US Midterm Elections 2026: Voters Head to Polls in Pivotal Congressional Races

Polls have opened across various parts of the United States for Tuesday's crucial midterm elections, where all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 Senate seats are up for grabs. Each state independently sets its voting hours, with early voting commencing in Vermont, New Jersey, Virginia, Connecticut, and Kentucky, and other states soon to follow. Over 57 million Americans have already cast their ballots early, with significant participation observed in key battleground states such as Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas. Additionally, voters in 36 states will be choosing their governors.

Currently, Republicans hold a majority of 53 seats in the 100-seat Senate, while Democrats and their allied independents occupy 47 seats. The House of Representatives sees Republicans with a slim four-seat advantage. Democrats have centered their campaigns on addressing the national cost-of-living crisis and ending what they term 'Trump’s war on Iran.' They aim for substantial gains in both chambers of Congress, which could significantly influence the final two years of the US president's term.

Conversely, Republicans are striving to overcome historical trends. Despite the US president's approval ratings being near historic lows and the typical midterm losses faced by the incumbent party, conservative and right-leaning candidates are relying on their core supporters and a general distrust of progressive policies to counter anticipated Democratic gains. This year's midterms also saw a notable endorsement from Haley Stevens, who lost Michigan's Democratic Senate primary in August, backing Republican Mike Rogers over her party's candidate, Abdul El-Sayed, on Sunday.