Election Day is here. Voters across the country are deciding control of the U.S. House and Senate. Democrats must flip four seats in the Senate and three seats in the House to wrest control of the chambers from Republicans. The first polls have closed in parts of Indiana and Kentucky, with more to follow across the East Coast starting at 7 p.m. ET. Here’s when we can expect results.
Power in Congress would give Democrats a means of rebuffing President
Donald Trump’s agenda during the final two years of his term. The battle for control is playing out mostly in states and districts Trump previously won by wide margins. All eyes are on Senate contests in Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Ohio and Texas. House battlegrounds are scattered across the country.
Voters say the economy and the state of democracy are the top issues facing the country, with high costs and government corruption weighing heavily on many Americans’ minds, according to the AP Voter Poll. The poll points to a midterm electorate that is deeply unhappy with the country’s direction and pessimistic about the future.
Here's the latest:
Only about 4 in 10 Senate voters in Georgia say Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff has views that are “too extreme.”
About half, by contrast, say the views of his opponent, Republican Rep. Mike Collins, are “too extreme.”
Ossoff has accused Collins of employing staffers who are white nationalists. Trump and other Republicans have suggested that Ossoff’s perspectives on immigration and the economy are outside the American mainstream.
A handful of key U.S. House races in Florida could offer early signs of how Democrats are performing tonight.
Democratic Reps. Darren Soto and Kathy Castor are defending their seats in the redrawn 9th and 14th Districts. Both of the districts would have favored Trump by double-digit margins in the 2024 presidential election.
The 22nd District is an open seat after Democratic Rep. Lois Frankel opted to run in the 23rd District when her district was redrawn.
All polls close at 7 p.m. in six states, including Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia, which tend to complete almost all of their vote counting on election night.
In the 2024 general election, the vote count in all three states reached the halfway mark in the 8 p.m. hour. The counts were 90% complete at 10:21 p.m. in Georgia, 11:14 p.m. in South Carolina and 12:07 a.m. in Virginia. In Georgia’s competitive presidential contest, The Associated Press declared Trump the winner at 12:58 a.m.
Most Florida polls will also close at 7 p.m., including in every competitive congressional district, but no statewide winners will be declared until polls in the Central Time Zone close at 8 p.m.
Polls in North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia close at 7:30 p.m. All three states also count votes relatively quickly, reaching the halfway point at around 9 p.m. in 2024 and about 90% in the 11 p.m. hour. The AP declared a winner in Ohio’s competitive 2024 U.S. Senate race at 11:27 p.m.
Some key contests to watch in this hour are U.S. Senate races in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Ohio; gubernatorial races in Georgia and Ohio; and U.S. House races in Florida, Indiana, South Carolina, Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina.
Most voters say they’re not fans of the Trump administration’s aggressive crackdowns on immigration.
About 6 in 10 “somewhat” or “strongly” disapprove of how U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is handling its responsibilities.
Roughly 7 in 10 voters say immigration enforcement was a “crucial” or “major” factor in their vote for Congress. Although under half, about 4 in 10, say it was “crucial.”
Trump made closing the U.S.-Mexico border to illegal border crossings a priority, but his deployment of federal officers to arrest and deport immigrants stirred protests that led to the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota.
About 6 in 10 voters say the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement actions have gone too far, while about 2 in 10 say they haven’t gone far enough. About 2 in 10 say his policies are about right.
Hundreds of voters in Rock Point, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation were unable to reach the polls Tuesday as flooding had closed a major bridge and washed out dirt roads, a tribal official said.
On a typical Election Day, the chapter house parking lot would be buzzing with voters, candidates and pop-up food stalls.
“Unfortunately, today that parking lot is underwater,” said Valinda Shirley, vice president of the Rock Point Chapter, the local seat of tribal government.
Officials moved the polling place across the street to an administration building, but many residents remained stranded.
“I have people that are still texting me asking how I can get them out so they can vote,” Shirley said Tuesday afternoon.
