Midterm Elections on Nov. 3 Will Decide Control of Congress and Trump's Agenda

Voters across the United States go to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3, in the 2026 midterm elections, choosing all 435 House seats and 35 Senate races, with control of Congress and President Donald Trump's agenda at stake. Governors are on the ballot in 39 states, along with measures such as California's proposed billionaire tax. A week before Election Day, tens of millions of voters had already cast ballots, and Democrats must flip four Republican-held Senate seats. Republicans have controlled the White House, Senate and House during the first two years of Trump's second term. An NPR analysis found 70 House districts where both parties are spending more than six figures on advertising in the final days, including in deep red areas. CBS News coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET.

The Daily Mail, the right-leaning outlet, frames the election around Republican vulnerability. It says the GOP faces an uphill battle, that polling has repeatedly favored Democrats with the margin growing, and that Trump has voiced doubt about whether conservative voters will turn out when he is not on the ballot. It notes that Byron Donalds and Ashley Hinson have distanced themselves from him, but adds that Republicans are out-raising Democrats nationally and in battlegrounds. Its piece is a top-10 list of key races. CBS News and NPR, on the left, lean toward logistics and spending: CBS lists anchors including Tony Dokoupil, Norah O'Donnell and Margaret Brennan, analyst Anthony Salvanto and the broadcast schedule, while NPR highlights bipartisan ad investment. Neither cites polling or Trump's remarks. All sides agree the stakes are control of Congress and Trump's agenda. The Hill largely tracks this, adding voting timing and Senate math.