Election Day in America
• Democrats confident: The party enters the day with a 9-point advantage in the generic congressional ballot, according to CNN’s Poll of Polls, and forecasters have consistently moved competitive seats in its favor. Democrats also have leads in five key Senate races, according to NYT-Siena polls.
• Can Republicans save their day? The GOP built in a hedge with unprecedented redistricting and is defending Senate seats in red states that went for President Donald Trump three times. Here are the Senate seats most likely to flip. And here’s our case for why each party will — or won’t — have a good night.
• Stay with us: Follow CNN’s tracker of when to expect results and sign up for breaking news email alerts to get key updates.
Updates
(13)“Staggering” rise in Latino voting in Texas due to confluence of issues, expert says
The “staggering” increase in the Latino vote share in Texas is being driven by a “confluence” of factors, an expert in Latino vote trends told CNN early Tuesday morning before polls opened.
Latinos have emerged as perhaps the biggest group of swing voters in the US. Traditionally a Democratic-leaning portion of the electorate in most of the nation, Latinos swung heavily toward President Donald Trump in the 2024 election. But the economic frustrations that helped propel him to victory are now fueling dissatisfaction with Republicans in power among many of those same voters.
Latino voters have been showing up in high numbers in Texas, where Democrat James Talarico is trying to flip a critical Senate seat for his party, early voting shows. The Latino share of the early vote is up more than four points from where it was in 2022 and over 40% more Latino voters have turned out in the state, according to data from Catalist.
“This isn’t just about ICE raids. It’s not just about a terrible economy. It’s about a loss of confidence,” said Mike Madrid, co-founder of the Lincoln Project — a Republican anti-Trump organization.
“When you’re starting to see Latino voters, especially younger voters and voters with low- and no-propensity matching white and Black vote share, this is just unheard of,” he said, using terms for people who rarely, if ever, vote.
Among the issues driving these voters, according to Madrid: US involvement in foreign wars, the Epstein files, foreign beef subsidies, and the impact of deportation raids on the construction industry.
A guide to how the US midterm elections work
Who votes?
American citizens over the age of 18 can vote. Some states make exceptions for people convicted of felony and some states require voters to register. Americans can also vote early in person or by mail.
Who is being elected?
The US Congress has two legislative bodies — the Senate and the House.
Lawmakers elected to the Senate serve six-year terms. There are federal elections every two years. The seats are broken up into three classes, and about a third of the Senate is on the ballot every two years. Those elected to the House of Representatives are up for election every two years.
Some state governors are also up for election this year. Each state treats its governors slightly differently. This year there are 36 gubernatorial races, 19 of them for open seats, due to a governor resigning, not seeing reelection or being term-limited.
As of mid-October, there are also 146 statewide ballot measures set to go before voters in 39 states and the Northern Mariana Islands, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). Some of the common hot-button issues this year are around elections and transgender issues.
What is the balance of power?
Political parties have more power when they control the House or Senate by winning a majority of the seats in that chamber. The party in power controls committees that write legislation and decides which measures will get a vote on the floor. In the House, the party with at least 218 seats has the majority and, in the Senate, the party with 51 votes has the majority.
Voters tell us what's driving their choices
CNN spoke with voters in North Carolina, Texas, Maine and Iowa about who they’re backing in the midterms.
CNN spoke with voters in North Carolina, Texas, Maine and Iowa about who they’re backing in the 2026 midterms — and what’s driving their choices.
Why evangelical voters are so important to Republicans
White evangelicals are a critical voting bloc in President Donald Trump’s coalition and Republicans fear if they stay home during the midterms, that could hand victories to Democrats in key races across the country with control of Congress at stake.
In the weeks before Election Day, there was little evidence national Republicans are doing much through their campaign committees to specifically target and mobilize the evangelical vote. Instead, grassroots mobilization is falling largely to individual churches and groups like the Faith and Freedom Coalition, which announced a get-out-the-vote operation aimed at turning out “drop-off voters” — evangelicals who vote in presidential elections but don’t always show up in the midterms.
At the same time, Democrats are mounting their own efforts to win over White Christian voters, making the argument that their party and priorities are aligned with faith-based values and recruiting candidates, including pastors, whose religion is a key part of their identity.
Why this matters: Turning out the White evangelical vote will be critical to Republicans’ success in key races across the South, from Texas to Georgia to Kansas and even places like South Carolina.
In 2016, 2020 and 2024, roughly 8 in 10 White evangelicals cast ballots for Trump nationally. While they make up only 13% of the country’s population, they vote in such large numbers that they often account for roughly 20% of the electorate in any given election, according to the Public Religion Research Institute.
