The 2026 US midterm elections will take place on Tuesday, November 3, with control of Congress and dozens of state governments at stake. Voters will decide all 435 House seats, 35 Senate seats, and 36 governorships.
Polls will close at different times across the country, with election results expected to begin coming in on Tuesday evening. While some races may be called on election night, closely contested contests could take days or weeks to resolve.
Also Read: US Midterm Elections 2026 Live Updates
Election Day date and voting hours
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Polling hours vary by state and, in some cases, by county or congressional district. Many polling places open between 6am and 8am local time.
Express InfoGenIE · US midterms 2026
US Midterms 2026: The Battle for Power in Washington
Control of the House and Senate decides who can investigate, who can block and who controls the purse for the rest of Trump’s term. Voting is on Nov 3.
Seat counts as of Oct 26, 2026; ratings and forecasts as of the dates shown. Forecasts are not results and can change. Early counts on election night are preliminary, and close races can take days or weeks.
BalanceBattlegroundsOutcomesIndia impact
Pick a view of the two chambers.
Who holds power nowWhat is up on Nov 3Path to a majority
House of Representatives · 435 seats
Republicans hold a 218–214 edge
218 to control
Democrats 214
Republicans 218
Independent 1, sits with Republicans
Vacant 2
Senate · 100 seats
Republicans hold 53 of 100
51 to control
Democrats 45
Independents 2, caucus with Democrats
Republicans 53
A 50–50 Senate stays under Republican control because Vice President JD Vance casts the tie-breaking vote.
435House seats, all up
35Senate seats up
Senate seats on the ballot, by who holds them now
Republicans defend 22, Democrats 13
Democratic-held 13
Republican-held 22
36governorships up
2Senate special elections (Florida, Ohio) are among the 35
Because Republicans hold more of the seats being defended, they have more to lose in the Senate even though they start ahead.
House. Democrats hold 214 and need 218. Cook Political Report (Oct 23) rates them “favored outright” and projects 227 to 237 seats. Decision Desk HQ (Oct 26) gives them a 79% chance and projects 238.
Senate. Democrats need a net gain of four seats, for 51. Decision Desk HQ (Oct 26) gives them a 57% chance. Cook lists seven toss-ups: Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Ohio and Texas.
Redistricting. Mid-decade map changes in several Republican-led states made the House map redder. VoteHub estimated in June that this gave Republicans roughly 14 seats’ worth of advantage if Democrats won every seat Trump lost by 8 points or more.
Mood. A Pew survey (Sept 28–Oct 4) found 44% of registered voters backing the Democrat in their district and 36% the Republican. 15% were unsure.
Dots are states with a competitive Senate, governor or House race. The colour shows the Senate rating. Tap a state for every race there.
Senate toss-up
Senate leans or likely Democratic
Senate likely or solid Republican
No competitive Senate race
Tap a state on the map to open its races.
Alaska
SenateToss-up
Dan Sullivan (R, incumbent) vs Mary Peltola (D).
Arizona
GovernorLean D
Katie Hobbs (D, incumbent) vs Andy Biggs (R). Cook, Aug 27.
HouseLean D
AZ-1 is open: Amish Shah (D) vs Jay Feely (R). Cook moved it to Lean D on Sept 25.
Florida
SenateSolid R
Ashley Moody (R, appointed) vs Angie Nixon (D).
HouseToss-up
FL-22, a newly drawn seat with no incumbent: Pia Dandiya (D) vs Casey Askar (R). Cook moved it to Toss-up on Sept 25.
Georgia
SenateLikely D
Jon Ossoff (D, incumbent) vs Mike Collins (R). A runoff is held Dec 1 if no one wins a majority.
GovernorToss-up
Open seat: Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) vs Rick Jackson (R). Cook, Aug 27.
Iowa
SenateToss-up
Open, Joni Ernst not running: Josh Turek (D) vs Ashley Hinson (R).
GovernorLean D
Open: Rob Sand (D) vs Zach Lahn (R). Cook rates it Lean D, a flip from Republican (Aug 27).
HouseToss-up
IA-2 moved to Toss-up on Oct 9.
Kansas
SenateToss-up
Roger Marshall (R, incumbent) vs Adam Hamilton (D).
GovernorLean R
Open: Cindy Holscher (D) vs Ty Masterson (R). Cook rates it Lean R, a flip from Democratic (Aug 27).
Maine
SenateToss-up
Susan Collins (R, incumbent) vs Troy Jackson (D). Jackson replaced Graham Platner, who withdrew in July.
House
ME-2 is open: Jared Golden (D) is retiring.
Michigan
SenateToss-up
Open, Gary Peters retiring: Abdul El-Sayed (D) vs Mike Rogers (R).
