US Midterm Voting Begins With Control Of Congress At Stake
US voters went to the polls on Tuesday, 3 November, in midterm elections that put control of Congress and a range of state offices in play. The Associated Press reported that the first polling sites opened at 6 a.m. Eastern time in Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Missouri, New Jersey, New York and Virginia. WHYY also reported that voters across the country were heading to the polls for the general election. The contest includes races for the House and Senate as well as gubernatorial elections. Midterm elections 2026: Live updates, election results and key races across the U.S. – ABC7 New York · Election 2026: Midterm results: Live updates – WHYY · 2026 midterm election results: – WPBF
More than 57 million early votes had been cast nationwide by Monday afternoon, according to the University of Florida’s Election Lab, as cited by the Associated Press. The AP report compared that figure with more than 58 million early votes recorded across the whole of the 2022 midterm election and said the 2026 total was expected to exceed that benchmark. The figure is an early-voting count, not a final turnout total. Midterm elections 2026: Live updates, election results and key races across the U.S. – ABC7 New York
All 435 seats in the House of Representatives were up for election. Ballotpedia listed the pre-election composition as 218 Republicans, 214 Democrats, one independent and two vacancies. The source also notes that a majority requires 218 seats, making the many House contests relevant to which party will control the chamber. The outcome was not settled by the pre-election seat count; voters were choosing representatives in every district. Election results, 2026: U.S. Congress – Ballotpedia · Election 2026: Midterm results: Live updates – WHYY · 2026 midterm election results: – WPBF
Thirty-five Senate seats were also being contested: 33 in regularly scheduled elections and two in special elections, according to Ballotpedia. Before the vote, Republicans held 53 seats, Democrats held 45 and two independents caucused with Democrats. Ballotpedia said Democrats needed a net gain of four seats to take control, while Republicans could lose two and retain their majority. That arithmetic helps explain why a limited number of Senate races could have consequences for control of the chamber. Election results, 2026: U.S. Congress – Ballotpedia · 2026 midterm election results: – WPBF
The ballot also included gubernatorial contests in 36 states, according to WPBF. Those races, alongside the congressional contests, make the election a nationwide vote spanning federal and state offices. The reporting describes control of both chambers of Congress as at stake, while the governor races will determine who holds those state offices. With voting underway, the early-vote figure and pre-election seat totals provide context, not a prediction of the final outcome. Midterm elections 2026: Live updates, election results and key races across the U.S. – ABC7 New York · 2026 midterm election results: – WPBF