Americans are voting on Tuesday in the 2026 midterm elections, with more than 230 million eligible voters across the country deciding who will represent them in Congress.
All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the Senate's 100 seats are being contested. Voters in 36 states will also elect governors. Republicans currently hold both chambers.
Democrats are widely projected to retake control of the House, though the Senate remains uncertain. Senate Democrats need a net gain of four seats to reach a majority, while House Democrats need three seats.
Losing either chamber would affect President Donald Trump's ability to pass legislation. The elections are also seen as a referendum on his second term.
Voting hours are set by each state. The first polls opened in Vermont at 5am local time (10:00 GMT). Voting in New Jersey, Virginia, Connecticut and Kentucky began at 6am (11:00 GMT).
Voting in Georgia, Florida, Pennsylvania and New York started between 6am (11:00 GMT) and 7am (12:00 GMT). Ohio and North Carolina saw voting begin at 6:30am (11:30 GMT). In Michigan, polls opened at 7am (12:00 GMT).
Polls close in waves across the country. The earliest closures are at 6pm (23:00 GMT) in Indiana and Kentucky. Voting in Michigan closes at 8pm and in Kansas at 7pm local time, both corresponding to 01:00 GMT on Wednesday. Polls in Iowa close at 8pm (02:00 GMT on Wednesday). Alaska is the last state to close, at around 1am Eastern Time (06:00 GMT) on Wednesday.
Voters can cast their ballots by mail, early, or in person on election day. Many mail, provisional and other ballots are counted after election night, which is why final tallies can take several days or even weeks.
The first results could begin arriving on Tuesday as polls start to close. Results will continue to come in throughout Tuesday evening, with more expected on Wednesday as additional states finish counting. Closely contested races could take hours or even days to call, and it may not be immediately clear which party will control Congress.
Several key races are drawing particular attention.
In Michigan, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers are locked in a closely watched Senate race after Democratic Representative Haley Stevens endorsed Rogers on Sunday.
In Florida, Democrat Angie Nixon is challenging Republican Senator Ashley Moody.
In Georgia, Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff faces Republican Mike Collins.
In Maine, Republican Senator Susan Collins is up against Democrat Troy Jackson.
In New Hampshire, Democratic Representative Chris Pappas faces Republican John Sununu, a former senator.
In North Carolina, Democrat Roy Cooper and Republican Michael Whatley are on the ballot.