Top forecasters’ final reports: Texas and Michigan Senate races move toward Dems
On the eve of Election Day, top forecasters reveal major final-hour shifts moving both Texas and Michigan to “Lean Dem.”
On the eve of Election Day, top forecasters Larry Sabato and Dave Wasserman reveal major final-hour shifts moving both Texas and Michigan to "Lean Dem." Sabato points to James Tallarico's "brilliant campaign" against a fractured Republican party, while Wasserman highlights Abdul El-Sayed's strong polling numbers. With control of the Senate hanging in the balance, Wasserman predicts "we will probably know control of the Senate before we all turn into pumpkins at midnight."
Your guide to frequently used Election Day terminology
As you watch the results come in tonight, there could be some terms that come up frequently.
Here’s a guide of election terminology to keep handy:
Incumbent: A lawmaker or elected official running for reelection. They currently hold the seat they are running for.
Flipped seat or pickup: A flipped seat is one in the House or Senate that voters take from one party and entrust to the other party. But, because of redistricting or resignations, there are some races that are “open,” meaning there isn’t an incumbent.
Special election: When a senator retires, dies or leaves office before his or her term ends, the state’s governor usually appoints a placeholder to fill the seat, but there needs to be an election for the full term. South Carolina’s Senate race is a special election, after the death of late Sen. Lindsey Graham. There is also a special election in Ohio to fill the Senate seat that was previously held by Vice President JD Vance, for example.
Ranked choice voting: A number of cities and states are experimenting with ways to give voters more access to the political process and to potentially depolarize politics. Ranked choice voting is a system in place for most elections in Maine and Alaska where voters rank their choices in order of preference instead of picking a single candidate.
The dubious claims Trump officials have made about the election
The Trump administration has undertaken an unprecedented effort to inject the federal government into state elections as it hunts for voter fraud — and to help President Donald Trump continue his baseless quest to try to prove the 2020 election was rigged and stolen from him.
Election officials and Democratic lawmakers fear that the Trump administration’s aggressive actions could spill into Election Day and voter intimidation — and that dubious claims of mass voter fraud will be used to cast doubt on the election results if they go poorly for Trump and the GOP.
CNN has reviewed what five outspoken officials leading the effort — including the president — have said in TV interviews, podcast appearances and speeches about voter fraud and their attempts to find it ahead of the midterms, how their claims about widespread issues of fraud often don’t add up, and what actions they say their agencies or the federal government may take this week or beyond.
Read and watch what top Trump officials have claimed about the election.
Everyone keeps talking about the “balance of power.” Here’s what that means
Political parties have more power when they control the House or Senate by winning a majority of the seats in that chamber.
The party in power controls committees that write legislation and decides which measures will get a vote on the floor.
In the House, the party with at least 218 seats has the majority and, assuming it can unite behind one candidate, selects the Speaker of the House. In the Senate, the party with 51 votes has the majority.
Why are only a third of senators up for election?
Senators serve six-year terms, and there are federal elections every two years. The seats are broken up into three classes, and about a third of the Senate is on the ballot every two years.
Why are all 435 House members up for election every two years?
The House of Representatives is the piece of the federal government that is closest to the people. Putting House members up for election every two years allows voters more direct and immediate control of the direction of their government.
Supreme Court rules against ignoring California ballots
CNN’s Gabe Cohen breaks down the Supreme Court’s rejection of President Donald Trump’s attempt to force California to sideline potentially thousands of ballots that the DOJ says may have been cast by noncitizens.
CNN's Gabe Cohen breaks down the Supreme Court's rejection of President Donald Trump's attempt to force California to sideline potentially thousands of ballots that the Justice Department claims may have been cast by noncitizens.
Final campaign pitches on election eve spotlight Senate control
Candidates across the country addressed supporters in a final campaign push on Monday night –– highlighting the stakes in contests seen as a referendum on the first two years of President Donald Trump’s second term.
- In his final message after a blitz of red-state campaigning, Trump spent 24 minutes talking about his renovation projects in the capital in front of the Reflecting Pool. As for the midterms, the he didn’t sound optimistic. “For some reason, the sitting president doesn’t win the midterms. But we gave this a very strong shot,” he said.
On the eve of Election Day, President Donald Trump used his last midterm campaign speech to talk about the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as well as his other major renovation projects in Washington, DC. CNN's Kevin Liptak reports.
- Abdul El-Sayed: In his last message to voters, Michigan’s Democratic Senate candidate again addressed the country’s affordability crisis, saying it “shouldn’t be this hard” for Michiganders to afford gas, groceries, rent and healthcare. El-Sayed did not mention Rep. Haley Stevens’ shock last-minute endorsement of his opponent Mike Rogers, instead urging voters to unite behind his policies.
