US Midterm Elections 2026: What to Know Before You Vote on Tuesday, November 3

Americans vote on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, in midterm elections that will decide who controls Congress for the second half of President Donald Trump’s term. The president’s name is not on the ballot, but every seat in the House of Representatives, more than a third of the Senate and 36 governorships are. Search interest in “last day to vote” and “how to vote in the us midterms” surged on Monday, November 2, as early voting closed in many states and voters checked their final options.

US Midterm Elections 2026 — Key Facts

What voters are deciding on Tuesday

All 435 House seats are contested, as they are every two years, while the 35 Senate seats include the two special elections in Ohio and Florida, left vacant when JD Vance became vice president and Marco Rubio became secretary of state. Thirty-six states are also electing governors, alongside thousands of state legislative seats, attorneys general, judges and ballot measures. Democrats need a net gain of four Senate seats for an outright 51-seat majority, because a 50-50 split would leave Vice President Vance casting the tie-breaking vote. Forecasts lean toward a Democratic House, but forecasts are probabilities, not results, and polling misses in either direction could change the picture.

Early voting closed in many states after a record run

More than 46 million Americans had already voted early by October 30, according to the University of Florida Election Lab, already passing the 45.9 million early votes cast across the whole of the 2022 midterm election. Early in-person voting is available to all voters in 47 states and Washington, D.C., while eight states and D.C. conduct elections entirely by mail. In states where early voting has now ended, the remaining route is voting in person on Election Day or returning a mail ballot under the state’s own deadline. To check their registration and polling place, voters can start with official state election offices via Vote.gov, which links to every state’s registration and voting information.

When polls close and when results arrive

The first polls close at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday in parts of Indiana and Kentucky, with closing times rolling westward through the evening. The last polls close at 1:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday in the western Aleutian Islands of Alaska. The first results will arrive on Tuesday night, but counting can take days in some states: California, for example, counts mail ballots postmarked by November 3 if they arrive by November 10.

Why this midterm matters beyond Washington

The result will shape how much of the president’s agenda survives his final two years, from legislation and spending to confirming appointees. Polling has put prices and affordability at the centre of the campaign, with an AP-NORC poll finding voters from both parties want the next Congress to make life more affordable. Several once-safe Republican states, including Texas, Kansas and Iowa, have been dragged into play, according to forecasting coverage. Whatever the outcome, the new Congress takes office on January 3, 2027.

When is Election Day 2026? Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. That is the date voters go to the polls in the 2026 midterm elections.

What is on the ballot? All 435 House seats, 35 Senate seats, 36 governorships and many state and local offices are on the ballot. These contests include state legislative seats, attorneys general, judges and ballot measures.

Is the president on the ballot? No. Midterms fall halfway through a presidential term, so the president is not on the ballot.

Can I still vote if early voting has ended in my state? Yes, in person on Election Day, subject to your state’s registration rules. Some states also allow same-day registration.

When will winners be known? Some races will be called on Tuesday night, but close races can take days to be called. States counting late mail ballots can also take longer to complete their counts.

A common misconception is that midterm results are settled on election night. In practice, mail ballots that arrive after Tuesday under state rules, and close races that trigger recounts, mean several contests routinely remain uncalled for days.