Approximately 250 million American voters are heading to the polls on Tuesday, November 3, for the 2026 midterm elections. These contests take place midway through Donald Trump's second presidential term and involve a complete renewal of the House of Representatives alongside one-third of the Senate seats. Additionally, voters in 36 of the 50 states are electing new governors.
The Republican Party currently holds narrow majorities in both chambers but faces significant challenges to retaining them. In the House of Representatives, which functions similarly to a national assembly with representation based on state population, Republicans hold 219 seats compared to 214 for Democrats. Two seats remain vacant in Florida and Texas. All 435 seats in this lower chamber are up for grabs in this election cycle.
In the Senate, Republicans maintain a comfortable majority with 53 seats against 45 Democrats and two independents, Angus King and Bernie Sanders, who caucus with the Democrats. Only 35 of the 100 Senate seats are being contested this year, comprising 22 Republican-held seats and 13 Democratic-held seats. A potential 50-50 split in the chamber would still result in a fragile Republican majority, as Vice President J.D. Vance holds the tie-breaking vote.
Real-time results are being tracked by district and state based on data confirmed by the Associated Press once vote margins are sufficient to declare winners. The final outcomes may not be fully known until Wednesday morning in France, as the last polling stations in Hawaii and Alaska close between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m. Paris time on November 4. In cases of extremely tight races or if run-off elections are required, determining the final results could take several additional days.
Sources: Le Monde International.