What is a lame-duck session of Congress?
The outgoing Congress keeps working after the election until Jan. 3. Where the term comes from, what the 20th Amendment says, and the deadline already on this year's calendar.
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Plain-language explainers on the questions behind the news, every fact sourced.
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When are 2026 election results official? Counting, canvass and certification, explained
Election-night numbers are unofficial. What happens next: counting the remaining ballots, the canvass and certification, with Illinois as a worked example.
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