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The Week After the Election: Everything You Need to Know

Results, mental health resources, and what you can do now.

Date Updated: November 10, 2022 at 10:00 AM EST

You did it. You made it. Election Day has passed, and the votes are cast. Maybe you even cast one yourself, possibly for the first time (or maybe you just encouraged your eligible friends and family to do so while waiting for your own turn in the next few years).

We know that sometimes Election Day shapes up to be more of an Election Week to count every single ballot, and that may be stressful for folks looking for a swift end to this stressful election season.

But the toughest part is over. You made your voices heard at the polls, whether absentee or in person, and now all that’s left is to wait. Elections are not the finish line of our advocacy for a better future, but just the beginning of all the ways we need to flex our civic muscle throughout the year. No matter who or what you’re supporting in this election, now is the time for reflection on what you’ve already achieved, patience for the process we’re undergoing, and a little bit of hope for what’s to come. We’ll help you figure out what’s happening, where to find help, and what you can do right now. Take a breath. You’ve come this far.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

RESULTS & VICTORIES

Results Are TBD (But Here’s Some Context)

Despite any rumblings you may have heard on social media or in the news, many key races in the 2022 midterm election have not been called yet, and we should be prepared for an Election Week of results trickling in. To be clear, the votes are all already cast -- they just need to be counted over the course of the next few days. It’s a highly competitive election with important races all over the country and several key issues on the ballot nationwide, so let’s give it the time to be properly tabulated and called.

Here is a look at the latest

The final results of this election probably won’t be known for a bit, so let’s break down some of the things we do know:

  • It’s normal for ballots to be counted beyond Election Day. No state ever declares their final results on election night because they actually take between a week and over a month to certify their final tallies. Any election night calls you’ve seen in the past were projected wins made by news outlets based on partial counts and exit polls. (Plus, the historic number of absentee votes this year could make it a longer wait than usual.)
  • Some states will take longer to count their ballots because of how state election laws work. We’ve actually known for months that this was a possibility, given how each state has the jurisdiction to conduct their elections in their own way -- which means different timelines for processing and counting absentee and in-person ballots. States like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan, for example, can only begin to count absentee votes on the morning of Election Day. While other states like Arizona have been processing absentee ballots for the past month as they arrived, these states weren’t allowed to even start the process until November 8th.
  • There are several possible outcomes in this election when it comes to the control of Congress. House and Senate races are extremely close and new results trickling in could flip it from one party to another. There are 4 distinct scenarios to watch out for today as the votes are counted.
  • Keep an eye out for ballot initiatives that could have a huge impact on legislation going forward post-election. The issues you voted on regarding climate justice, reproductive health, economic justice, gun safety, education, and more will be decided as the votes are counted. So far, we know that Michigan, California, and Vermont voters upheld abortion rights through ballot measures, and voters in some states also voted to ban prison labor.
  • Misinformation about election results is out there, so beware. Unfortunately, we’re no stranger to the spread of misinformation online, and this election season has its fair share. Any claims that delays in voting are unprecedented, that voting machines are rigged, or that ballot fraud is becoming commonplace aren’t exactly the case. These are just a few examples of the misinformation going around right now, so make sure to always double-check your sources, and consider the partisan motives behind the spread of these claims.
  • Voter fraud is super duper rare, especially by mail. In general, voter fraud is exceedingly rare, as shown by a number of studies. Voter fraud related to vote-by-mail is even rarer. In fact, the US does a great deal of work to keep elections free and fair, so that citizens can have peace of mind to know their vote was counted.
  • We know that there are still barriers to voting access and some ballot initiatives were created to address this issue. As a result of many claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election, it’s been harder than ever for working class people, students, immigrants, and unhoused people in certain states to vote. That’s why the work to improve voting access doesn’t stop with this year’s election.

The Youth Wave Is Here

What we also know for sure is that this Election Day, you made history. It’s estimated that tens of millions of young people nationwide cast their vote in this year’s election -- a monumental display of youth civic engagement like no other before it. We saw record-shattering youth voter registration especially in key battleground states like Michigan and Kansas. Michigan also saw huge lines at the polls in Ann Arbor, near University of Michigan’s campus. With more than 8 million new voters eligible to cast their ballots this year, it’s super exciting that youth voter registration surpassed 2018’s numbers.

We’ve witnessed this surge firsthand, as the DoSomething community has registered over 15,000 voters in 2022, and 375,000 voters total since 2018.

You took your anxieties, fears, and (most importantly) hopes for the future and channeled them into this record-breaking display of civic action. While readjusting to a “new normal” after a global pandemic, you helped get others engaged in current events, rallying behind the causes and leaders you believe in, petitioned your schools to give you time to cast your ballots on Election Day, and registered each other to vote by the thousands.

Seriously. Take a second to really let that sink in. You took on big issues like climate change, reproductive health access, education, and even voting rights during this election. Despite every challenge, you showed up and you showed all the critics who doubted and underestimated the power of the youth vote that young people are indeed a force to be reckoned with at the polls and beyond. You’ve now made your voices loud and clear: the youth wave is here, and it won’t be ignored.

This election saw the first ever Gen Z candidate elected into Congress, Maxwell Frost, who is just 25 years old. Gen Z is making history with this monumental win, proving that young people are not messing around. They’re in Congress now, advocating for a better future alongside our country’s most influential leaders. If this win shows us anything, it’s that young people just like you and me are capable of doing things far greater than we can imagine.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Looking beyond the polls right now in or in the future, your voice is still powerful in shaping the direction of our country. Regardless of how you voted or how you’re feeling, now is the time to hold your lawmakers accountable – especially in their first 100 days of taking office. DoSomething is here to help.

  • Remember that civic engagement is a full-contact, 365 day sport. This election cycle and those before it, showed us that voting rights are still on the table. That’s why it’s key to advocate for automatic voter registration, early voting, and election day being a holiday so that people can have time off from work or school to get to the polls.
  • Make sure your absentee vote was counted. If your state offers ballot tracking, use it to find out whether your vote was accepted. If it wasn’t, find out whether your state offers a “cure period” for correcting any absentee ballot mistakes and making sure your ballot gets counted.
  • Check in on your friends. It’s important for folks to understand that they aren’t alone during these potentially stressful times. Text three of your friends to see how they’re feeling post-election and share some of the resources below. Download and share our Vibe Check Resource Guide for mental health. Spread the love and you could earn a $2,000 scholarship!
  • Register to vote. One thing’s for sure: this election won’t be the last. If you’re eligible and haven’t already, take 2 minutes to register to vote in upcoming elections. Encourage your friends and family members to register to vote as well, not only in big elections like this one, but also for important local elections that happen every year.
  • Take action beyond the election. Voting is just one tool in the wider world of collective action and civic engagement. Continue to take action on the causes you care about through some of these organizations:
  • If you’re protesting, do it safely. While there are several protests planned following Election Day, there’s also a lot of uncertainty around safety and the potential for serious unrest. Assess the risk beforehand, and if you do join a protest, follow these safety tips from Amnesty International and understand your rights as a protester with this guide from the ACLU.
  • Add your voice to this post-election survey. This is a historic moment, and we want to know what’s on your mind. Take this 5-minute survey to tell us your thoughts so we can get a quick pulse on the issues that are most important to you, like whether you think Election Day should be a national holiday or not.

MENTAL HEALTH & ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

It’s safe to say that there’s a lot going on right now in our country. No matter who you voted for or how you’re feeling about this year in particular, elections have long-lasting impacts on us and our lives -- and everyone is processing it differently! Check out some of these resources for help navigating it.

Election-Specific Resources

General Mental Health Resources

Support Hotlines

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