The 2026 US midterm elections concluded on Tuesday, November 3, with millions of Americans having already cast their votes through early voting in the preceding weeks. Polling stations began closing at 18:00 local time (midnight Paris time) in several East Coast states. On the West Coast, including California, Oregon, and Washington, the final closures occurred at 20:00 local time (5:00 AM Paris time). Voters in Hawaii and Alaska had to wait an additional one to two hours for their polls to close.
Regarding the House of Representatives, a clear trend could emerge on election night between 23:00 and midnight Eastern Time (5:00 AM to 6:00 AM Wednesday Paris time) if one camp secures a decisive victory. This scenario mirrored the 2018 midterms under Trump's first presidency, which favored the Democrats. However, results may take several days to finalize if the outcome is extremely close. In 2022, for instance, results were not validated until eight days after the vote because the election hinged on a handful of districts decided by narrow margins.
The delay in tight races is attributed to the need to count all mail-in ballots, which can be sent as late as Election Day and arrive via post several days later. The process for the Senate follows the same pattern, with early trends expected in key districts located in the Eastern Time Zone, such as North Carolina, Ohio, and Maine. Heavily watched states like Texas, Iowa, and Kansas operate on Central Time, while Michigan spans both time zones.
A specific scenario exists where the entire outcome hinges on a single Senate seat, focusing attention on Alaska due to its ten-hour time difference with France. In this context, Republicans have already contested the results, alleging that Democrats encouraged the candidacy of an individual sharing the same name as the Republican candidate to confuse voters. Although a federal judge rejected this preventive appeal from the Trump administration on Sunday, Republicans maintain their challenge. Historically, it took four days in 2022 to determine the Senate majority, which was ultimately secured by Democrats on November 12.
Sources: Le Monde International.