Americans vote in midterm elections for Congress and governors

Summarised from 4 outlets · 6 reports · Updated 2 Nov, 08:33 · Archive

Americans vote on Tuesday to choose all 435 House members, a third of the Senate, and 36 governors.

On Tuesday, Americans head to the polls for midterm elections held halfway through a president's four-year term. Voters will choose all 435 members of the House of Representatives, 35 of the 100 Senate seats, and 36 governors. The voting will decide which party controls Congress for the next two years.

The president's party almost always loses seats in midterm elections. In 18 of the 20 midterms held from 1946 to 2022, voters took House seats away from the party controlling the White House, with an average loss of 26 seats. Only Bill Clinton's Democrats in 1998 and George W Bush's Republicans in 2002 bucked the trend. Political scientists call this the 'presidential penalty'.

The president faces historically low approval ratings going into the vote, according to CBS News, with inflation a key concern. Voters are particularly focused on rising costs for fuel and groceries. This year's midterms will also see record-breaking political ad spending of over $11 billion, with artificial intelligence being used to generate computer-created scenes of candidates in political advertisements.

How it is being reported

• US midterm elections 2026: What are they and when will we know the results?Americans head to the polls on 3 November for midterm elections that will determine control of Congress for the next two years.Euronews · 2 Nov, 13:20
• How to watch critical 2026 midterm election races in TX, OH, MI, WI, GA, IA, NV, ME and FLNine battleground states hold the key to control of Congress as Republicans defend majorities and Democrats eye Senate pickups in the 2026 midterms.Fox News · 2 Nov, 09:00
• How the president’s party has fared in every US midterm election since 1946Only twice in the past 20 midterms has the president’s party gained House seats. Polls suggest 2026 won’t be the third.Al Jazeera · 2 Nov, 08:05
• Midterm elections preview: How might this year's vote change Washington?With elections to choose all 435 House members, a third of our Senators, and 36 governors, "Sunday Morning" looks at why – with rising costs and a historically unpopular president – this year's midterms may upend expectations.CBS News · 1 Nov, 14:15
• Midterm elections preview: How might this year's vote change Washington?Voters in this year's elections will choose all 435 members of the House of Representatives, a third of our Senators, and 36 races for governor. Correspondent David Pogue looks at what midterm election results typically represent, and why – with inflation a key topic on voters' minds, and a historically unpopular president – this year's midterms may upend expectations.CBS News · 1 Nov, 14:15
• US midterms live: Last-ditch efforts ahead of Tuesday’s electionsAll 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the Senate’s 100 seats are being contested on Tuesday.Al Jazeera · 1 Nov, 13:42

In this story: United States · House of Representatives · Senate · Bill Clinton · George W Bush · Barack Obama

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