2026 elections: Final midterm voting to determine Senate, House control

Voting begins across the country

Polls opened Tuesday morning after more than 57 million Americans voted early, according to the University of Florida Voting Lab. CBS News planned live coverage throughout the day, with results and analysis after polls close Tuesday evening.

The schedule included all-day streaming on CBS News 24/7, a 5 p.m. ET program called “Election 2026: The Nerd Show,” and “America Decides: Election 2026” at 7 p.m. ET on television, cable and streaming. Anthony Salvanto and Caitlin Huey-Burns were set to host the 5 p.m. program with pollsters and election data experts.

House control rests on battlegrounds

CBS News identified 47 House districts as likely to determine which party holds the majority. Its Battleground Tracker, using an estimate dated Oct. 25, projected Democrats could win 229 seats.

The model’s range ran from 215 Democratic seats, which would leave Republicans with a narrow majority, to 237. Eight of the districts highlighted were held by Republicans: Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas.

High-profile Senate contests draw notice

Alaska’s Senate race drew attention because Daniel J. Sullivan, a teacher, shares nearly the same name as incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. The New York Times reported that members of Democrat Mary Peltola’s campaign recruited the teacher to run; Peltola said she knew nothing about it.

The ballot lists the four candidates who advanced from the primary. Under ranked choice voting, voters can rank any number of candidates in order of preference or choose only one.

In Maine, Sen. Susan Collins faces Democrat Troy Jackson. Some voters expressed little enthusiasm for the choices. One Kittery voter said, “There’s no white knight here in either party,” and said the choice would be the candidate they considered least damaging.

Texas voters weigh key races

Hispanics account for more than 30% of Texas’ eligible electorate, making them an important constituency in Senate, governor and House races. Two years earlier, President Trump made historic gains with Hispanic voters nationally and won a majority of Texas Hispanics.

Polls showed a tight Senate contest between Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s reelection contest against Democrat Gina Hinojosa could also be close.

In a competitive South Texas House race, both candidates told CBS News they had concerns about the Trump administration’s immigration tactics. Republican incumbent Monica De La Cruz predicted Texas would remain Republican, while calling for attention to affordability and an immigration solution.