US Congressional Midterm Elections Open as Millions Head to the Polls
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, more than 230 million eligible citizens across the United States are casting their ballots on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, to determine the composition of Congress and various state parliaments.
Polling station opening times vary across different U.S. regions, with the first centers in Vermont launching operations at 13:30 Iran time. Voting in New Jersey, Virginia, Connecticut, and Kentucky commences at 14:30. Meanwhile, the electoral process in Georgia, Florida, Pennsylvania, and New York unfolds between 14:30 and 15:30, while polling places in Ohio and North Carolina open at 15:00, followed by Michigan at 15:30.
Poll closures occur gradually based on local U.S. time zones, with the earliest centers in Indiana and Kentucky shutting down at 02:30 AM on Wednesday, November 4, Iran time. This process concludes in Kansas at 04:30, Michigan at 05:30, and Iowa at 06:30, with Alaska serving as the final state to wrap up voting at approximately 10:30 AM on Wednesday.
In this election cycle, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 out of 100 seats in the Senate are being contested. Additionally, citizens in 36 states are heading to the polls to elect their governors.
Vote counting begins immediately after the closure of polling stations, and preliminary results may emerge on Tuesday evening, U.S. time. However, these early figures do not represent definitive winners, as the processing of mail-in, provisional, and other ballots could take several days or even weeks. Furthermore, tight races may leave outcomes undecided for hours or days following the conclusion of the election.
