US voters head to polls for midterm elections set to define remainder of Trump's term

US midterms: Americans vote in polls seen as referendum on Trump Published November 3, 2026last updated November 3, 2026What you need to know - The first polls open at 6 a.m. local time (1100 GMT) in a handful of eastern states - Voters are electing all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate - Polls suggest the Democrats have a good chance of taking control of the House, but the battle for the Senate is tighter - The party holding the White House typically sees losses in the midterms Follow the latest developments from the US midterm elections on November 3, 2026: Voting kicks off in US midterm elections The first polling stations opened at 5 a.m. (1000 GMT) in the eastern US state of Vermont for the midterm elections. Voting is to follow in Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Missouri, New Jersey, New York and Virginia from 6 a.m. local time. More than 57 million ballots were cast early in 47 states and Washington DC as of Monday. Many more votes will be cast in person on Tuesday. Polling stations across the country close between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., with vote counting beginning immediately afterwards. What happened on the final day of campaigning? Democratic candidates were pushing their message in the key Republican strongholds of Texas, Iowa, Ohio and Kansas as campaigning wrapped upon Monday, seeking to capitalize on voter dissatisfaction with the Iran war and rising prices. Republicans, meanwhile, cast their opponents as left-wing radicals while touting President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown and tax cuts as policies that will benefit Americans. In his final public campaign appearance at the National Mall, Trump appeared to lower expectations for his party's performance. "For some reason, the sitting president doesn't win the midterms, but we gave this a very strong shot," he said, adding that the Democrats had "nominated the most extreme and dangerous slate of candidates in American history." In rambling remarks, he said little about the national economy, only insisting that it was "great." Instead, he devoted most of his speech to the renovation of Washington's algae-plagued Reflecting Pool. Vice President JD Vance campaigned in Rome, New York, praising Trump's moves to end taxes on tips and overtime and secure the border while calling Democrats as "lunatics." In Texas, which hasn't had a Democratic senator since 1988, Democrat James Talarico blamed Trump's "corrupt tariffs" for rising grocery prices and "a new corrupt war in the Middle East" for higher gas and diesel prices. In the same state, Republican Ken Paxton attacked Talarico in cultural terms as "a vegan who hates meat," and falsely calling him a democratic socialist "just like New York Mayor Mamdani." Meanwhile, in the key state of Michigan, Democrats were working to maintain a united front after a messy spat that culminated in Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens endorsing Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed's Republican opponent, Mike Rogers. El-Sayed largely ignored the controversy at campaign events on Monday, stressing instead that his campaign was about the concerns of voters. Stevens did not attend Rogers' rally Monday night, but she got a long ovation from the crowd when Rogers mentioned her endorsement. US strikes Iran on eve of midterms The US carried out strikes on Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz on the eve of crucialmidterm elections, according to reports. "Iranians using surface-to-air missiles against US assets" were targeted, a US official was quoted by the Associated Press as saying. Iranian state television reported that explosions were heard on Qeshm Island, which is located in the Strait of Hormuz. The US Central Command did not officially confirm the attack. The strikes came as US President Donald Trump's Republican Party seeks to retain control of Congress in Tuesday's midterm elections. The outcome of the polls will determine how much power Trump has for the remainder of his term. Trump's popularity has taken a dive, partly in response to the Iran war and its impact on US gas prices. He had previously said the US wouldn't launch new strikes on Iran before the midterms. The attack came after Tehran said on Monday it had a two-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume nuclear talks with the US if Washington meets its demands, including lifting a blockade of Iranian ports. Trump wrote on social media on Monday that a deal with Tehran "could happen." Vice President JD Vance also told reporters that he had spoken to Trump about talks with Iran and said that "the president and I both feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement." Welcome to our coverage Good morning from the DW newsroom in Bonn! Voters in the US are heading to the polls for midterm elections that are set to shape US President Donald Trump's last two years in office. Americans are electing all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate. Many states are also holding votes to elect local representatives. The midterms, held around the halfway mark of a presidential term, are typically seen as a referendum on the president's policies. In almost every modern midterm election, the party in the White House has lost seats in Congress. This year, Democrats are widely expected to retake the House but could face a greater challenge in the Senate. If the Republicans lose control of either chamber, Trump's power will be curbed for the remainder of his term. That would also open the door for the Democrats to investigate his administration. If Democrats win a majority in the Senate, they could also block Trump's nominations for federal courts. More than 57 million Americans cast their ballots early, but on Tuesday many more US citizens will vote in person. Stay tuned as we bring you the latest developments from the midterms in our live blog.