Washington – On Tuesday, November 3rd, 2026, the United States will hold midterm elections. Voters will elect all 435 members of the House of Representatives and 35 Senators.
Midterm elections are held in the middle of a President’s four-year term.
House of Representatives: 435 Seats
The House has 435 members, apportioned by population. Each state is divided into congressional districts of approximately 760,000 residents, and each district elects one Representative.
Term: 2 years. All 435 seats are on the ballot every two years.
Powers: All bills related to taxation and federal spending must originate in the House. The House has the sole power to impeach federal officials. If no presidential candidate receives 270 electoral votes, the House elects the President.
Control: 218 seats are required for a majority. The current House composition is 218 Republicans, 214 Democrats, and 2 vacancies.
Senate: 100 Senators
The Senate has 100 members, two for each state regardless of population.
Term: 6 years. Senators are divided into three classes. Only one class is elected every two years, which makes the Senate a continuing body.
On the Ballot on Nov 3rd: 35 seats – 33 regular seats from Class 2, plus 2 special elections in Florida and Ohio. The Florida seat became vacant after Senator Marco Rubio was appointed Secretary of State, and the Ohio seat after Senator JD Vance was elected Vice President. Both seats are currently held by appointed interim Senators.
Powers: The Senate confirms presidential nominations for federal judges, Supreme Court justices, cabinet members and ambassadors. It ratifies international treaties with a two-thirds vote. It holds the trial after an impeachment by the House, with a two-thirds vote required for removal.
Control: 51 seats are required for a majority. In case of a 50-50 tie, the Vice President casts the tie-breaking vote. The current composition is 53 Republicans and 47 Democrats.
How Voting Works
A US citizen must register to vote in their state of residence. A registered voter in one state votes only for the Senate candidates of that state and for the House candidate of the congressional district where they reside.
The Current Contest
To flip the House, Democrats need a net gain of 4 seats to reach 218. To flip the Senate, Democrats need a net gain of 4 seats to reach 51; Republicans need to win 19 of the 35 contested seats to retain at least 50 seats.
Of the 35 Senate seats on the ballot, 22 are currently held by Republicans and 13 by Democrats. The 65 seats not on the ballot consist of 31 Republicans and 34 Democrats.
Polls will close on the evening of November 3rd local time, with counting continuing into November 4th.
Source: Al-Manar English Website