What is a midterm election?
The United States holds congressional elections every two years. A midterm takes place halfway through a president's four-year term, which is why the November 2026 vote is called a midterm election.
Voters are not choosing a president in this cycle. They are deciding who controls the House of Representatives and which senators fill the seats scheduled for election. State and local offices, governors, judges and ballot measures may also appear depending on the jurisdiction.
Control of Congress determines which party manages committees, schedules legislation and has greater influence over budgets, investigations and confirmations.
All 435 House seats are on the ballot
Members of the House serve two-year terms, so every voting seat is contested in each regular congressional election. A candidate runs in a geographic district inside a state. The number of districts assigned to each state is based largely on population.
The party winning at least 218 seats normally controls the chamber when all 435 seats are filled. A small number of competitive districts can therefore decide the national majority even though campaigns occur separately across the country.
House races are especially sensitive to district boundaries, local issues and candidate quality. National polling can show the overall mood but cannot substitute for district-level analysis.
Why only part of the Senate is elected
The Senate has 100 members, two from each state. Senators serve six-year terms, and the seats are divided into three classes so roughly one-third are elected every two years.
This staggered system means the map changes from one cycle to the next. A party may face many difficult defences in one election and fewer in another. Special elections can add seats outside the normal class schedule.
Senate control matters for legislation and for confirming many presidential nominations, including federal judges and senior executive officials. Because each state has two senators regardless of population, the political geography is different from the House.
When is Election Day?
Federal Election Day in 2026 falls on Tuesday, November 3. Registration deadlines, early-voting periods and mail-ballot rules vary by state. Some deadlines arrive weeks before Election Day.
Primary elections select party nominees earlier in the year. Rules differ: some states hold closed primaries for registered party members, while others use open or alternative systems. A runoff may be required when no candidate reaches the threshold set by state law.
US citizens should use their state or local election office for the exact registration, identification and ballot-return requirements.
What happens if the House and Senate split
Different parties can control the two chambers. In that situation, legislation needs agreement across both majorities before reaching the president. The result can be negotiation, narrower bills or prolonged gridlock.
The House has the sole power to impeach federal officials, while the Senate conducts impeachment trials. The Senate also handles confirmations. Each chamber can use hearings and subpoenas for oversight, although its practical power depends on legal and political constraints.
How to read election forecasts
Forecasts combine polling, fundraising, past results, candidate strength and the political environment. A probability is not a prediction that one outcome is certain. A seat with a 70% chance for one party still gives the other side a meaningful path.
Useful questions include:
- Is the poll of likely voters or all adults?
- How recent is it and who paid for it?
- Does it measure one district or a national preference?
- How large is the undecided share?
- Are early and mail votes being interpreted correctly?
Election-night counts are unofficial. Close races can take days because valid mail and provisional ballots are processed under state rules. A slow count is not evidence of fraud.
Why the 2026 result matters globally
Congress shapes taxes, spending, trade, defence funding and oversight of foreign policy. A new majority can change the administration's legislative options and the tone of international policy, even when the president remains in office.
For continuing coverage, visit our Politics section. Our guide to the mail-voting court fight tracks a major rules dispute before the vote.
This guide is nonpartisan. Check official election authorities for voting instructions and certified results.