- Mike Rogers: Michigan’s Republican Senate candidate spent most of his final rally emphasizing the race was about “the heart and soul of the country” and characterized El-Sayed as a hateful person. “This election was never about how someone prayed, never. It was always about how you think and what your philosophy and what your ideology is,” Rogers said. Every mention of Stevens at the rally led to a burst of applause.
The two candidates for Michigan's open Senate seat, Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed and Republican candidate Mike Rogers, made last minute pitches to voters on the eve of Election Day.
- James Talarico: Texas’ Democratic Senate candidate ended a rally in Austin by urging thousands of supporters to believe in the power of their votes. He criticized Ken Paxton and the Republican rival’s biggest backer, Elon Musk, who has contributed more than $168 million to the campaign. “We are going to shock the nation, shock the world when we beat the billionaires and take back Texas,” Talarico said.
Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico and his Republican rival Ken Paxton held their final rallies Monday night, making a last push for voter support.
- Ken Paxton: In final remarks to supporters, he said the Texas Senate midterm is about “safeguarding our way of life,” and cautioned that “both sides have completely different objectives for this country.” Citing his record as attorney general of the state, Paxton said his plan would put money in Texans’ pockets while Talarico’s plan would take money from them.
- Mary Peltola: The Alaskan Democratic Senate candidate’s campaign has been marred by controversy after a report on its alleged involvement in recruiting another man named Dan Sullivan to run for Senate to confuse voters. Peltola has denied knowing anything about the alleged scheme. “We’ve kept this focused on Alaskans. We are not interested in smearing our friends and neighbors, and future colleagues,” she told supporters.
- Sen. Dan Sullivan: The Republican cast Alaska as “the firewall for freedom” in his closing message, emphasizing the country is focused on the race as it could decide control of the upper chamber.
- Adam Hamilton: The Democratic nominee for Kansas Senate will be writing both a concession and a victory speech, he said, but also enthusiastically pointed to recent polls looking good for his campaign. Hamilton, who is running against Sen. Roger Marshall, is hoping to be the first Kansas Democrat elected to the US Senate since 1932.
- Troy Jackson: The Maine Democratic Senate candidate rallied supporters in Portland, 100 days after securing the Democratic nomination. Jackson became the party’s nominee after Graham Platner exited the race following a string of controversies, including a sexual assault allegation he’s denied. Jackson faces the GOP incumbent Sen. Susan Collins in the closely watched race that could determine control of the Senate.
- Annie Andrews: Hundreds of supporters of the South Carolina Democrat gathered in Charleston to close out what has been an unexpectedly competitive Senate campaign in a state that voted for Trump by nearly 18 points in 2024. Andrews took thinly veiled shots at her opponent, Sen. Darline Graham, who was appointed to fill the remainder of her late brother’s Senate term in July before being asked by to run for this full six-year Senate term.
Marjorie Taylor Greene was "very disappointed" with Trump's closing campaign message
The former Republican congresswoman criticized President Donald Trump’s decision to focus on his DC renovation projects in a speech at the Reflecting Pool on the night before the election
She also said that if the GOP loses midterms, it’ll be a “complete referendum” on Trump.
US conducts limited strikes against Iran on election eve, officials say
The US military carried out limited strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island on Monday, three US officials told CNN, characterizing the action as defensive in nature and meant to protect American assets in the region.
It does not appear to be the kind of major combat operation that officials have been contemplating. “This was a defensive measure for Iranians using surface to air missiles against US assets,” one US official said.
But the new action, on the eve of Election Day, is a reminder that the situation in Iran is still unresolved, and combat is still very much on the table.
One person familiar with the matter said the administration deliberately kept the attack under wraps in an effort not to overstate the defensive move.
President Donald Trump on Monday suggested that diplomacy with Tehran is still at work, saying an agreement “could happen.” He did not address the strikes in an appearance on Fox News that aired Monday night, but did say the US “might have to go after” Pickaxe Mountain, Iran’s suspected underground nuclear site.
Global oil prices are spiking as the war drags on, with gasoline and diesel prices on track to be the most expensive of any US Election Day in history. Those increasingly high prices have been front and center in campaigns throughout the country.
CNN has spoken with many voters, including at the president’s rallies, who have pointed to the war’s impact on gas prices and the cost of living as a major issue in the election. The issue has prompted some Republicans facing tough elections to distance themselves from the president’s stance on the war.
Americans have been talking, and they have a lot on their minds
Someone picks up a payphone near a bookstore in Abilene, Texas. On the other end is a total stranger standing on a street in San Francisco. Politically, they couldn’t be more different. So what happens when they just… talk?
Someone picks up a payphone near a bookstore in Abilene, Texas. On the other end is a total stranger standing on a street in San Francisco. Politically, they couldn’t be more different. So what happens when they just… talk?
