US voters went to the polls on November 3, 2026, in the US midterm elections 2026, which will decide control of Congress and shape the final two years of President Donald Trump’s second term.
All 435 House seats and 35 of the 100 Senate seats are up for election, along with 39 governorships, according to the Guardian World. Republicans defend a narrow House majority, and Democrats need a net gain of four seats to take control, the Guardian World reported.
In the Senate, Republicans hold 53 seats to Democrats’ 47, including independents. Democrats need four gains to win a majority, according to the Guardian World.
Early voting has been heavy. More than 57 million ballots were cast early in 47 states and Washington DC as of Monday, according to DW.
Polling stations close between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. local time, with vote counting beginning immediately afterwards, DW reported. Al Jazeera gave the closing time as 23:00 GMT. Both accounts are consistent with staggered closings across states.
Democrats are widely expected to retake the House but could face a greater challenge in the Senate, according to DW. Trump’s approval ratings are currently at a record low, partly in response to the Iran war and its impact on gas prices, DW reported.
The president’s party has lost House seats in 18 of the past 20 midterm elections, a 90% rate of loss back to 1946. At his final rally, Trump said that "for some reason, the sitting president doesn’t win the midterms." Democrats campaigned on rising prices and the Iran war.
Reports said the US struck Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz on the eve of the vote. The US Central Command has not officially confirmed the attack. The Associated Press cited an unnamed US official, and the reports rest on that account. No response from the White House or Republican leadership on the reported strikes was included in the sources.
The key gaps are these. Only a headline and short excerpt from Al Jazeera were available, so its claims about timing and results were not verified in full. No results or vote counts were available, so the outcome is not yet known.
Polls close in stages from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. local time, with first results expected Tuesday. Final results might take days to confirm which party controls the House and Senate.
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This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.