Vote counting began Tuesday in the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, with early results showing Democratic leads in House and Senate races. (Foto: Instagram)
Vote counting began in the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, which will determine the makeup of the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate. The first polling places closed at 8 p.m. Brasília time on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Early results pointed to Democratic leads in contests for both chambers, though the final outcome could take days. The elections come as President Donald Trump faces declining approval amid the prolonged war with Iran and rising living costs.
The election cycle includes all 435 House seats, 35 Senate seats and 36 governorships. Voters are also deciding ballot measures across the country on issues ranging from election administration to abortion access. Midterms occur every two years between presidential elections and are widely viewed as a measure of public sentiment toward the sitting administration. No presidential candidate appears on the ballot.
Republicans currently hold 218 seats in the House, compared with 214 for Democrats. Democrats need to gain four seats to take control, according to the figures provided in the election coverage. In the Senate, Republicans hold 53 of 100 seats, while Democrats and independents aligned with them have 47. Democrats would need 51 seats for a majority. House members serve two-year terms, while senators serve six-year terms; all House seats and 35 Senate seats are up for election this year.
The first polls closed at 8 p.m. Brasília time in Indiana and Kentucky. Closures followed at 9 p.m. in Georgia, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia and most of Florida; at 9:30 p.m. in North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia; and at 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 closed at 10:30 p.m. At 11 p.m., polls closed in Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Wisconsin and Wyoming, as well as the remaining parts of North Dakota, South Dakota and Texas. Most of Idaho, along with Montana, Nevada and Utah, closed at midnight; California, Washington and Oregon at 1 a.m.; Hawaii at 2 a.m.; and Alaska at 3 a.m.
The count was expected to start producing results on Tuesday night, but control of a chamber may not be settled quickly. In the 2022 and 2024 midterms, control of the House was not determined until eight days of counting had passed. A change in congressional control could affect the government’s ability to pass federal laws and could shift the balance of power in Washington.
On Monday, Nov. 2, Trump made a roughly 50-minute speech at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington as he sought to preserve Republican control of Congress. He called the election the most important of his supporters’ lives and said, “The Democratic Party has nominated the most extremist and dangerous slate of candidates in American history.” He accused Democrats of supporting open borders, higher taxes, restrictions on gun ownership and policies that he said would raise energy costs and increase immigration. Trump described the country as experiencing a “golden age,” praised his administration’s economic performance and urged supporters to vote as if he were on the ballot.
Democratic control of the House would give the party leadership of congressional committees and the ability to call administration officials, request documents and open investigations. The government could also face scrutiny over contracts, conflicts of interest and actions taken through executive orders. A new impeachment effort could gain support among Democrats: the House can bring charges, while the Senate conducts the trial, and conviction requires two-thirds of senators. A Democratic Senate majority could make it harder for Trump to win confirmation of nominees for senior posts, ambassadorships and federal courts, including any Supreme Court vacancies. Trump could still use executive orders, but could face greater institutional resistance and difficulty turning proposals into law. The midterm outcome may also affect political maneuvering ahead of the 2028 presidential election, which Trump cannot enter because he has already served two terms.