The flooding is keeping those residents from casting ballots in both the U.S. midterms and races for Navajo Nation president and council delegates.
Jeffries, who’s in line to make history as the first Black speaker of the House if Democrats seize control and elect him to the job, said House Democrats don’t work for any president.
“We work for all of you, the American people, and we’re committed to delivering an America that’s the best version of herself,” he said.
He told the volunteers that Democrats are “committed to ending this national nightmare, fighting to make this country affordable” and “continuing our country’s long, necessary and majestic march toward a more perfect union.”
He urged them on: “Let’s go win this thing.”
More than half of voters strongly or somewhat favor the free market principles of capitalism.
Only about 3 in 10 feel similarly positive about socialism, in which the government plays a greater role in economic activity.
Trump and other Republicans campaigned on the idea that many Democratic candidates with their plans for universal healthcare were socialist. Democrats countered that the Trump administration had taken ownership stakes in dozens of private companies.
Voters are unhappy with Trump’s war with Iran.
About 6 in 10 voters say the U.S. made the “wrong decision” in taking military action against Iran. The cost of the unpopular war has risen to more than $47.1 billion, according to a recent estimate from the Pentagon.
Roughly one-third of voters say the Iran war was a “crucial” factor in their vote for Congress, which is lower than the share of those who expressed concern over the cost of living and government corruption.
Trump has asserted that higher gas and energy prices resulting from conflict will drop.
About 8 in 10 voters say inflation has caused a “severe” or “moderate” financial hardship on their households.
The drag caused by prices rising faster than wages over the past year has made it harder for many voters to afford basic essentials such as gasoline, groceries and their utilities.
The persistent concern is a carryover from the 2024 presidential election when voters specifically tasked Trump to solve the problem, but inflation is now higher than it was when he returned to the White House.
More than 8 in 10 voters say they are “very” or “somewhat” concerned about the cost of gas, groceries, utilities and healthcare.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries popped by to rally and thank volunteers at a phone bank in Washington for battleground House candidates.
“We’re on the brink of a dramatic change of direction in this country,” Jeffries said.
“We’re on the brink of Democrats taking back control of the House of Representatives.”
He said a Democratic win would be a victory for Americans.
“We’re going to deliver a Congress that actually puts the American people first,” he said.
House Democrats have opened a phone bank in Washington with dozens of volunteers calling voters in key House races across the country before polls close.
They’re encouraging voters to cast ballots as Democrats work to wrest control of the House from Republicans.
Voters overwhelmingly feel frustrated with the way things are going in the U.S. today, according to The AP Voter Poll, which points to a midterm electorate that is deeply unhappy with the country’s direction and pessimistic about the future.
About three-quarters of voters say they feel “angry” or “dissatisfied” with the country’s current trajectory. Only about one-quarter feel “satisfied” or “enthusiastic.” Dissatisfaction was particularly high in blue states like California and Massachusetts, but even in deep-red states, a majority of voters were at least “dissatisfied.”
Voters are also displeased with the condition of the economy, with roughly three-quarters saying it is “not so good” or “poor.” That’s in line with what U.S. adults have said in recent months in AP-NORC polling.
Voters say the economy and the state of democracy are the top issues facing the country, with high costs and government corruption weighing heavily on many Americans’ minds as they cast a ballot in Tuesday’s midterm elections.
About 4 in 10 U.S. voters nationally say the economy is the most important issue facing the country, as most express concern about gas prices and the cost of groceries. About 3 in 10 say the state of democracy is the top issue. Only about 1 in 10 say the same about immigration or health care, and few name foreign policy or crime.
Roughly half of U.S. voters say government corruption and the cost of living are “crucial” to their vote for Congress, much higher than the share who say that about immigration enforcement policies, the war in Iran or AI data centers.
The handful of House members who flipped the toughest seats in 2024 all face challenging races again this year. Can they avoid a sophomore slump?
