Midterm elections 2026: what time do the polls close today?

Key Points:

• The 2026 US midterm elections feature 35 Senate seats, 36 governors’ races, and all 435 House seats up for election, alongside various ballot measures on key issues like abortion access and election administration.
• Democrats aim to regain control of Congress by winning at least four Senate seats for a 51-seat majority and 218 House seats, while Republicans strive to maintain their bicameral majority amid national challenges including unpopular Trump-era policies and economic issues.
• Early voting has already seen over 56 million ballots cast, with key Senate races to watch in states like Florida, Georgia, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, Maine, Texas, Arizona, Iowa, and Alaska, many of which could determine control of the Senate.
• Polls close in waves starting at 6pm ET, with early closings in Indiana and Kentucky, followed by critical battleground states such as Florida and Georgia at 7pm ET, and a large number of states including Michigan, Texas, and Pennsylvania at 8pm ET, continuing through midnight ET with Alaska and Hawaii.
• Several gubernatorial contests are also notable, including races in Nevada, California, Arizona, and Iowa, where Democrats and Republicans are battling for control in key swing states that could influence national political dynamics.