lines of voters at poll close, although Nevans have tritionally opted to vote early. state won’t release vote counts until all voters who were in line at poll close have cast ir vote.

Second, in 2020, Neva greatly expanded absentee voting, sending a ballot to every registered voter. state passed legislation to do that in future elections as well.

Also that year, nearly 15% of Neva's vote was t reported until after election night — and it took three days for state to report 100% of vote.

This year, voting officials in two most populous counties, encompassing population centers of Las Vegas and Re, warned it would take days to process outstanding ballots.

County election clerks will count mail ballots received until v. 12 as long as y were postmarked by Election Day, and

Officials have until v. 17 to finish counting and submit a report to Neva secretary of state’s office, according to state law.

state has mandatory recount law,

WHAT HASN'T BEEN CALLED

— A Senate contest between Democratic incumbent Carine Cortez Masto and Republican former state Attorney General am Laxalt.

Laxalt and Cortez Masto have been locked in a tight race for weeks, both hitting hard on national party talking points: Laxalt blaming inflation and illegal immigration on Democratic policies, and Cortez Masto promising to block GOP-led attempts at a nationwide abortion ban and to fight for a pathway to permanent citizenship for undocumented immigrants who came to country as children.

— A goverr's race between Democratic incumbent Steve Sisolak and GOP Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo.

campaign was costly and contentious, with airwaves and internet awash in recent weeks with s sponsored by candidates, ir parties and political action committees aiming to amplify ir differences. Both candidates predicted race's outcome wouldn’t be kwn for several days — with each man predicting he would win.

— Three House races where Democratic incumbents faced stiff challenges.

In two swing districts stretching out of Las Vegas through suburbs into rural areas, second-term Rep. Susie Lee faces Republican April Becker, and third-term Rep. Steven Horsford is up against Republican Samuel Peters.

As a result of redistricting, six-term Rep. Dina Titus is on hot seat in Democrat’s tritional stronghold encompassing Las Vegas Strip after party strategists sacrificed some turf in exchange for gains elsewhere. Mark Robertson, a retired Army colonel, is trying to become first Republican to win that 1st District seat since 1998.

WHAT WE KW

—With an estimated roughly 80% of votes counted, Republicans are leing ir Democratic opponents by single-digit percent points.

—A significant number of mail ballots remain to be counted. Election officials will count ballots received until Saturday as long as y were postmarked by Election Day.

—Officials have said re are tens of thousands of ballots that remain to be counted in Las Vegas’ Clark County.

—Democrats and Republicans are urging ir supporters to be patient while officials continue to count votes.

—Neva wasn’t called in 2020′s presidential election until Saturday after Election Day — same day Pennsylvania (and refore presidency) was called for Joe Biden.

WHAT WE STILL DON’T KW

—Beyond glaring questions— who won Senate and goverr’s races? — it’s also unclear how many more votes from drop boxes remain to be counted.

— outstanding vote totals in Re’s Washoe County also are t clear.