The United States goes to the polls on Tuesday, 3 November 2026. Nearly 250 million voters are being called to cast their ballots, according to AFP, in midterm elections that will decide the next majority in Congress. As tradition dictates, the vote is held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, halfway through the presidential term.
In the House of Representatives, no member is safe. US representatives serve only two years, so all 435 seats are back on the table. Republicans hold a slim majority there, won in 2024 by a margin of just five seats.
The Senate works differently. Senators are elected for six years, and a third of them face voters every two years. This time, 35 of the 100 seats are being contested. Donald Trump’s party currently holds 53 seats, and Democrats hope to win back the upper chamber two years after losing it.
The vote reaches well beyond Washington. Thirty-six states and three territories, including New York, Florida and California, are also choosing their governors. In many communities, voters are electing mayors, sheriffs and prosecutors as well.
Midterms traditionally serve as a test for the administration in power, and the 2026 edition is no exception. They come as the country is feeling, among other things, the economic fallout of the conflict with Iran. Voters’ mood reflects it: according to a poll cited by AFP, only 21% of Americans describe economic conditions as “good” or “excellent”, while 53% consider them “poor”.
The outcome will weigh directly on the rest of the presidential term. A Democratic-controlled House would have the power to launch impeachment proceedings, the first step towards a possible removal by the Senate. Donald Trump already went through two impeachments during his first term, a precedent unmatched in American history. A Republican majority, on the other hand, would give him a freer hand to push his agenda through.
Results will not arrive all at once. Polling stations close at different times across time zones, and the first trends are not expected until late evening, African time. In the tightest races, counting could take several days. Whatever the outcome, the newly elected members will take office on 3 January 2027.