GovernorLean D
Open: Jocelyn Benson (D) vs John James (R). Cook, Aug 27.
HouseToss-up
MI-4 moved to Toss-up on Oct 9.
North Carolina
SenateLikely D
Open, Thom Tillis retiring: Roy Cooper (D) vs Michael Whatley (R).
HouseToss-up
NC-1 (Don Davis, D) moved to Toss-up on Oct 9. NC-11 moved on Sept 25.
Nebraska
SenateLikely R
Pete Ricketts (R, incumbent) vs independent Dan Osborn. There is no Democratic nominee.
House
NE-2 is open: Don Bacon (R) is retiring.
New Hampshire
SenateLean D
Open, Jeanne Shaheen retiring: Chris Pappas (D) vs John E. Sununu (R).
Nevada
GovernorToss-up
Joe Lombardo (R, incumbent) vs Aaron Ford (D). Cook, Aug 27.
Ohio
SenateToss-up
Jon Husted (R, appointed) vs Sherrod Brown (D). A special election.
GovernorToss-up
Open: Amy Acton (D) vs Vivek Ramaswamy (R). Cook, Aug 27.
Texas
SenateToss-up
Ken Paxton (R) vs James Talarico (D). Sen. John Cornyn lost the Republican primary runoff.
HouseToss-up
TX-15 moved to Toss-up on Sept 25.
Virginia
HouseToss-up
VA-1 moved to Toss-up on Oct 9. VoteHub named it the tipping-point seat for a House majority in its June analysis.
Wisconsin
GovernorToss-up
Open, Tony Evers retiring: Tom Tiffany (R) vs David Crowley (D). Cook, Aug 27.
Ratings: Senate, Cook Political Report through Oct 20. House, Cook rating changes on Sept 25 and Oct 9; this is not a full list of competitive districts. Governor, Cook as of Aug 27, so the most dated of the three.
Pick a result to see what each side could and could not do from January 2027.
Republicans keep bothSplit: Democratic HouseDemocrats win both
House: RepublicanSenate: Republican
Republicans keep both
Republicans hold the House and keep at least 50 Senate seats with the vice president.
Trump’s agenda
Republican leaders keep control of the floor and committees. Most bills still need 60 votes in the Senate, so the filibuster limits what passes without Democratic support.
Investigations
Republican chairs would run the committees that can issue subpoenas. Congressional probes of the administration would stay in their hands.
Spending
The Dec 11 funding deadline and next year’s budget are negotiated with Republicans controlling both chambers, though Senate Democrats can still block appropriations bills that fall short of 60 votes.
Oversight
Nominees keep moving on simple Senate majorities, and Republican chairs set the oversight agenda.
House: DemocraticSenate: Republican
Split: Democratic House
Democrats flip the House, and Republicans hold at least 50 Senate seats.
Trump’s agenda
The House could pass Democratic bills, but a Republican Senate could block them and Trump keeps his veto. Trump’s own priorities would need House Democratic votes, which narrows what can pass.
Investigations
Democrats would chair House committees, with subpoena power and hearings on administration decisions. Enforcing subpoenas could end up in court.
Spending
Both chambers must agree on funding bills, which raises the leverage and the risk of standoffs. Congress has already had two record-long shutdowns in the past year, per WLRN.
Oversight
The House could vote to impeach, but conviction needs two-thirds of the Senate. The Republican Senate would still confirm nominees.
House: DemocraticSenate: Democratic
Democrats win both
Democrats flip the House and gain a net four Senate seats, for 51.
Trump’s agenda
Democrats would control the floor in both chambers, but Trump keeps his veto and overriding it takes two-thirds of each chamber. Most Senate bills still need 60 votes.
Investigations
Both chambers could hold hearings and issue subpoenas, and Senate committees could probe the administration too.
Spending
Democrats would hold the appropriations committees and the leverage, but any spending bill still needs Trump’s signature or a veto-proof majority.
Oversight
Democrats would have more say over judicial and executive nominations and could delay or reject nominees. Removing a president would still need 67 senators.
What does not change in any scenario
- Trump stays president until January 2029.
- He keeps his veto, and an override needs two-thirds of both chambers.
- Senate bills generally need 60 votes to pass, with exceptions such as budget reconciliation.
- The new Congress is seated in January 2027. The Dec 11 funding deadline falls to the current Congress, in its lame-duck session.
Forecasters see a Democratic House as likely and the Senate as close, with control resting on seven toss-up races.
Read with care. This election does not automatically change US policy on India. What changes is who controls committees, hearings and the legislative agenda. Most India-relevant policy, such as visa fees and tariffs, has been set by the executive.
Pick a topic.