Most of these districts flipped to the GOP in 2024, riding Trump’s coattails as he clinched a second term. The good news for these Republicans is that it’s almost always easier to win a seat that you already represent. The bad news is that many of them won their seats by tiny margins and are facing a much tougher national environment this time around.
See other House races to watch in the AP’s guide to battleground congressional districts here.
Relatively few voters have positive things to say about Trump’s economic leadership.
About two-thirds of U.S. midterm voters say Trump’s policies have worsened economic conditions in the U.S., while only about 3 in 10 say they’ve improved things. Similarly, about two-thirds of voters said Trump’s tariff policies have hurt the national economy.
Views of Trump’s priorities more broadly — and his capabilities as a leader — are also mostly negative. More than half of voters say Trump is not a strong leader, does not fight for people like them, does not have the right priorities and does not have the mental capability to serve effectively as president.
About 6 in 10 voters said Trump places a higher priority on his own personal interests than the country’s interests, while about 4 in 10 said he puts more weight on the country’s interests.
The Trump administration notified prominent Democratic attorney Marc Elias and others that they may be targets of the inquiry, which focuses on a Senate candidate who shares a name with the Republican incumbent.
That’s according to two people familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.
Trump’s DOJ is investigating retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan’s decision to run for Senate, which the president says will confuse voters because he shares a first and last name with Republican incumbent Dan S. Sullivan. The New York Times reported that Democrat Mary Peltola’s campaign appeared to be involved in recruiting Dan J. Sullivan.
“This administration has repeatedly weaponized the DOJ against the President’s political enemies despite zero evidence of wrongdoing, and we are the latest targets,” Elias said in a statement Tuesday.
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Most voters want to see Congress provide more checks and balances on the presidency and disapprove of how Congress is handling its job.
The AP Voter Poll shows roughly 7 in 10 voters say Congress is doing “not enough” to provide checks and balances on the presidency. Only about 2 in 10 say it’s doing “about the right amount,” and about 1 in 10 say Congress is doing “too much.”
The survey reflects deep unhappiness with the president and Congress. About 6 in 10 voters disapprove of how Donald Trump is handling the presidency, while about three-quarters of voters disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job.
Voters are in the mood for change, according to the AP Voter Poll, which found that roughly three-quarters of voters say they feel “angry” or “dissatisfied” with the way things are going in the country today. Most appear to blame the Trump administration for high costs. About 6 in 10 say higher-than-usual prices are “more because of Trump’s policies” rather than “more because of factors outside Trump’s control.”
Additionally, about 70% of voters want Congress to provide more checks and balances on the presidency.
The AP Voter Poll, an expansive survey of the electorate, suggests most are deeply unhappy with Trump, with roughly 6 in 10 saying they disapprove of how he’s handling the presidency.
About 4 in 10 say the economy is the most important issue facing the country, while 3 in 10 say the most important issue is democracy, according to the poll, well above the number who said the same about crime, health care and immigration.
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Federal immigration officials took to social media on Election Day to warn against illegal voting by noncitizens.
In a message on X, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement wrote: “If you vote illegally, we will find you. We will track you down, arrest you, and prosecute you. There will be no escape.”
The agency did not return messages seeking comment about the post. Throughout Tuesday, it also posted about arrests of noncitizens accused of voting.
While that has been a major emphasis for the agency this year, the number of arrests and earlier investigations in the states demonstrate the problem is rare.
David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election Innovation & Research, called the post unfortunate but said heavy early voting suggested the administration’s tactics appeared to have no effect on turnout.
“If there were individuals in this administration who thought that they could scare voters away from this election, they’re going to be disappointed,” he said.
Many incumbents running for reelection in redrawn districts are facing a very different set of voters than they currently represent.
Several districts went from being majority-nonwhite to majority-white after mid-decade redistricting. These are also some of the places that shifted the most toward Trump when comparing the 2024 vote margin under old and new congressional boundaries.
Similarly, a number of districts shifted from being majority-white to being majority-nonwhite. Many of these districts also shifted toward Harris, but some in Texas and Florida moved further to the right.
