Democrats are looking to reclaim control of both chambers of Congress.
asserted
Democrats → look → Congress
They’ll need to gain four seats in the Senate to secure a 51-seat majority, and win at least 218 seats to take back the House.
asserted
They → need → House
Republicans are fighting hard to maintain their bicameral majority despite mounting national headwinds.
asserted
Republicans → fight → headwinds
They’re contending with a number of unpopular Trump administration policies: an affordability crisis stemming from the Iran war; a deadly immigration crackdown that has seen two American citizens killed by federal agents; a sweeping trade war; and Donald Trump’s own record-low polling.
asserted
citizens → contend → agents
Already, more than 56 million Americans have cast their early ballots, with millions more expected to vote on 3 November.
asserted
millions → cast → November
Here’s an hour-by-hour rundown of when the polls close, and a look at some of the key races we’re watching in each state.
asserted
we → ’ → state
6pm ET – first round of polls start to close
The majority of polls in Indiana and Kentucky will close at this time.
asserted
majority → start → time
But because parts of both states are also in the central time zone, some polling places will remain open until 7pm ET.
7pm ET – polls close in six states, including Florida and Georgia
The next round of poll closings comes in most of Florida, Georgia, most of New Hampshire, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia.
asserted
round → remain → Hampshire
We’re keeping a close eye on Senate races in several of these states.
asserted
We → keep → states
In Florida, progressive Democrat Angie Nixon is hoping to pull off an upset and unseat Republican incumbent Ashley Moody in one of two special elections this cycle.
asserted
Nixon → hop → elections
Meanwhile in Georgia, Jon Ossoff, a Democrat senator in his first term, is fending off a challenge from the Trump-endorsed congressman Mike Collins.
asserted
Ossoff → fend → congressman
In South Carolina, Darline Graham, the sister of the late senator Lindsey Graham, is seeking a full term after being appointed by the state’s governor to serve out the remainder of her brother’s term after his death in July.
asserted
Graham → seek → July
She faces pediatrician and Democratic nominee Annie Andrews.
asserted
She → face → Andrews
And in New Hampshire, Republicans are eyeing an opportunity to flip an open Senate seat, with former GOP senator John Sununu challenging congressman Chris Pappas in a race that has become increasingly concerning for Democrats in the campaign’s final stretch.
asserted
that → eye → stretch
The remaining polling places open in Indiana and Kentucky will also close at 7pm ET.
7.30pm ET – three more states close polls, including two crucial Senate races
North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia will all close their polls at 7.30pm ET.
asserted
Carolina → remain → ET
In North Carolina, the open Senate seat is a key pickup opportunity for Democrats, with the state’s former governor, Roy Cooper, facing off against Michael Whatley, the former chair of the Republican National Committee.
asserted
governor → face → Committee
And in Ohio, we’ll have the second special Senate election of the 2026 midterms, with former Senator Sherrod Brown seeking a comeback after losing his 2024 race.
asserted
Brown → have → race
Brown is attempting to unseat Republican Jon Husted in a contest centered in part on the fight over data centers in the state.
asserted
Brown → attempt → state
8pm ET – 19 states and DC close their polls
We’ll see a flood of poll closings at 8pm ET.
asserted
We → close → ET
These include Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, DC, Illinois, most of Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, most of Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, most of North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, most of South Dakota, Tennessee and most of Texas.
asserted
These → include → Texas
A number of marquee Senate races fall into this wave, including the battle for Michigan’s open Senate seat between Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and former Republican congressman Mike Rogers.
asserted
number → fall → Sayed
Holding the Great Lakes state is vital for Democrats, but the race is expected to be close.
asserted
race → hold → Democrats
El-Sayed is leading in many of the recent polls, but is still within the margin of error.
asserted
Sayed → lead → error
In Maine, we’ll be watching to see whether progressive Troy Jackson can unseat five-term Republican incumbent Susan Collins.
asserted
Jackson → watch → Collins
And in Texas, Democrats are betting on James Talarico, the state lawmaker who has surged in the polls, to defeat Ken Paxton, the scandal-plagued Republican attorney general.
asserted
who → bet → Paxton
A Democratic victory would mark the party’s first statewide win in more than 30 years.
asserted
victory → mark → years
Finally, Kansas has emerged as a late-breaking battleground, with Adam Hamilton seeking to unseat Republican Roger Marshall and become the state’s first Democratic senator in nearly a century.
asserted
Hamilton → emerge → century
There are also several competitive down-ballot House races in Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, where Democrats are hoping to flip swing seats won by Republicans in 2024.
asserted
Democrats → be → 2024
At 8.30pm ET, Arkansas’ polls will close.
9pm ET – polls close in ten more states, including Arizona, Iowa and Wisconsin
In Arizona, there are several competitive contests, including the race for the sixth congressional district, where Republican incumbent Juan Ciscomani faces Democrat JoAnna Mendoza, a former US marine.
asserted
Ciscomani → close → Mendoza
The state’s race for governor is also one we’re watching.
asserted
we → watch → governor
Democratic incumbent Katie Hobbs is seeking a second term, but first must beat congressman Andy Biggs, who won the president’s endorsement in the Republican primary.
asserted
who → seek → primary
In Iowa, the neck-and-neck race for the open Senate seat pits Republican congresswoman Ashley Hinson against Democratic state lawmaker Josh Turek.
asserted
race → pit → Turek
The Hawkeye state’s gubernatorial race is also shaping up to be competitive, with Democratic state auditor Rob Sand facing Republican nominee Zach Lahn.
asserted
Sand → shape → Lahn
At 9pm ET, polls will also close in Louisiana, Colorado, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
asserted
polls → close → Louisiana
Any remaining polling places in North Dakota, South Dakota and Texas will close at this time as well.
asserted
places → remain → time
10pm ET – polls close in Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Utah
At 10pm ET, we’ll see almost all polls close in Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Utah.
asserted
polls → close → Idaho
One of the more under-the-radar gubernatorial races we’re watching is in Nevada, where Democratic attorney general Aaron Ford is hoping to unseat Republican governor Joe Lombardo in the Sun Belt battleground that Trump won in 2024.
asserted
Trump → watch → 2024
Many polling places in one Oregon county will also close at 10pm ET.
11pm ET – polls close in California and other west coast states
At 11pm ET, we’ll see polls close in California, where former health secretary Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, is facing Republican Steve Hilton, a former adviser to British prime minister David Cameron, in the race for governor.
asserted
Becerra → close → governor
Most polls will also close in Oregon, along with all polls in Washington state.
asserted
polls → close → state
In Washington, two-term Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, who has frequently broken with her party on key issues, is hopin to hold on to her seat in a district that Trump carried in each of the last three presidential elections.
asserted
Trump → break → elections
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
