2026 U.S. Elections: Voting Has Begun in the United States

The first polling places have opened in the United States for the midterm congressional elections. Millions of Americans are set to elect a new House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate.

 

The first polling stations opened in the northeastern state of Vermont at 5 a.m. Eastern Time (12:00 p.m. Kyiv time).

Voting will then begin in Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia, where all polling stations open at 6:00 a.m. The last polling stations open in Alaska and Washington at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time, and in Hawaii at 12:00 p.m.

The first polling places close at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time (1:00 a.m. Kyiv time). The first results are expected to be announced at that time.

So far, more than 57 million Americans have cast their ballots early or by mail.

In this election, 435 members of the House of Representatives and 35 members of the U.S. Senate, as well as 39 U.S. governors, will be elected.

Preliminary projections indicate that the Democratic Party will win a majority in both chambers of the U.S. Congress. 

Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate from Michigan, raised $2.4 million in a single day—on Sunday, November 1. This result set a record for his campaign. The surge in donations came after Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens unexpectedly endorsed his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers.

Ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, states are preparing not only poll workers but also lawyers who must respond quickly to any potential interference by federal authorities. Some officials have already prepared templates for lawsuits in case federal agents appear at polling stations or attempt to seize ballots and election equipment. At the same time, local authorities are trying not to alarm voters and assure them that there is currently no evidence of plans to disrupt the voting.

Ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, local authorities are preparing polling station staff for possible interference by federal agents, particularly ICE immigration officers. States are rehearsing procedures in case armed law enforcement officers appear or attempts are made to seize ballots or election equipment. The presence of observers from the U.S. Department of Justice is a particular cause for concern, and local authorities are attempting to strictly limit their powers.

Ahead of the U.S. midterm congressional elections, local authorities are preparing not only for routine organizational challenges but also for potential interference by the federal government. Officials fear that the Donald Trump administration and its allies may try to influence the voting, the counting of ballots, or the announcement of results.