Election officials extended voting hours at each location after county election supervisors reported delays caused by technical problems with computers.
The longest extension granted by the North Carolina State Board of Elections was 45 minutes at one location in Columbus County, where officials said computer problems forced election workers to switch to backup paper poll books, slowing lines Tuesday morning.
Two precincts in Hertford County and one each in Lenoir and Wilson counties also will stay open an extra 15 to 30 minutes. The five-member board approved each extension unanimously.
The extended hours mean state election officials in North Carolina won’t begin reporting results until after the last polling site closes at 8:15 p.m. ET, said Adam Steele, an attorney for the election board. He said county election officials will tally their votes without delay.
Polls in North Carolina close at 7:30 p.m. ET, unless extended by the board.
At least half of U.S. adults have a negative opinion of the two parties, according to AP-NORC polling.
About half have a “very” or “somewhat” unfavorable view of the Democratic Party in an AP-NORC poll from October, while just over half say that about the Republican Party.
Roughly 7 in 10 Democrats hold a favorable view of their own party, which is down from 85% in September 2024. Republicans, however, feel about as positively as they did two years ago, with 85% in the latest polling saying they have a favorable view of the Republican Party.
Only about 2 in 10 U.S. adults feel “very” or “somewhat” optimistic about the future of the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. Republicans are a bit more optimistic about their party’s future than Democrats are — slightly fewer than half of Republicans, 46%, say they are feeling positive, compared to 35% of Democrats.
Gas prices have shot up by nearly a third since Trump launched his war against Iran, fueling voter distress about the economy and high prices. But another fuel source has risen even higher and caused potentially more pain.
That’s diesel fuel, which powers not just a whole bunch of farming and industrial equipment but the ships and trucks that transport a range of goods and services to voters’ doors.
Diesel prices have nearly doubled since the start of the Iran war. A disproportionate share of the oil that comes through the Strait of Hormuz is used to make diesel. Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries that produce the fuel added to the shortage.
That pushed Trump to take controversial action to try to lower the price of diesel, cutting a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to sell diesel from his country to the U.S. But even that hasn’t significantly brought diesel prices down.
Maryland’s Wes Moore is the only Black governor in the U.S., and he’s only the third elected Black governor in history, all of them Democrats and men.
But Moore, who’s heavily favored for reelection, could soon have company.
There are seven additional Black major-party nominees for governor. They include Republicans and Democrats, men and women. Each would be the first Black chief executive in their respective states.
Georgia’s Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former Atlanta mayor and a Democrat, and Minnesota’s Lisa Demuth, a former state legislative leader and a Republican, could each make history. No Black woman has ever been elected as governor.
Two Black Republican men are on gubernatorial ballots: Byron Donalds in Florida and John James in Michigan. Both are U.S. representatives currently.
Three other Black men, all Democrats, round out the slate: Aaron Ford in Nevada, Jermaine Johnson in South Carolina and David Crowley in Wisconsin.
More than 59 million people have voted so far, according to an Associated Press analysis.
The advance vote has spiked ahead of Election Day compared to 2022. There were 59.7 million ballots cast as of Tuesday, compared to a little over 58 million in 2022.
The tally includes early in-person and mail balloting.
The election will determine which party controls the House and Senate.
At Trump’s urging, Republicans in eight states adopted new congressional districts to try to gain an edge in the midterm elections. But after a long legal battle, Missouri’s new map was blocked by both the U.S. Supreme Court and the Missouri Supreme Court because of a referendum petition.
Voters are now deciding whether to uphold or reject the new map. If approved, it could be used in the 2028 election.
Maryland voters are deciding a constitutional amendment that also could pave the way for a new House map in the 2028 election. Democratic proponents have urged a “yes” vote as a means to “stop Trump.”
Some Colorado Democrats also want to redistrict. But a citizen initiative on the ballot there would prohibit any potential redistricting for 2028 from favoring one political party and require approval from both an independent commission and the state Supreme Court.
