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Thursday, November 5, 2026

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Every claim traces to a primary source. Uncertainty is labeled. Corrections are public.

Elections · Thursday, November 5, 2026

Texas lists all 254 counties, and Talarico still leads

The File desk · Nov. 5, 2026, 6:35 a.m. ET

Partially confirmed9 primary sourcesAdded 6:35 a.m. ET, Nov. 5

Status

Partially confirmed. Texas's election-night file, opened at 6:18 a.m. ET on November 5, lists James Talarico ahead of Ken Paxton with all 254 counties reporting. The file is not a certification. Other states were reopened or failed, and are in the notes.
  • Partially confirmed
    The Texas vote totals are the figures in the official election-night file. The file is not certified.
  • Estimate
    Reading the last county as leaving the lead unchanged is this desk's comparison with Wednesday's story.
Texas's election-night file now lists all 254 counties, and James Talarico, a Democrat, still leads Ken Paxton, a Republican. The file shows Talarico with 5,444,982 votes and Paxton with 4,249,373. It is not a certification.1
The file's last-updated line reads "Nov 04, 2026 22:48:37." The page does not name a time zone. Wednesday's story, from the same feed, listed 253 of 254 counties. The earlier vote totals are in that story, not restated here as a new fetch.12
A canvass is the later check of the tally, when officials add ballots the law still allows and reconcile the books. Certification is the later official act that makes a result final. Kansas's secretary of state says "Certification must take place by December 1," and that provisional ballots wait until each county board of canvassers meets, no later than November 16.3
A news organization's call is a projection, made before that certification. It is not the state's official result. Wednesday's story recorded an Associated Press projection that Democrats would control Congress. This desk did not re-open that article, and this Texas file does not by itself show which party will hold the Senate.2
North Carolina's file, reopened this morning, still shows Roy Cooper ahead, with 2,626 of 2,626 precincts reporting. Iowa's summary is still version 385559, the same file as Wednesday. South Carolina's page still lists the 12:00 a.m. spreadsheet as the latest, so no new South Carolina total is entered. Georgia's file, timestamped 12:13 p.m. ET on November 4, still shows Jon Ossoff ahead of Mike Collins in all 159 counties. The votes are in the notes.4567
Why it matters (Estimate). Estimate. The last county did not change who is ahead in Texas. This is one of six Republican-held Senate seats where Wednesday's official counts showed a Democrat ahead. Readers should treat the lead as unofficial until the state certifies, and should not read one state's file as control of the Senate. The new Congress is sworn in at noon on January 3, 2027.
The says the terms of senators and representatives end at noon on the 3d day of January, and the terms of their successors then begin. The next such date after this election is January 3, 2027.8
How we know

Notes

  1. 1.Texas Secretary of State election-night file, version enr/53815/117/. U.S. Senator: JAMES TALARICO DEM 5,444,982; KEN PAXTON REP 4,249,373; TED BROWN LIB 190,237; total 9,889,704. CountiesReporting CR 254 of CT 254. LastUpdatedTime "Nov 04, 2026 22:48:37." The stamp does not name a time zone. PrecinctsReporting PR 202, PT 200. PollingReporting PLR 5303 of PLT 5303. Retrieved 6:18 a.m. ET. https://goelect.txelections.civixapps.com/api-ivis-system/api/s3/enr/election/53815
  2. 2.Wednesday story, State counts show Democrats ahead in six Republican-held Senate seats. That story recorded the same Texas feed at 8:21 a.m. ET on November 4: Talarico 5,360,196; Paxton 4,166,380; Brown 186,410; total 9,717,922; counties 253 of 254; last updated "Nov 04, 2026 13:08:39." It also recorded an Associated Press projection. This desk did not re-open the Associated Press article on November 5. https://thefile.news/story/democrats-congress-control-nov3
  3. 3.Kansas Secretary of State press release, November 3, 2026. "Provisional ballots, however, will not be counted until each county board of canvassers meets, which must occur no later than November 16." "Certification must take place by December 1." Retrieved 6:18 a.m. ET. https://www.sos.ks.gov/media/press-releases/2026/11-03-26-schwab-reminds-kansans-of-election-night-website.html
  4. 4.North Carolina results file, reopened 6:18 a.m. ET. US Senate: Roy Cooper DEM 2,467,963; Michael Whatley REP 1,643,088; 2,626 of 2,626 precincts. Those vote totals match Wednesday's story. https://er.ncsbe.gov/enr/20261103/data/results_0.txt
  5. 5.Iowa summary file, version 385559, reopened 6:18 a.m. ET. United States Senator: Josh Turek DEM 683,429; Ashley Hinson REP 628,799. Same totals as Wednesday's story. https://electionresults.iowa.gov/IA/127077/385559/json/en/summary.json
  6. 6.South Carolina Election Commission results page, reopened 6:18 a.m. ET. The latest spreadsheet link is still the 12:00 a.m. file. This desk did not download a newer file, because none was listed. https://scvotes.gov/2026-general-election-results/
  7. 7.Georgia results file, US Senate, 159 of 159 counties, as of 2026-11-04T17:13:32.5753035Z (12:13 p.m. ET): Jon Ossoff (I) (Dem) 2,463,134; Mike Collins (Rep) 1,711,327; vote total 4,174,461. Wednesday's story recorded 2,463,132 and 1,711,322 as of 4:19 a.m. ET. Not marked official. Retrieved 6:18 a.m. ET. https://results.sos.ga.gov/results/public/api/elections/Georgia/11032026GeneralAndSpecialElection/ballot-items
  8. 8.Amendment XX. "the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3d day of January ... and the terms of their successors shall then begin." Retrieved 6:18 a.m. ET. https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/amendments-11-27

