Americans vote on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, to decide which party controls Congress for the second half of President Donald Trump's term. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 Senate seats are on the ballot, plus governor races in 36 states.
The House could flip on many small races. But the Senate may come down to a handful of states. Below is a simple guide to the closest Senate contests, who is running, and when the first numbers can appear. This guide does not predict winners — it helps you follow the night.
- 🏛️ Today: Republicans hold the Senate 53–47.
- 🔵 Democrats need: a net gain of 4 seats to reach 51.
- 🔴 Republicans need: 50 seats to keep control — Vice President JD Vance breaks ties.
- 🏠 House: Democrats need to gain 3 seats to take control.
- ⏰ First polls close: 6 p.m. ET (11 p.m. London, midnight Paris, 1 a.m. Cairo).
🔥 The races that could decide the Senate
Newsweek lists seven Senate races as true toss-ups: Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Ohio and Texas. NPR, using Cook Political Report ratings, also puts North Carolina at the top of its list of seats most likely to change party. Here they are in the order their polls close (latest closing time in each state, Eastern Time).
1. North Carolina — 7:30 p.m. ET
Michael Whatley (R), former Republican National Committee chairman, backed by President Trump, vs. Roy Cooper (D), the state's former two-term governor. It is an open seat because Republican Senator Thom Tillis is retiring.
2. Ohio (special election) — 7:30 p.m. ET
Senator Jon Husted (R), appointed to the seat JD Vance left when he became vice president, vs. Sherrod Brown (D), a former senator trying to return after losing in 2024. NPR calls it the first of the night's tight Senate races to close.
3. Maine — 8 p.m. ET
Senator Susan Collins (R), a five-term incumbent who has won many close races, vs. Troy Jackson (D), former president of the Maine Senate.
4. Michigan — 8 p.m. ET (9 p.m. in the far west)
Mike Rogers (R), a former congressman and FBI agent on his second Senate run, vs. Abdul El-Sayed (D). It is an open seat after Democrat Gary Peters retired. NPR notes that if Republicans flip Michigan, Democrats would need to win five Republican-held seats instead of four.
5. Texas — 8 p.m. ET (9 p.m. in the El Paso area)
Ken Paxton (R), the state attorney general who beat Senator John Cornyn in the primary runoff, vs. James Talarico (D), a state representative. Polls have shown a close race in a state where a Democrat has not won a Senate seat in decades.
6. Kansas — 8 p.m. ET (9 p.m. in the west)
Senator Roger Marshall (R) vs. Adam Hamilton (D). Ratings differ: NPR lists it as a toss-up, while Fox News rates Kansas "Lean Republican."
7. Iowa — 9 p.m. ET
Rep. Ashley Hinson (R), endorsed by President Trump, vs. Josh Turek (D), a state lawmaker. It is an open seat left by Republican Senator Joni Ernst. Trump held a rally for Hinson in Dubuque on Sunday.
8. Alaska — midnight to 1 a.m. ET (Wednesday)
Senator Dan Sullivan (R) vs. Mary Peltola (D), a former congresswoman. Newsweek notes Trump won Alaska by 14 points in 2024, but surveys of the hard-to-poll state point to a close race. It is the last to close, so it may decide a tight night.
⏰ Poll-closing times for Europe and the Middle East
US clocks went back one hour on November 1, so Eastern Time is now 5 hours behind London, 6 behind Paris and Berlin, and 7 behind Cairo. Here is when each wave of polls closes:
| Eastern (Tue) | London | Paris / Berlin | Cairo | Key Senate races |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6:00 p.m. | 11:00 p.m. | 12:00 a.m. (Wed) | 1:00 a.m. (Wed) | First polls (parts of Indiana, Kentucky) |
| 7:30 p.m. | 12:30 a.m. (Wed) | 1:30 a.m. | 2:30 a.m. | North Carolina, Ohio |
| 8:00 p.m. | 1:00 a.m. | 2:00 a.m. | 3:00 a.m. | Maine; most of Michigan, Texas, Kansas |
| 9:00 p.m. | 2:00 a.m. | 3:00 a.m. | 4:00 a.m. | Iowa; rest of Michigan, Texas, Kansas |
| 11:00 p.m. | 4:00 a.m. | 5:00 a.m. | 6:00 a.m. | California, Washington |
| 1:00 a.m. (Wed) | 6:00 a.m. | 7:00 a.m. | 8:00 a.m. | Last polls in Alaska |
🕐 When will we actually know who won?
Closing time is not result time. According to The Hill, states like Florida, North Carolina, Georgia and Texas usually count fast, because most people vote in person and late mail ballots have short deadlines. Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania can take longer — in 2024, Michigan's presidential result was not called until two days after the election. Western states that vote mostly by mail, led by California, can keep counting for days.
So if the Senate comes down to Alaska or a very close Midwest race, it is possible we will not know who controls the chamber on Tuesday night.
⚖️ What each side is saying
President Trump predicts Republicans will hold both the House and the Senate, Fox News reports. The Hill notes that public polls show Democrats narrowly ahead in enough Senate races to win control, but most of those leads are within the margin of error. Election analysts quoted by Al Jazeera say the growing number of competitive races has improved Democrats' chances, while also noting their path to a Senate majority is harder than their path to the House. In short: both parties have a real path, and the final hours of counting will matter.
📖 Also read: Election Day 2026: Date, Poll Closing Times and When Results Arrive
❓ Midterms 2026: your questions answered
When is the 2026 US midterm election?
Tuesday, November 3, 2026. All 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats are on the ballot.
How many seats do Democrats need to win the Senate?
A net gain of four seats, to reach 51. Republicans keep control with 50 seats because Vice President JD Vance can break a tie.
How many seats do Democrats need to win the House?
They need to gain three seats.
What time do US polls close in UK time?
The first polls close at 11 p.m. UK time on Tuesday. The last polls, in Alaska, close at 6 a.m. UK time on Wednesday.
Which Senate races are toss-ups?
Newsweek lists Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Ohio and Texas. NPR also ranks North Carolina as one of the seats most likely to change party.
