2026 ELECTION COVERAGE: Watch Live | Poll Closing Times | All Live Results | Live Updates | Live Fact Check
Voters all over the nation are determining who controls the U. S. House and Senate in the 2026 midterm elections. Democrats need to flip four seats in the Senate and three in the House to take back power from Republicans. Polls have closed in 11 states, and results are starting to come into AP’s election system.
WATCH LIVE: Election night 2026 PBS News special coverage
Control of Congress would provide Democrats a way to challenge President Donald Trump’s agenda during the last two years of his term. The struggle for control is mostly happening in states and districts that Trump previously won by large margins. Attention is focused on Senate races in Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, and Texas. House battlegrounds are spread out across the country.
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According to the AP Voter Poll, voters list the economy and democracy as their top concerns, with high costs and government corruption heavily weighing on many Americans’ minds. The poll suggests that midterm voters are very unhappy with how things are going in the country and feel pessimistic about what’s ahead.
Here’s what’s new.
8:29 p. m. EST
Supporters cheer as Sen. Jon Ossoff wins
The crowd of supporters for Ossoff at a downtown Atlanta hotel erupted into cheers as TV screens showed that he had secured victory.
Ossoff is set to speak to his supporters later this evening.
Many attendees said they believe Ossoff represents a vital generational change for their party.
“He’s attracting a lot of young voters, which we really need right now,” said Jennifer Gray, 63, a retired IRS employee. “Ossoff communicates well with them because he’s younger.”
8:15 p. m. EST
Republicans had hoped for Georgia seat until Ossoff surged ahead
The reelection of Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff stops Republican efforts aimed at flipping a Senate seat.
This Democratic win against Republican Mike Collins is quite different from last year when Republicans felt optimistic about winning here after Trump narrowly carried it during the 2024 presidential election.
LIVE RESULTS: Jon Ossoff wins Senate reelection in Georgia
Instead, throughout his campaign, Ossoff excelled in fundraising efforts while Republican groups supporting Collins cut back on their spending by mid-October – indicating they likely saw defeat coming.
The hopes of Democrats gaining majority status rely on holding onto seats in Georgia, Michigan, and New Hampshire.
What to watch as polls close at 8 p. m. ET
The hour around 8 p. m. is crucial on election night since nearly half the states will either fully or partially close their polls then; important states like Florida, Maine, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania will be included here too. Polls close at 8:30 p. m. for Arkansas.
A vote count often happens quickly in Florida during this time frame because results start coming out around 7 p. m., leading to nearly complete counts by shortly after closing time – like last year when it reached about 90% by 8:07 p. m.
“`htmlHere’s when polls are closing in each state this midterm election“`
- The previous year’s vote counts showed New Hampshire reaching halfway at around 10:12 p. m., while Pennsylvania hit that mark by around midnight; similarly Maine didn’t reach halfway until after midnight either.
- Polls also end around this hour for most areas of Michigan and Texas but no statewide winners can be declared until all final polling stations close at nine o’clock.
- This hour includes key contests like U. S Senate races across Florida Maine & New Hampshire; gubernatorial races within Florida & Pennsylvania; along with U. S House matches found within Alabama Maine Michigan New Hampshire New Jersey Pennsylvania & Texas.
7:53 p. m. EST
High Black voter turnout noted today says coalition group
Brown talked during media session led through National Coalition On Black Civic Participation mentioning her organization placed more than two thousand monitors across various locations where observers reported no “widescale issues” arose!
Melanie Campbell president & CEO remarked they’ve continued monitoring past just Election Day – extending through vote counting certifications plus inaugurations too so far! “As those believing democracy should serve everyone we must also stand ready,” she emphasized.
