Results: The Senate, House and Ballot Measures

As the official numbers are calculated, we'll give you the run-down of the results for Senate races, House races, and important ballot measures. We are updating this story with the most recent coverage as it becomes available, so book mark this page and check back throughout the day and night. And please let us know what you're keeping an eye on by posting in the comments below.

Here we go:

Update 11:37pm(PST): The AP is reporting that Prop. 8 has passed:

In an election otherwise full of liberal triumphs, the gay rights movement suffered a stunning defeat as California voters approved a ban on same-sex marriages that overrides a recent court decision legalizing them.

The constitutional amendment -- widely seen as the most momentous of the nation's 153 ballot measures -- will limit marriage to heterosexual couples, the first time such a vote has taken place in a state where gay unions are legal.

Gay-rights activists had a rough election elsewhere as well. Ban-gay-marriage amendments were approved in Arizona and Florida, and Arkansas voters approved a measure banning unmarried couples from serving as adoptive or foster parents. Supporters made clear that gays and lesbians were their main target.

In California, with 95 percent of precincts reporting Wednesday, the ban had 5,125,752 votes, or 52 percent, while there were 4,725,313 votes, or 48 percent, opposed.

Roughly 400,000 votes separate yes from no on Prop 8 – out of 10 million votes tallied.

Based on turnout estimates reported yesterday, we expect that there are more than 3 million and possibly as many as 4 million absentee and provisional ballots yet to be counted.

Given that fundamental rights are at stake, we must wait to hear from the Secretary of State tomorrow how many votes are yet to be counted as well as where they are from.

It is clearly a very close election and we monitored the results all evening and this morning.

As of this point, the election is too close to call.

Update 11:27am(PST): Minnick (D) flips a seat and will represent Idaho 1. Minnick only beat incumbent Republican Sali by a few thousand votes.

Updated 10:54am(PST): 253 (D), 172 (R) in the House with only 9 to go.

Update 9:13am(PST): In South Dakota, a measure that would ban most abortions failed. Also, in Colorado, the effort to define a fertilized egg as a person also failed.

Update 8:36am(PST): The House is now 252 (D), 172 (R), with 11 too close to call. Senate: 56 (D), 40 (R), 4 too close to call.

Update 8:27am(PST): Still no final results on Proposition 8, the same-sex marriage ban in California. From Governing.com:

Backers of Proposition 8, which would ban gay marriage in California, are declaring victory, while opponents say it's still too early to concede.

With 90 percent of precincts reporting early Wednesday, the ban had 4,922,675 votes, or 52 percent, to 4,577,453 votes, or 48 percent, against.

Late absentee and provisional ballots meant as many as 3 million ballots were left to be counted after all precinct votes were tallied.

Similar bans passed in Florida and Arizona yesterday.

Update 8:02am(PST): Wow. Looks like the Franken race is tight. From CNN:

Minnesota Senate challenger Al Franken is not conceding his race against incumbent GOP Sen. Norm Coleman.

The two men are separated by less than 600 votes with 100 percent of the precincts reporting. The Associated Press called the race for Coleman Wednesday morning.

Update 7:34am(PST): A comment moved up from AlterNet reader Beck in Michigan:

I'm so proud to live in Michigan!

We voted for Obama big-time, passed a medical marijuana initiative, a stem-cell research initiative that had huge money against it, we unseated Joe Knollenberg, long-time Republican congressman, and got Hathaway on the state Supreme Court instead of Taylor, the conservative running against her.

I love my state. Thanks, everyone from Michigan.