Polls began closing in Indiana and Kentucky on Tuesday as voters cast ballots in midterm races that will determine control of Congress. (Foto: Instagram)
Vote counting began in the 2026 U.S. midterm elections on Tuesday, Nov. 3, as polls closed in parts of Indiana and Kentucky at 8 p.m. Brasília time. The races will determine all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate, with the outcome expected to shape President Donald Trump’s ability to advance his agenda.
Results were expected to begin coming in Tuesday night, but a final tally could take days. In the 2022 and 2024 midterms, control of the House was not settled until eight days after voting. Poll closing times, listed in Brasília time, were scheduled as follows: 9 p.m. in Georgia, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia and most of Florida; 9:30 p.m. in North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia; and 10 p.m. in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, most of Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, most of Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, most of North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, most of South Dakota and Tennessee. Arkansas was set to close at 10:30 p.m.; Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the remaining portions of North Dakota, South Dakota and Texas at 11 p.m. Most of Idaho, as well as Montana, Nevada and Utah, were scheduled to close at midnight; California, Washington and Oregon at 1 a.m. Wednesday; Hawaii at 2 a.m.; and Alaska at 3 a.m.
The election comes as Trump’s administration faces mounting strain, with his approval ratings falling amid the prolonged war with Iran and rising living costs. Alongside the 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats being contested, voters are choosing 36 governors. Ballot measures across the country also address issues ranging from election administration to abortion access.
Democrats are seeking to regain control of both chambers. Republicans currently hold 218 seats in the House, compared with 214 for Democrats; Democrats need at least 218 seats to take control. In the Senate, Republicans hold 53 of 100 seats, while Democrats and independents aligned with them hold 47. Democrats need to reach 51 seats for a majority. Midterm elections take place every two years between presidential elections and are often viewed as a measure of public sentiment toward the sitting administration. No presidential candidate appears on the ballot, but the results can shift Congress’s balance of power. The House and Senate write and pass federal laws and oversee the executive branch, so a change in control could impede White House priorities.
On Monday, Nov. 2, Trump made a roughly 50-minute speech at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, urging voters to preserve the Republican majority. He called the election the most important of their lives and attacked Democrats. “The Democratic Party has put forward the most extremist and dangerous slate of candidates in American history,” he said. Trump also accused his opponents of supporting open borders, tax increases, restrictions on gun ownership and policies that, he argued, would raise energy costs and increase immigration.
Trump described the United States as living in a “golden age,” praised his administration’s economic performance and urged supporters to vote as if he were personally on the ballot. The appeal came amid voter concern about the cost of living. Republican strategists, too, expressed concern that Trump was focusing on renovation projects and the construction of monuments and other structures in Washington while Americans faced economic difficulties.
If Democrats win control of either chamber, the relationship between Congress and the White House could change significantly. A Democratic House majority would give the opposition control of congressional committees and the ability to summon administration officials, request documents and open investigations. The administration could also face scrutiny over contracts, potential conflicts of interest and actions taken through executive orders. Democrats could pursue impeachment charges in the House; the Senate would conduct a political trial, and conviction would require the support of two-thirds of senators.
A Democratic Senate majority could make it harder for Trump to secure confirmation of nominees for senior posts, ambassadorships and federal courts, including any Supreme Court vacancies. Trump could still use executive orders to pursue parts of his agenda, but would face greater institutional resistance and difficulty turning proposals into law. The midterm results could also influence political maneuvering ahead of the 2028 presidential election, in which Trump will be ineligible to run because he has already served two terms.