What is still unknown or disputed

  • The time zone on Texas's stamp "Nov 04, 2026 22:48:37."
  • Why the same file lists PrecinctsReporting as PR 202 and PT 200. This desk does not use that pair as a precinct count.
  • Kansas and Ohio. Both results pages returned 403 this morning, so those Senate totals were not updated.
  • Mississippi. The secretary of state's results list has March 10, 2026 primaries and no November 3, 2026 general file.
  • Whether late, provisional, or overseas ballots change who is ahead.
  • An official count that reaches 51 Senate seats or 218 House seats. This file does not.

Primary sources

Every claim in this story is drawn from the documents below. If a fetch failed, that is recorded on the card.

  1. Source 1

    Texas election-night results

    Texas Secretary of State · November 4, 2026

    U.S. Senator: James Talarico DEM 5,444,982; Ken Paxton REP 4,249,373; counties 254 of 254; last updated "Nov 04, 2026 22:48:37." Retrieved 6:18 a.m. ET.

    https://goelect.txelections.civixapps.com/api-ivis-system/api/s3/enr/election/53815

  2. Source 2

    State counts show Democrats ahead in six Republican-held Senate seats

    The File · November 4, 2026

    Wednesday's story recorded Texas at 253 of 254 counties, and an Associated Press projection that this desk did not re-open.

    https://thefile.news/story/democrats-congress-control-nov3

  3. Source 3

    Kansas election-night reminder

    Kansas Secretary of State · November 3, 2026

    "Certification must take place by December 1." Provisional ballots wait for the county canvass, no later than November 16. Retrieved 6:18 a.m. ET.

    https://www.sos.ks.gov/media/press-releases/2026/11-03-26-schwab-reminds-kansans-of-election-night-website.html

  4. Source 4

    2026 General Election results data

    North Carolina State Board of Elections · November 5, 2026

    Roy Cooper DEM 2,467,963; Michael Whatley REP 1,643,088; 2,626 of 2,626 precincts. Retrieved 6:18 a.m. ET.

    https://er.ncsbe.gov/enr/20261103/data/results_0.txt

  5. Source 5

    2026 General Election summary

    Iowa Secretary of State · November 5, 2026

    Version 385559. Josh Turek DEM 683,429; Ashley Hinson REP 628,799. Retrieved 6:18 a.m. ET.

    https://electionresults.iowa.gov/IA/127077/385559/json/en/summary.json

  6. Source 6

    2026 General Election Results

    South Carolina State Election Commission · November 5, 2026

    The latest spreadsheet link is still the 12:00 a.m. file. Retrieved 6:18 a.m. ET.

    https://scvotes.gov/2026-general-election-results/

  7. Source 7

    November 3, 2026 General and Special Election results

    Georgia Secretary of State · November 4, 2026

    US Senate, 159 of 159 counties, as of 12:13 p.m. ET: Jon Ossoff 2,463,134; Mike Collins 1,711,327. Retrieved 6:18 a.m. ET.

    https://results.sos.ga.gov/results/public/api/elections/Georgia/11032026GeneralAndSpecialElection/ballot-items

  8. Source 8

    Amendment XX

    National Archives · January 23, 1933

    Terms of senators and representatives end at noon on the 3d day of January, and the terms of their successors then begin. Retrieved 6:18 a.m. ET.

    https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/amendments-11-27

  9. Source 9

    Election results

    Mississippi Secretary of State · November 5, 2026

    The 2026 list shows March 10 primary files and no November 3 general file. Retrieved 6:18 a.m. ET.

    https://www.sos.ms.gov/elections-voting/election-results