US Voters Deliver Midterm Verdict on Trump as Polls Close Across States

Voters across the United States headed to the polls on November 3, 2026, to decide control of Congress for the remaining two years of President Donald Trump's second term. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 seats in the Senate were contested, along with governorships in 36 states.

Polls began closing in the evening Eastern time, starting with Kentucky and Indiana. Early results showed Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff holding his seat in Georgia against Republican challenger Mike Collins. Exit polls indicated that roughly 60 percent of voters disapproved of Trump's handling of the presidency, with the economy cited as the top issue by 39 percent and the state of democracy by 32 percent.

Trump entered the election with approval ratings near historic lows for a midterm. One survey placed national approval at 33 percent approve and 60 percent disapprove. The president's party has historically lost seats in midterms, and nonpartisan analysts had favored Democrats to regain the House while viewing the Senate as closer.

Democrats needed a net gain of three House seats and four Senate seats to secure majorities. Republicans held a 53-47 Senate edge before the vote. Early forecasting models, including one from Decision Desk HQ, projected a Democratic House majority of around 241 seats to 194 and a narrower Senate edge for Democrats.

The campaign drew more than $11 billion in advertising spending. Elon Musk contributed nearly $474 million to Republican candidates and causes, according to tallies of political giving. Trump appeared on Fox News on election morning, stating that results would be better for Republicans than expected and claiming inflation had been solved.

Voting issues were reported in some locations, including ballot counting delays in a New York swing district, but officials said problems remained manageable and did not require extended polling hours in most places. The Supreme Court had earlier rejected a Trump administration request to set aside certain California mail-in ballots.

Control of the House would give the majority party the ability to advance or block legislation and conduct oversight investigations. A Democratic House would constrain Trump's agenda on taxes, immigration, and foreign policy, including the ongoing conflict involving Iran. Senate control would determine confirmation of judicial and executive appointments.

Results continued to trickle in after midnight Eastern time. Close races in states such as Michigan, Ohio, and Texas were expected to remain unresolved for hours or days as mail and provisional ballots were counted. Georgia's Senate contest, if it produces no majority, would head to a December runoff.

The election occurs against the backdrop of elevated living costs linked in part to the conflict in the Middle East and earlier US strikes near the Strait of Hormuz. Voters in both parties listed economic conditions as a dominant concern in pre-election surveys.

As counting proceeds, the immediate question is whether Democrats can convert their generic ballot advantage into actual seat gains large enough to flip one or both chambers. Early returns from competitive districts will provide the first clear signal of the scale of any shift.