US midterm elections 2026: a nationwide test of power, access, and control
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Voting begins at 5 a.m. in Vermont and stretches until as late as 1 a.m. Eastern time Wednesday, with the first results expected to trickle in on Tuesday night as millions of voters face a long, uneven Election Day.
More than 230 million eligible voters will cast ballots on Tuesday in the 2026 midterm elections, with all 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats on the line, alongside gubernatorial races in 36 states. Republicans currently hold both chambers, but the size of the electorate and the stakes make this a consequential moment for whether that grip survives.
State officials set polling hours. The earliest polls open in Vermont at 5 a.m. (10:00 GMT), followed by New Jersey, Virginia, Connecticut and Kentucky at 6 a.m. (11:00 GMT). Georgia, Florida, Pennsylvania and New York open between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m., Ohio and North Carolina at 6:30 a.m., and Michigan at 7 a.m. (12:00 GMT).
Closures occur in waves, with Indiana and Kentucky closing first at 6 p.m. (23:00 GMT). Michigan and Kansas close at 8 p.m. and 7 p.m. local time respectively (01:00 GMT Wednesday), Iowa at 8 p.m. (02:00 GMT), and Alaska last at around 1 a.m. Eastern time (06:00 GMT) on Wednesday.
Vote counts will begin to be reported as polls close on Tuesday, with additional results expected through Wednesday as remaining states finish voting and officials process mail and provisional ballots. Early tallies do not guarantee final outcomes, and close races may take hours or days to call.
Democrats need a net gain of four Senate seats and three House seats to secure majorities, making several contests especially pivotal in a fight that could reshape the balance of power.