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Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- The first polls opened at 5 a.m. local time (1000 GMT) in Vermont
- Voters are electing all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate
- Polls suggest the Democrats have a good chance of taking control of the House, but the battle for the Senate is tighter
- The party holding the White House typically sees losses in the midterms
Follow the latest developments from the US midterm elections on November 3, 2026:
Skip next section IN DEPTH — Why the midterms matter and which races to watch11/03/2026November 3, 2026
IN DEPTH — Why the midterms matter and which races to watch
US citizens are voting in Tuesday’s midterms for who they want to see in the Capitol.
Midterm elections are held every four years, at the exact halfway point between presidential elections. The people of the United States decide who will represent them in the two chambers of the US Congress, the House of Representatives and the Senate. Some states are also voting for their governor. These are the decisions on the ballot paper — but they are not the only thing voters will be taking into account.
J. Miles Coleman, an election analyst at the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, explained before the last midterms that they were “often a referendum on the president and party currently in power.”
If the people are content, the party of the leader in the White House does better than if the people are predominantly dissatisfied. President Donald Trump’s approval ratings are currently at a record low.
Read more here about what that means and which races to watch.
Edited by:Elizabeth Schumacherhttps://p.dw.com/p/5OzDXSkip next section Voting kicks off in US midterm elections11/03/2026November 3, 2026
Voting kicks off in US midterm elections
The first polling stations opened at 5 a.m. (1000 GMT) in the eastern US state of Vermont for the midterm elections.
Voting is to follow in Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Missouri, New Jersey, New York and Virginia from 6 a.m. local time.
More than 57 million ballots were cast early in 47 states and Washington DC as of Monday. Many more votes will be cast in person on Tuesday.
Polling stations across the country close between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., with vote counting beginning immediately afterwards.
Edited by:Elizabeth Schumacherhttps://p.dw.com/p/5OzTpSkip next section What happened on the final day of campaigning?11/03/2026November 3, 2026
What happened on the final day of campaigning?
Democratic candidates were pushing their message in the key Republican strongholds of Texas, Iowa, Ohio and Kansas as campaigning wrapped up on Monday, seeking to capitalize on voter dissatisfaction with the Iran war and rising prices.
Republicans, meanwhile, cast their opponents as left-wing radicals while touting President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and tax cuts as policies that will benefit Americans.
In his final public campaign appearance at the National Mall, Trump appeared to lower expectations for his party’s performance.
“For some reason, the sitting president doesn’t win the midterms, but we gave this a very strong shot,” he said, adding that the Democrats had “nominated the most extreme and dangerous slate of candidates in American history.”
In rambling remarks, he said little about the national economy, only insisting that it was “great.” Instead, he devoted most of his speech to the renovation of Washington’s algae-plagued Reflecting Pool.
Vice President JD Vance campaigned in Rome, New York, praising Trump’s moves to end taxes on tips and overtime and secure the border while calling Democrats as “lunatics.”
In Texas, which hasn’t had a Democratic senator since 1988, Democrat James Talarico blamed Trump’s “corrupt tariffs” for rising grocery prices and “a new corrupt war in the Middle East” for higher gas and diesel prices.
In the same state, Republican Ken Paxton attacked Talarico in cultural terms as “a vegan who hates meat,” and falsely calling him a democratic socialist “just like New York Mayor Mamdani.”
Meanwhile, in the key state of Michigan, Democrats were working to maintain a united front after a messy spat that culminated in Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens endorsing Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s Republican opponent, Mike Rogers.
El-Sayed largely ignored the controversy at campaign events on Monday, stressing instead that his campaign was about the concerns of voters.
Stevens did not attend Rogers’ rally Monday night, but she got a long ovation from the crowd when Rogers mentioned her endorsement.
Edited by:Elizabeth Schumacherhttps://p.dw.com/p/5OzH3Skip next section US strikes Iran on eve of midterms11/03/2026November 3, 2026
US strikes Iran on eve of midterms
The US carried out strikes on Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz on the eve of crucial midterm elections, according to reports.
“Iranians using surface-to-air missiles against US assets” were targeted, a US official was quoted by the Associated Press as saying.
Iranian state television reported that explosions were heard on Qeshm Island, which is located in the Strait of Hormuz.
The US Central Command did not officially confirm the attack.
The strikes came as US President Donald Trump‘s Republican Party seeks to retain control of Congress in Tuesday’s midterm elections. The outcome of the polls will determine how much power Trump has for the remainder of his term.
Trump’s popularity has taken a dive, partly in response to the Iran war and its impact on US gas prices. He had previously said the US wouldn’t launch new strikes on Iran before the midterms.
The attack came after Tehran said on Monday it had a two-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume nuclear talks with the US if Washington meets its demands, including lifting a blockade of Iranian ports.
Trump wrote on social media on Monday that a deal with Tehran “could happen.”
Vice President JD Vance also told reporters that he had spoken to Trump about talks with Iran and said that “the president and I both feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement.”
Edited by:Elizabeth Schumacherhttps://p.dw.com/p/5Oz1pSkip next section Welcome to our coverage11/03/2026November 3, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
Good morning from the DW newsroom in Bonn!
Voters in the US are heading to the polls for midterm elections that are set to shape US President Donald Trump‘s last two years in office.
Americans are electing all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate. Many states are also holding votes to elect local representatives.
The midterms, held around the halfway mark of a presidential term, are typically seen as a referendum on the president’s policies. In almost every modern midterm election, the party in the White House has lost seats in Congress.
This year, Democrats are widely expected to retake the House but could face a greater challenge in the Senate.
If the Republicans lose control of either chamber, Trump’s power will be curbed for the remainder of his term. That would also open the door for the Democrats to investigate his administration. If Democrats win a majority in the Senate, they could also block Trump’s nominations for federal courts.
More than 57 million Americans cast their ballots early, but on Tuesday many more US citizens will vote in person.
Stay tuned as we bring you the latest developments from the midterms in our live blog.
Edited by:Elizabeth Schumacherhttps://p.dw.com/p/5Oyx5Show more posts
