What to know about control of the House and Senate, ballot questions, and poll closing times on Election Day 2026

November 1, 2026

What’s at stake in the 2026 midterm elections

Americans head to the polls in two days to decide which party will control the House and Senate for the next two years.

Republicans are defending narrow majorities in both chambers. President Donald Trump has predicted that his party will hold on, arguing on the campaign trail that a GOP victory would keep his administration focused on putting America first. He has also warned that the country would suffer if Democrats take control.

History is not on Republicans’ side: the party holding the White House has typically lost seats in midterm elections. The GOP is also facing persistent inflation, an unpopular war with Iran, according to polling, and increasingly poor approval ratings for Trump.

There’s plenty more on the ballot. Voters will choose governors in 36 states, as well as in Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Nearly every state is also holding legislative elections, and voters nationwide will consider 145 statewide ballot measures.

Senate

Republicans currently hold a 53–47 advantage in the Senate, but the race for control is considered a toss-up. Forecasts show Democrats favored in 48 seats and Republicans in 47, with the remaining races highly competitive.

Democrats need to gain four seats for a majority, while Republicans need to hold at least 50. Vice President JD Vance would break a tie in the GOP’s favor.

A strong night for Democrats could leave them with as many as 54 seats. If Republicans outperform expectations, they could retain control with up to 52.

Republicans are defending toss-up seats in Alaska, Iowa, Maine, South Carolina and Texas. Their races in Kansas and Ohio are also competitive, rated Lean Republican and Lean Democrat, respectively. Democrats are defending a toss-up seat in Michigan, along with seats in Minnesota and New Hampshire, both rated Lean Democrat.

House of Representatives

Republicans are clinging to a very slim House majority, but forecasts suggest Democrats are more likely to win control.

Democrats could reach as many as 240 seats in the 435-member chamber. In a strong Republican night, the party could end up with 212 seats—short of a majority, but enough to make governing difficult for a Democratic speaker trying to satisfy both moderate and progressive members.

Early results may offer clues about the House outcome. One district to watch is Kentucky’s 6th, which includes Lexington and surrounding parts of central Kentucky. Trump carried it by 15 points in the last presidential election, but this year the race appears close. College voters and farmers dealing with higher costs are among the factors shaping the contest.

Governors

There are currently 26 Republican governors and 24 Democrats. Three Republican-held governorships—Alaska, Nevada and Georgia—are rated toss-ups. Wisconsin, where Democrats hold the governor’s office, is also considered a toss-up.

Florida, Kansas and Texas are rated Lean Republican. Several other races are rated Lean Democrat, including contests in Arizona, Michigan and Oregon, where Democrats are defending the seat, and Iowa and Ohio, where Republicans are defending open governor’s offices.

Statewide ballot measures

Voters in 11 states—Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Kansas, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota and West Virginia—will consider measures related to voter identification or prohibiting noncitizens from voting.

Alaska voters will also decide whether to repeal ranked-choice voting, open primaries and a campaign finance disclosure rule. Voters approved the current system in 2020 and narrowly kept it in 2024. It has drawn renewed attention amid controversy over a possible spoiler candidate in the state’s Senate race.

In Virginia, voters will decide whether people convicted of felonies should regain the right to vote once they are released.

California’s Proposition 40 would impose a one-time 5% tax on residents with wealth above $1 billion. Most of the revenue would go toward healthcare. In Washington state, voters will consider repealing a recently approved 9.9% tax on annual income above $1 million. The state currently has no personal income tax.

Measures concerning congressional redistricting are on the ballot in Maryland, Missouri and Colorado, as both parties look ahead to the next round of redistricting in 2028.

Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska and Washington state have measures addressing transgender students’ participation in sports. Colorado voters will also consider restricting gender-transition surgeries for minors and barring public funding for those procedures.

Missouri voters will weigh measures to repeal abortion rights and prohibit gender-transition medical care for children. An Idaho initiative would overturn one of the country’s strictest abortion bans, while voters in Virginia and Nevada will decide whether to establish abortion rights in their state constitutions.

California, Colorado and Arizona will also consider measures involving energy, transportation and development.

When polls close

The first polls close at 6 p.m. ET on Election Day. The final polling places in Alaska close at 1 a.m. ET.

6 p.m. ET: Polls close in parts of Kentucky and Indiana.
7 p.m. ET: Polls close in Georgia, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia. The remaining polls in Kentucky and Indiana close, as do most polling places in Florida and New Hampshire.
7:30 p.m. ET: Polls close in North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia.
8 p.m. ET: Polls close in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Washington, D.C. The remaining polls in Florida and New Hampshire also close. Most polls close in Texas, Michigan, Kansas, North Dakota and South Dakota.
8:30 p.m. ET: Polls close in Arkansas.
9 p.m. ET: Polls close in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Wisconsin and Wyoming. The remaining polls in Texas, Michigan, Kansas, North Dakota and South Dakota also close.
10 p.m. ET: Polls close in Montana and Utah. Most polls in Idaho and Oregon also close.
11 p.m. ET: Polls close in California and Washington state, along with the remaining polling places in Idaho and Oregon.
Midnight ET: Polls close throughout Hawaii and in most of Alaska. The remaining Alaska polls close at 1 a.m. ET.