US Voters Head to Polls in 2026 Midterms With Control of Congress at Stake

Voters across the United States cast ballots on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, in midterm elections that will determine control of the House of Representatives and the Senate for the final two years of President Donald Trump’s term. All 435 House seats, 35 Senate seats (including special elections in Florida and Ohio) and governorships in 36 states are at stake, along with numerous state and local offices.

Final pre-election polling averages gave Democrats a clear lead on the national generic congressional ballot. Multiple surveys in late October and early November placed Democrats between 51 and 54 percent and Republicans between 40 and 47 percent. A Reuters/Ipsos poll of likely voters from 22-26 October showed Democrats at 53 percent to 44 percent. An Emerson College Polling survey of 1,000 likely voters from 24-26 October found 52-42. The New York Times/Siena final polls of seven battleground states, released 1 November and based on 5,708 interviews from 23 October to 1 November, showed Democrats ahead in six of the seven states tested.

President Trump’s job approval stood in the high 30s to low 40s in most late polls. A YouGov survey ending 30 October recorded 38 percent approve and 60 percent disapprove. Morning Consult on 1 November measured 41.4 percent approve and 56.7 percent disapprove. Cost of living ranked as the top issue for many voters; Democrats held a roughly nine-point advantage on that question in the Times/Siena data.

In the House, forecasters expected Democrats to gain the handful of seats needed for a majority. The Cook Political Report and other non-partisan outlets rated the chamber as favoring Democrats. In the Senate, Republicans entered the night with 53 seats. Democrats needed four net gains to reach a majority because Vice President JD Vance would break a 50-50 tie. Competitive races included Maine, where Democrat Troy Jackson led incumbent Republican Susan Collins by 2 to 7 points in late polls; Georgia, where Democrat Jon Ossoff led Republican Mike Collins; and several Republican-held seats in the Midwest and Plains that had tightened.

Early voting had already been substantial. In Florida more than 5.4 million ballots had been cast before Election Day. Across Senate battlegrounds, early in-person and mail voting favored Democrats in several states. The Supreme Court on 2 November rejected a request by the Trump administration to set aside thousands of California mail ballots that the Justice Department had flagged as potentially cast by non-citizens. California officials said the list was unreliable; the Court declined to intervene.

Trump campaigned in the final days, including an appearance near the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Vice President Vance stumped in Ohio and New York, seeking to hold Republican seats. Democratic candidates emphasized prices, health care and the costs associated with the Iran conflict. Republican candidates stressed border security, energy production and opposition to Democratic spending plans.

Results were expected to begin arriving after 6 pm Eastern Time from Kentucky and Indiana, with the bulk of key races reporting through the evening and into Wednesday. Control of the House was widely projected to flip; the Senate outcome depended on a small number of close contests. A Democratic House would allow investigations and spending bills to become points of friction for the remainder of Trump’s term. A Democratic Senate would further constrain nominations and treaty actions.

The election occurs against the backdrop of limited US strikes on Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz in the days immediately preceding the vote, elevated energy prices and ongoing fighting in Ukraine. Turnout and late shifts among independents, who broke toward Democrats in several final surveys, will determine the final margins in the closest races.