H-1B visasTrade and tariffsDefence tiesScrutiny of India
Who sets the rules
H-1B visas
Where it stands
The $100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions was imposed by the administration. A federal court struck it down, and in July 2026 the First Circuit refused to reinstate it while the appeal goes on. Sen. Tim Sheehy’s End H-1B Abuse Act, introduced in July, would write the fee into law and pause new H-1B visas for three years. No further action has been reported.
What Congress can do
Congress, not the executive, sets H-1B law. It could cap visas or set fees, but a bill needs both chambers and either Trump’s signature or a veto-proof majority. Committees can also hold hearings on the fee.
In the debate
At a House Foreign Affairs hearing in December, Rep. Ami Bera (D) criticised the fee, and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D) criticised the tariffs and curbs on legal immigration. Republican Sheehy’s bill points the other way.
Who sets the rates
Trade and tariffs
Where it stands
The Supreme Court ruled in February that the emergency-powers law the administration used does not authorise tariffs. A 10% surcharge under Section 122 lapsed on Jul 24, after its 150-day limit, and the administration moved the same 10% to Section 301 duties covering India and other economies. The Week reports no finalised India-US trade deal.
What Congress can do
The Constitution gives tariff power to Congress, which has delegated much of it. Congress could narrow those delegations or extend or limit emergency tariffs, but doing so over a presidential veto needs two-thirds of each chamber.
Watch for
Whether a new Congress takes up tariff authority at all, and what any India-US deal needs from Congress, which depends on its terms.
What Congress writes into law
Defence ties
Where it stands
The fiscal 2026 defence authorisation act, released in December 2025, calls for broader engagement with India including through the Quad. It names India among six priority partners in an Indo-Pacific industrial resilience programme and asks for annual reports to Congress on civil nuclear cooperation.
What Congress can do
The defence bill is passed every year and is where India provisions get written. Congress also reviews major arms sales to India before they proceed, and can attach conditions to funding.
Watch for
Who chairs the Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees in January, which sets the agenda for next year’s bill.
Hearings, letters, oversight
Scrutiny of India
Where it stands
Lawmakers have used hearings and letters to raise India-related issues, including visa fees and tariffs. At a House hearing in December, Rep. Ami Bera said images of Modi with Putin and Xi had caused concern in Congress.
What Congress can do
Committees choose which topics to examine. Chairs set hearing agendas, and a change in party control changes who decides. Hearings and letters signal concern but do not change policy on their own.
On the ballot
Four Indian-American House Democrats are on the Nov 3 ballot: Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal, Ami Bera and Suhas Subramanyam.
Early voting has ended in Texas, where in-person voting ran from October 19 to October 30. In North Carolina, early voting ends at 3pm on Saturday, October 31.
Voters planning to cast their ballots on Election Day should check their assigned polling place, opening and closing times, and voter ID requirements with their local election office.
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What time do polls close?
Poll closing times vary across the country.
The first polls close at 6pm Eastern Time (ET) in parts of Indiana and Kentucky. Polls in Virginia and several other states close at 7pm ET, while North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia close at 7:30pm ET.
Polls in California, Oregon and Washington close at 11pm ET. Nevada polls close at 10pm ET.
Most polls in Alaska close at midnight ET on Wednesday, November 4, while polling places in parts of the Aleutian Islands close at 1am ET.
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These are statewide or district-level schedules, and some states have different closing times across time zones.
When will the 2026 midterm election results be known?
Election results will begin arriving as polls close, and officials count ballots. News organisations may project winners after polls close, but these projections are not official results.
Election-night totals are preliminary. States certify results only after completing their canvass and other required procedures.
Some races could take days or weeks to resolve, particularly where margins are narrow or large numbers of mail ballots remain to be counted.
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California’s mail-in ballot deadlines could affect the timing of results in closely contested House races. Ballots postmarked by Election Day may be received by county election offices through November 10, subject to state requirements.
In 2022, control of the House of Representatives was not determined until more than a week after Election Day.
Certification deadlines vary by state. Georgia’s deadline for certifying general election results is November 20. In California, county election officials must certify results by December 3, while the Secretary of State’s statewide certification is scheduled for December 11.
How to check the 2026 US midterm election results
For US voters: Voters can check their ballot status, where tracking is available, through their state or local election office.
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Live results and race calls: Follow The Indian Express’ live coverage for updates on key House and Senate races, vote counting and the battle for control of Congress.
Official election results: The US does not have a single national election results website. State election offices publish preliminary vote counts and certified results. The Federal Election Commission provides links to official state election websites.
Key races to watch: Results in closely contested Senate and House races could determine which party controls Congress. Follow key battleground states, including Maine, Ohio and Texas, as results come in.
When will the results be final? Election-night results are preliminary. Close races may take days or weeks to resolve as officials count outstanding ballots and complete the canvass and certification process.
