Last updated: Oct. 25, 2026 · By Politics Elections Staff
The 2026 midterm elections are on Tuesday, Nov. 3, the date set by federal law for congressional elections and listed on the Texas Secretary of State’s election calendar. Voters will choose members of the U.S. House, a share of the U.S. Senate, governors in many states and statewide ballot measures.
Control of Congress is at stake. Republicans hold 53 Senate seats to 45 for Democrats, with two independents, according to the Senate Historical Office. This page collects Politics Elections coverage of the 2026 races in one place: the Senate and governor toss-ups, new House maps, ballot measures, early voting and what happens after Election Day.
Senate
The Senate races are tracked on a dedicated page with race coverage, poll results and explainers. The Cook Political Report rated seven Senate contests as toss-ups in its Oct. 20 ratings. Polls below are listed with the pollster and field dates given in each article.
- 2026 Senate Races: Toss-Ups, Polls and Key States: every Senate race article, newest first, plus explainers on Senate rules and the 2028 map.
- Texas Senate Race 2026 Polls: Paxton, Talarico Tied 49-49 in Fox Poll: Fox News poll fielded Oct. 15–19 shows a 49-49 tie among likely voters; seven other recent polls show margins of 4 points or less.
- 7 Senate Toss-Up Races, 6 Held by Republicans, Two Weeks Out: Cook’s seven toss-up seats, six held by Republicans, with the latest likely-voter polls in each state.
Governor
Governor races are on the ballot in many states this year. The Cook Political Report’s Oct. 23 governor ratings list three toss-ups: Georgia, Nevada and Wisconsin. Ohio, a toss-up in Cook’s Oct. 13 ratings, moved to Lean Democrat. This section will grow as more governor coverage is published.
- 4 Governor Toss-Up Races Show 1- to 7-Point Margins in Latest Polls: Georgia, Nevada, Ohio and Wisconsin, the four races Cook rated as toss-ups on Oct. 13, with likely-voter polls and field dates.
House
Every U.S. House seat is on the ballot. Some states will use new or newly operative congressional maps in 2026, while in others courts or referendums decided which map applies.
- 2026 House Redistricting: States With New Maps: which states redrew congressional maps mid-decade, which maps apply on Nov. 3 and where courts or referendums stepped in.
Ballot measures
Six states will vote Nov. 3 on constitutional amendments on voter identification. Separate fights over how voter rolls are kept continue in courts and state election offices.
- 6 States Decide Voter ID Ballot Measures on Nov. 3: what the measures in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, North Carolina and Ohio would do.
- How States Clean Voter Rolls Under Federal Law: what the National Voter Registration Act allows, when records can be canceled and how the 90-day rule works.
Early voting
Early voting dates and rules are set by each state. In Texas, early voting in person runs from Oct. 19 through Oct. 30, according to the Texas Secretary of State. Turnout figures below come from state and county election offices.
- Early Voting 2026: Turnout, Dates and How to Vote Early: every early-voting article and state guide on one page.
- Texas Early Voting Turnout Record in Harris: Fastest Midterm Start: Texas voters cast 3,688,224 ballots in the first five days, state data show; Harris County reports its fastest midterm start since 1998.
- Early Voting Numbers: 2.6 Million Ballots in 4 States, Pima County: ballots returned in Florida, Iowa, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Arizona’s Pima County, by party registration, from official reports.
How to vote
State voting guides cover key dates, voter ID rules, early and mail voting and where to vote, sourced to official state election offices.
- How to Vote: State Voting Guides: state-by-state guides, starting with Arizona and Texas.
For states without a guide here, USA.gov links to every state’s election office.
After Nov. 3
Election night results are unofficial. Counties and states must finish counting and canvassing before results are certified, some races can go to runoffs, and the outgoing Congress can meet in a lame-duck session.
- Lame-Duck Congress: What Can Pass Before January 3?: the outgoing Congress keeps its full authority from Election Day until noon Jan. 3, 2027.
- Runoff Elections: States, Rules and Election Dates: where majority thresholds trigger primary and general-election runoffs, and how Georgia and Louisiana set runoff dates.
- Election Results Certification: 2026 State Deadlines: there is no national certification day; state canvass and certification dates for eight states.