US midterms: Polling stations have closed in five eastern states

Polling stations in eastern US states have started closing Image: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images/AFPAdvertisementSkip next section What you need to knowWhat you need to know Polling stations in 5 eastern states close at 1 a.m. local time Voters are electing all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate Both chambers of Congress are currently controlled by the Republicans 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:

The clock has just struck 7 p.m. local time in the eastern United States.

That means polls have closed in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Virginia and Vermont.

Polling stations are still open in the most keenly watched races, though.

Voters in Ohio have another 30 minutes, until 7:30 p.m. (0030 GMT) to cast their ballots.

In Michigan, as well as traditional Republican stronghold Texas, polling stations will close at 9 p.m. Eastern time.

The first polling stations in parts of Indiana and Kentucky closed at 6 p.m. local time (2300 GMT).

However, most other states, which span six time zones, will keep their polling stations open for several more hours.

Alaska, located in the far west, will be the last state to close its polls at 0500 GMT.

Howdy from Austin, where Texans are turning out in record numbers.

More than 7.7 million people have already voted early in the 2026 midterms. That's over 40% of registered voters and a new record for a midterm election in Texas.

In 15 counties, early voting has already surpassed the total number of votes cast in the entire 2022 midterm election. We're also seeing a surge in Hispanic voters, an important group in a state like Texas.

All eyes are on the Senate race between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico. Texas hasn't elected a Democratic senator since 1988, but this time the race is extremely close. Recent polls give Talarico a small lead, but it's still too close to call.

We spoke to dozens of voters in Austin and El Paso.

Many told us they're worried about the economy, political corruption and the deep divisions in America. Some said those divisions matter even more than gas prices.

DW's Isaac Holmberg and Benjamin Alvarez Gruber met former Trump voters who are now supporting Democrats: "I am hurt. I mean, I'm hurt to be an American and struggling.

And there's another big question: can money buy an election? Elon Muskhas spent around $168 million (€150 million) supporting Senate Republicans, according to The New York Times. But despite all that spending, the Texas race remains very competitive.

Tonight, Texas could make history. The question is whether it will finally turn blue or remain red.

Hello from Detroit, where the DW team is spending Election Day. It's an uncharacteristically sunny day for November this far north, which could be good for voter turnout.

Michigan is one of the biggest battlegrounds in this election. The Senate race between Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers is being watched as a test for the future of the Democratic Party.

Early conversations with voters around the city show a clear preference for El-Sayed. However, anecdotes aren’t data, and Michigan is a big state. His campaign volunteers are stationed outside a downtown Whole Foods, hoping that last-minute reminders can help him over the line.

In a country weary of politics, relentless campaigning and ad targeting, some say Election Day is a source of inspiration.

"It's just always encouraging to see that there are real people on the ground making change and demonstrating their civic duty," Andrew Wu told DW's Kyra Krall at a polling station.

El-Sayed is a progressive backed by Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who beat the party establishment's pick in the primary. If he wins in a state Trump carried in 2024, progressives will say it proves their politics can win in a swing state.

If he loses, Republicans and moderate Democrats will say it shows the limits of the left. Either way, it's an early preview of the fight over the party's direction heading into 2028. 

A quick update from the White House. Things are getting a little busier here. Colleagues from all around the world are gathering, even though US President Donald Trump has no public appearances scheduled today.

So for now, we keep waiting for the first results to come in, The president is scheduled to attend a watch party at 7 p.m. (0000 GMT), as of now without any press allowed. There is a lot at stake for him, of course. This could be the last day Trump can count on comfortable Republican majorities in Congress. If the Democrats take control of the House, he could become what he himself calls a "veto president." But a weakened Trump at home doesn't necessarily mean a less confrontational Trump abroad. Quite the opposite. He might lash out even more on the international stage.  This is a concern widely shared by many world leaders. And international politics are already making headlines today. Trump said that the US will stop providing roughly $4 billion (€3.6 billion) in annual military aid to Israel starting next year. Instead, Israel would buy American military equipment. Quite a statement on Election Day — and another example of his America First approach. There are also concerns about election integrity. The Justice Department is deploying 1,000 federal election monitors across the country, raising questions about the role of the federal government in elections that are administered by the states. Critics fear political interference; the administration says the goal is to ensure that election laws are followed. While I'm keeping an eye on the White House as today's foreign press pooler, our DW colleagues are reporting from Texas and Michigan. Will Americans put the brakes on Trump, or give him a green light for the next two years?

US voters are heading to the polls tired and frustrated with the skyrocketing cost of living. They are predicted to punish Trump and his Republican Party. What would this mean for the president’s ability to govern?

Climate change has all but disappeared from Democrats' campaign pitches, replaced by promises to lower electricity bills. But what would the party actually do on climate if it wins control of Congress?

DW has interviewed voters in some key states including Michigan and Texas. Here are some interesting takes:

Andrew Wu in Detroit, Michigan, told DW he was supporting Abdul El-Sayed "for his focus on Medicare for all and affordability for Michigan families."

"You can kind of feel hopeless about the current political situation. And I think it's just always encouraging to see that there are real people on the ground making change and demonstrating their civic duty," he said.

Skyler Schmidt told DW: "The Republican Party policies have really taken our country backwards. I think the international community sees it. We see it here. And I think the Democratic, at least some members in the party, want to essentially get back to human rights, get back to giving back to the people of Michigan, back to the people of the United States, instead of putting our money elsewhere in the world."

In Texas, many of the voters DW spoke to addressed the economic situation and how it was weighing on them.

