America braces for delayed election results that could keep Senate control a mystery for days, weeks
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DALLAS – The final result of the November 4 election remains a mystery as Election Day nears. The state of Illinois announced Friday morning the race for U.S. Senate is too close to call.
That means a recount could come next week. A partial recount is already taking place in Illinois, which is where an appellate court has ordered a hand recount and said election officials violated election law.
Voters in other states still have a chance to make the decision on their representatives to the U.S. Senate.
CBS affiliate WFAA reports more than 900,000 ballots had been received by Election Day. Turnout has been below average in the state, which is unusual.
The Associated Press reports Democrats hope their victory in the U.S. Senate race will bring them closer to the party’s goal of gaining control of the upper body of Congress.
The Associated Press:
Democrats are hoping this is a turning point for the nation after a bruising election in which President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign and supporters repeatedly challenged the legitimacy of the election, and the Republican Party’s Senate nominee, Rep. Mark Kirk, a four-term congressman from Chicago, was rejected by at least one county in his bid for a third term, according to local election officials and state officials.
“Today’s outcome is a win for our democracy, our institutions, and we should all be cautiously optimistic,” Kirk said in a statement. “Democrats can now take pride in achieving what has long been our shared goal, and we look forward to working together as we forge a new, more perfect union.”
Voters in Illinois cast over 940,000 ballots, slightly lower than last year’s turnout. Turnout was expected to reach more than 1 million, according to the state’s election board.
The AP adds that Illinois will vote on its constitution later this year, but Kirk’s loss could also come with a new Republican governor.
The Associated Press:
Gov. Bruce Rauner,
