U.S. Midterm Elections Begin as Voters Head to the Polls
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Polls opened Tuesday in the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, with all House seats, 35 Senate seats and 36 governorships contested, while Democrats aim to regain a congressional majority.
Polls opened on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, across Vermont and several East Coast states, including New York, New Jersey, Virginia and Kentucky. Voters will decide the balance of power for President Donald Trump’s second term, as all 435 House seats, 35 of the 100 Senate seats and governorships in 36 states are on the ballot, with roughly 210 million registered voters.
Trump’s Republican Party currently controls both chambers of Congress. Democrats need to capture enough seats to win a majority in at least one chamber, which would constrain the president’s legislative agenda. Pollsters project competitive Senate races for Republicans in Iowa, Kansas and Ohio, while Texas and Michigan are viewed as leaning toward Democrats.
Early voting is tracking higher than in the previous midterm cycle, and opinion polls show Democrats appearing more enthusiastic than Republicans. On the final day of campaigning, Trump described the nation as "booming." The Supreme Court declined to set aside thousands of disputed mail-in ballots in California, and the Michigan Senate race was jolted when Democratic Representative Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers over her party’s nominee, Abdul El-Sayed.