"The economy is a big issue. You know, things are very expensive now. This is not what was promised to us," Wilson Ihonvbere, who supported Trump in the 2024 election, said, later adding: "I walked here because I can't drive my car. I walked here. I'm 67."

Others seemed more disillusioned. Steve Schaffer told DW he was neither voting for Democrat James Talarico nor Republican Ken Paxton. He was also critical of tech billionaire Elon Musk's donations to the Republican party, the majority of which were poured into the race in Texas, where many of his companies are based.

"It's very hard to have a functioning democracy when there's such a blatant distortion in economic power, which translates into political power," Schaffer said.

An Oklahoma City man was charged by US federal authorities with mailing threatening communications and conveying misleading information ahead of the 2024 and 2026 elections. 

The man sent hundreds of letters containing a nonhazardous white powder to state election officials, lawmakers, pollsters and media outlets. The powder is believed to be yeast or flour, but the FBI said in an affidavit that the letters had not been fully tested. 

Martin was taken into custody on Monday and will make a court appearance on Tuesday. 

The letters triggered evacuations in October of election offices in Louisiana and Oklahoma. Many other states, such as Idaho and Florida, also said they were sent the mailings.   

Polls show US Democrats could take back Congress from Republicans. They're promising they'll use their win to stop President Trump's agenda and pass their own. But could they really do that? 

The Ohio gubernatorial election features former state health official Amy Acton, a Democrat, who is facing off against Republican biotech entrepreneur and Indian-American billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy. 

Acton first came to prominence as the director of the Ohio Department of Health, where she guided Ohio's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019 and 2020. Acton backed shutdown orders to stop the spread of the virus, drawing backlash from Republicans. 

Ramaswamy, meanwhile, came in the wider public eye when he ran on an "anti-woke" platform for the Republican presidential nomination in 2023. He later dropped out in 2024 and endorsed Trump. 

The Ramaswamy vs. Acton race drew nationwide attention when the Ramaswamy campaign backed an ad featuring Acton's estranged mother, Donna Arthur. In that ad, Arthur accused Acton of being a liar. 

Court records found that Arthur's husband, Cledith Arthur, was indicted in 1978 for raping Acton. Donna Arthur stayed loyal to her husband, who is Acton's stepfather, with Acton not talking to her mother in decades. 

The Donna Arthur ad led to condemnation toward Ramaswamy, with recent polls showing Acton ahead of him in the race. 

The Michigan Senate election features Democrat Abdul El-Sayed running against Republican Mike Rogers. 

El-Sayed is a Muslim Egyptian-American Rhodes Scholar who has a background in public health. He previously served as the director of Wayne County's Department of Health, Human and Veterans Services, which is responsible for the major city of Detroit. 

Rogers, meanwhile, represented Michigan's 8th district in the US House from 2001 to 2015 and has also served in Michigan's state Senate from 1995 to 2000. 

El-Sayed is a frequent critic of the US relationship with Israel. Trump and Rogers have attacked El-Sayed as antisemitic, and used rhetoric against El-Sayed which has been criticized as anti-Muslim bigotry. 

El-Sayed defeated Congresswoman Haley Stevens to become the Democratic nominee for the Senate seat. Over the weekend, Stevens endorsed Rogers in a shock move, with Stevens taking issue over El-Sayed's criticism of Israel. Stevens is a pro-Israel Democrat.

Another race to watch is the Senate race between Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton. 

Talarico is a member of the Texas House of Representatives and has a background in Christian theology. Paxton, meanwhile is a close Trump ally who served as Texas attorney general and has also been a member of the Texas state Senate and House. 

The race between Talarico and Paxton has been controversial with Paxton having dealt with both indictment and impeachment. Talarico has been the target of mudslinging, like the false claims that he spent time in an Ohio mental health facility. The Republicans have also falsely claimed Talarico is a vegan — Texas is the top state for beef production.

If Talarico wins, it would be the first time Texas has elected a Democrat for a statewide office since 1994. It would also raise hopes that Democrats could land Texas in a future presidential race.  

With the 2026 US midterm approaching and US President Donald Trump's  approval rating at a record low, some Republican candidates in competitive races are quietly keeping their distance. His endorsement can still help decide a primary election to pick candidates. But, in a general election, Trump could cost the Republican votes from moderates and swing voters. DW talks with Republican strategist Barret Marson about how some candidates are subtly criticizing Trump's policies, which are driving up inflation and perpetuating unpopular wars. And Nicolas Veron from the Peterson Institute discusses how Republicans have failed to find an alternative strategy. 

New York Attorney General Letitia James says her office is looking into an issue with ballot scanners in Westchester County. 

Westchester County is located in New York State, just north of the New York City borough of the Bronx.  

"My office is monitoring this issue with scanners in Westchester and is in touch with the state and local Boards of Elections as they work on a solution," James posted on X. "Westchester voters can still fill out and turn in their ballots at their polling locations. Your votes will still count."   

The Westchester County Board of Elections apologized to voters and poll workers for the inconvenience caused by the technical issue and said it is in contact with New York State officials and Westchester County government officials to address it.   

A part of Westchester County lies in New York's 17th congressional district, which is represented by Republican Mike Lawler in the US House.

Lawler is in danger of losing his seat to Democratic challenger Cait Conley. 

"There is a problem with every ballot scanner in Westchester County. We do not yet know the exact cause of the issue, whether it is in the ballot or the machine. The Board of Elections is working with their vendors to resolve it," Lawler posted on X. "However, every ballot will be counted. Stay in line and vote. Do not leave the polling place without voting."    

Conley also called on Westchester voters to stay in line while the issue is being addressed.