American voters are heading to the polls in a closely watched midterm election that will determine which party controls Congress for the remainder of President Donald Trump’s term.
All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 Senate seats are being contested. Democrats are hoping to take control of one or both chambers from Trump’s Republican Party.
The outcome could shape the president’s ability to advance his agenda during the final two years of his term.
Trump Continues Posting Ahead of Election Day (election day 2026 results so far)
President Donald Trump has remained active on his social media platform, Truth Social, posting endorsements throughout the day.
He has also continued discussing the renovation of Washington’s Reflecting Pool, a project that featured prominently in his speech yesterday—his final public remarks before the midterm elections.
Trump criticised the Daily Mail’s coverage of the event, describing it as a “news conference” rather than a speech. In another post, he accused California Democratic Representative Ted Lieu of making “malicious, false and defamatory statements” about claims that Trump wanted the pool renamed after himself.
The Reflecting Pool and other major renovation and construction projects in Washington remain subjects Trump regularly discusses.
His focus on the project has drawn attention from observers, particularly as polling suggests many Americans are more concerned about the economy.
When Will the First Election Results Arrive? (election day 2026 results so far)
The first results are expected on Tuesday, as polling stations begin closing at 6pm Eastern Standard Time (23:00 GMT) in parts of Indiana and Kentucky.
Vote counts will continue to be released throughout the evening. Some races may remain unresolved until Wednesday or later, depending on how quickly states process ballots.
Early vote totals do not necessarily mean a winner has been declared. Election officials release counts as ballots are processed, while news organisations such as The Associated Press analyse the results before calling a race.
In closely contested contests, determining the winner could take hours or even days. It may not be immediately clear whether Republicans retain control of Congress or Democrats win a majority in either chamber.
US Poll Closing Times (election day 2026 results so far)
The polling stations will close at different times across the country. The schedule below lists the expected closing times in Eastern Standard Time and Greenwich Mean Time.
| Poll closing time (EST) | GMT | States and areas |
|---|---|---|
| 6pm | 23:00 | Parts of Indiana and Kentucky |
| 7pm | 00:00 | Most of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, remaining parts of Indiana and Kentucky, and most of New Hampshire |
| 7:30pm | 00:30 Wednesday | North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia |
| 8pm | 01:00 Wednesday | Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, remaining parts of New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Washington, DC, and parts of Florida, Kansas, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota and Texas |
| 8:30pm | 01:30 Wednesday | Arkansas |
| 9pm | 02:00 Wednesday | Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and remaining parts of Kansas, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota and Texas |
| 10pm | 03:00 Wednesday | Montana, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Idaho and Oregon |
| 11pm | 04:00 Wednesday | California, Washington, and remaining parts of Idaho and Oregon |
| 12am | 05:00 Wednesday | Hawaii and most of Alaska |
| 1am | 06:00 Wednesday | Remaining parts of Alaska, including the western Aleutian Islands |
States Where Vote Counting Could Take Longer (election day 2026 results so far
Some states may take longer to report final results because of their voting systems and ballot-processing procedures.
Alaska
Alaska uses ranked-choice voting. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, additional rounds of counting are required.
In-person early voting and Election Day results are reported on election night, while mail-in ballot totals are released over the following days. In 2024, around 75% of votes had been counted by the morning after Election Day, with the remaining ballots reported later.
California
California conducts elections primarily by mail. Large batches of ballots can arrive and undergo verification days after polls close, meaning closely contested House races may take days or weeks to resolve.
Arizona
In some Arizona counties, voters can submit mail-in ballots on Election Day. Those ballots must undergo signature checks before being counted, which can delay results by several days in close races.
Nevada
All registered voters in Nevada are mailed ballots. Mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day can arrive up to four days later.
Voters also have six days after Election Day to correct signature issues. These procedures could delay final results until the following week.
Maine
Maine also uses ranked-choice voting. If no candidate receives more than 50% in a race with two candidates, ballots must be taken to Augusta for further counting, potentially delaying the final result.
Washington
Washington conducts elections by mail. Ballots postmarked by Election Day can be counted in the days that follow, which may delay the final totals.
States That Could Report Results Earlier (election day 2026 results so far)
Several states are expected to release a large share of their vote counts relatively quickly.
- Florida: Votes are generally counted quickly. In the 2024 general election, around 99% of votes had been counted by 10:51pm EST (03:51 GMT the following day), according to The Associated Press.
- Ohio: The state usually includes most early and absentee voting results in its first updates. In 2024, the first results were reported at 7:36pm EST (00:36 GMT), six minutes after polls closed. By 11:03pm EST (04:03 GMT), 90% of results had been reported.
- North Carolina: Most mail-in voting results are expected to appear in the first update. In 2024, 90% of the votes had been reported by 11:36pm EST (04:36 GMT).
- Pennsylvania: The first results in 2024 came in as polls closed at 8pm EST (01:00 GMT). Half of the votes had been reported by 10:12pm EST (03:12 GMT), and 90% by 12:48am EST (05:48 GMT) the following day.
- Wisconsin: In 2024, 90% of the state’s voting results had been released by 2:22am (07:22 GMT) on November 6.
When Will We Know Which Party Won?
Many individual races may be called on election night. However, determining which party will control the House and Senate could take several days.
The final outcome will depend on how close the races are and how quickly states finish counting and verifying ballots.
What Happens if Election Results Are Challenged?
In very close races, state law may trigger an automatic recount or allow a candidate to request one.
Candidates can also challenge election results in court. Legal disputes could extend the process, potentially delaying the final outcome by days, weeks or longer.
Trump has raised questions about whether he would accept the midterm election results. Asked whether he would respect the final outcome, he said: “I will if there are honest elections.”
However, the president cannot overturn congressional election results simply because he disagrees with them. Elections are administered and certified by individual states, and any legal challenges must follow established procedures.
Democratic strategist Mali Smith told Al Jazeera that states administer elections and that courts recognise their authority to do so.
Under the US Constitution, the House of Representatives and the Senate have the final authority to judge disputes concerning the election of their own members.
With control of Congress at stake, the election results could have significant consequences for the remainder of Trump’s presidency.
