The date, what is on the ballot, every poll closing time (in ET, UK and Cairo time), and when results should start coming in.
Election Day 2026 is Tuesday, November 3. These are the midterm elections, the big vote that comes in the middle of a president's four-year term. The president is not on the ballot this time. Instead, Americans choose who will sit in Congress and run many of their states.
Every seat in the House of Representatives is up for grabs, along with 35 Senate seats and 36 governor races. Tens of millions of people have already voted early. Here is a simple guide to the night, from the first polls closing to the last.
- 📅 Date: Tuesday, November 3, 2026
- 🏛️ On the ballot: all 435 House seats, 35 Senate seats, 36 governors
- ⏰ First polls close: 6:00 p.m. ET (parts of Indiana and Kentucky)
- 🌙 Last polls close: 1:00 a.m. ET Wednesday (western Alaska)
- 📬 Early votes: more than 28 million cast with a week to go
What is on the ballot and why it matters
Congress has two parts. The House of Representatives has 435 members, and every one of those seats is on the ballot. The Senate has 100 members, and 35 of those seats are being decided this year. On top of that, 36 states are picking a governor, and almost every state is voting for its own state lawmakers.
Right now Republicans control both houses, and the margins are small. According to Khaleej Times, the numbers look like this:
In simple words: Republicans want to keep their majorities, and Democrats want to win back at least one chamber. Whoever controls Congress decides which bills get a vote over the next two years. The new Congress starts on January 3, 2027.
Poll closing times: ET, UK and Cairo
Polls close at different times across the country, so results come in waves. The table below uses the latest closing time in each state, based on 270toWin. Because the US clocks fall back on November 1, Eastern Time will be 5 hours behind the UK and 7 hours behind Cairo on Election Day.
| Eastern Time (Tue) | UK (GMT) | Cairo | Where polls close |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:00 p.m. | 11:00 p.m. | 1:00 a.m. Wed | Eastern parts of Indiana and Kentucky |
| 7:00 p.m. | 12:00 a.m. Wed | 2:00 a.m. Wed | Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, Vermont, most of Florida, rest of Indiana and Kentucky |
| 7:30 p.m. | 12:30 a.m. | 2:30 a.m. | North Carolina, Ohio, West Virginia |
| 8:00 p.m. | 1:00 a.m. | 3:00 a.m. | The biggest wave: Pennsylvania, Illinois, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Tennessee, Missouri, Alabama and more, plus most of Texas and Michigan |
| 8:30 p.m. | 1:30 a.m. | 3:30 a.m. | Arkansas |
| 9:00 p.m. | 2:00 a.m. | 4:00 a.m. | New York, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Wyoming |
| 10:00 p.m. | 3:00 a.m. | 5:00 a.m. | Nevada, Montana, Utah, most of Idaho and Oregon |
| 11:00 p.m. | 4:00 a.m. | 6:00 a.m. | California, Washington, rest of Idaho and Oregon |
| 12:00 a.m. Wed | 5:00 a.m. | 7:00 a.m. | Hawaii, most of Alaska |
| 1:00 a.m. Wed | 6:00 a.m. | 8:00 a.m. | Western tip of Alaska (Aleutian Islands) |
Important: some polling places close earlier, and anyone already in line when polls close can usually still vote. If you are voting, check the exact hours with your own county or state election office.
⏰ Forgot about the clock change? Our guide explains it: When Does Daylight Saving Time End in 2026?
When will we know the results?
The first numbers usually appear soon after 6 p.m. ET, when the first polls close. More races get called as each wave of states closes, especially after 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. ET.
But not everything is decided that night. Some states, like California, count ballots slowly, and it can take days or even weeks to finish. If a race is very close, news outlets wait before calling it. So it is normal if control of the House or Senate is not clear by Wednesday morning.
Early voting is way up
A lot of people did not wait for Tuesday. More than 28 million Americans had already voted with just over a week to go, according to the University of Florida Election Lab, as reported by Newsweek. That is ahead of the pace in the 2022 midterms.
Some states saw big jumps. An Associated Press analysis found early voting in Texas was up 74% compared with the same point in 2022, and Kansas had more than doubled its early ballots.
Still, early numbers do not tell us who will win. Most people are still expected to vote in person on Election Day itself.
Election Day weather: rain in the middle of the country
AccuWeather says rain is likely on Tuesday in parts of Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan, including the Chicago, Detroit and Kansas City areas. Thunderstorms are possible from the Texas and Louisiana coasts up into Missouri and Illinois.
Snow could fall in parts of Colorado and Wyoming, and Denver is being watched. On the good side, Los Angeles, Seattle and San Francisco should be dry, and cities like Atlanta, Charlotte and Miami may avoid long-lasting rain.
Frequently asked questions
When is Election Day 2026?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. These are the US midterm elections.
Is the president on the ballot in 2026?
No. Midterms happen in the middle of a president's term. Voters choose members of Congress, governors and many state and local officials.
What time do polls close on November 3?
The first polls close at 6 p.m. ET in parts of Indiana and Kentucky. The biggest wave closes at 8 p.m. ET. The last polls close at 1 a.m. ET on Wednesday in western Alaska.
How many seats are up for election in 2026?
All 435 House seats, 35 of the 100 Senate seats, and 36 governor races, according to 270toWin.
When will the 2026 election results be known?
Results start coming in after 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Many races are called that night, but close races and slow-counting states like California can take days or longer.
