Americans Vote in 2026 Midterms as Control of House and Senate Hangs in Balance

Americans voted on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, in midterm elections for all 435 House seats, 35 of the 100 Senate seats and governorships in 36 states, in contests that will largely determine how much power President Donald Trump keeps for the rest of his term. More than 210 million registered people were eligible to vote. Polls closed in Indiana and Kentucky at 6 p.m. Eastern time, with closings staggered across time zones until past midnight.

Republicans currently control both chambers of Congress. Democrats hold 212 House seats and need 218 for a majority; they must flip enough seats in at least one chamber to limit Trump's powers. The Cook Political Report rated seven Senate races as genuine tossups, and Democrats need at least four of them plus the races they are expected to win. In the House, Democrats are favored in enough seats to take control without winning any of the 18 tossups, while Republicans, favored in 195 seats, would need to sweep all 18 tossups and flip five Democratic-leaning seats.

The Daily Mail, on the right, leads with a results page promising live-updating maps and charts, and casts the night as America delivering its verdict on Trump in the House and Senate. Its excerpt stresses drama ("critical night," "historic election") and gives no seat counts or ratings. The Guardian US, on the left, also runs a live results page but frames it as a referendum on Trump's agenda and fills it with analysis: Cook ratings, seat counts, how to read its blue and red charts, and what a good night would look like for each party. Both sides agree the election centers on Trump and that results would be tracked live. They differ in that the Daily Mail emphasizes spectacle and a national verdict, while the Guardian emphasizes the numbers behind control of Congress. The Hindu, an alternative source, is distinct in explaining the stakes for an international audience, with turnout eligibility and poll-closing times in IST.