Red wave or blue surprise? 4 ways to track election results live and in real time

This post has been updated.

Election night is finally here, and depending on whom you ask, the future of democracy may hang in the balance this time around. At the very least, the future of Congress does. Whether you are expecting Republicans to take back both chambers in a so-called red wave or Democrats to show up in large numbers—buoyed by high-stakes social issues and swarms of energized Gen-Z voters—the results of this year’s midterm election cycle will be closely watched in states all across the country, even if we may not know the final outcome for days or even weeks.

Either way, expect no shortage of down-to-the-wire contests: According to Cook Political Report, some 36 congressional races were seen as toss-ups going into Election Day, with key races in 26 Democratic districts and 10 Republican ones. Over in the Senate, four races were seen as toss-ups: the Arizona seat currently held by Mark Kelly; the Georgia seat currently held by Raphael Warnock; the Nevada seat currently held by Catherine Cortez Masto; and an open seat in Pennsylvania, where Democrat John Fetterman is facing off against Republican Mehmet Oz.

In addition to Congress, 36 states have governor races this year, with five states—Arizona, Kansas, Nevada, Oregon, and Wisconsin—being seen as toss-ups. In other words, if nail-biters are your thing, you’ll have plenty to keep you occupied tonight and in the days ahead.

For cord-cutters who are looking to track the election results live on a phone, computer, or smart TV, we’ve rounded up a few easy ways to do that ahead. Just remember to breathe:

Reuters: On the news outlet’s election page, you’ll find a nice suite of interactive election maps with live results. Find them here.
Politico’s live election results: You’ll find some nice up-to-date graphics and context on Politico’s website as the results start rolling in. Find it here.
The New Yorker live election maps: The magazine’s website has a trio of interactive maps plugged in and ready to go, one for the House, Senate, and governor races. Find them here.
Broadcast network streaming services: The news divisions of all three major broadcast-TV networks have free streaming services that you can watch on a computer, directly through some TV streaming devices, or via their standalone apps. They are ABC News Live, CBS News Streaming Network, and NBC News Now.