Election Day live updates with House and Senate control at stake

Midterm elections occur halfway through a president’s four-year term. They select members of Congress and, in many states, governors and other officials. Unlike presidential elections, they do not choose the president or vice president. This makes them a national judgment on governing parties, even though the ballot is filled with individual contests.

The 2026 election illustrates the scale. Every House seat is being contested, along with 35 Senate seats. Voters in 36 states are also electing governors. More than 57 million Americans had already voted early, according to the University of Florida Voting Lab.

The results can change who controls Congress while President Trump remains in office. That matters because Congress writes laws, controls federal spending, and oversees the executive branch. The article highlights close Senate contests in Texas and Kansas, showing how individual races can influence national power. Presidential elections decide the White House; midterms can reshape its ability to govern.

The 2026 elections cover all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. They also include 35 of the Senate’s 100 seats and governor’s offices in 36 states. These figures show why midterm voting can affect both national lawmaking and state government at the same time.

House elections happen across the entire chamber because House members serve two-year terms. Senate elections are staggered because senators serve six-year terms, so only about one-third of the chamber normally faces voters in a given election. The 35 Senate seats listed for 2026 are the seats being contested this cycle.

The scale creates many separate races, but control of Congress may depend on a much smaller group of competitive contests. The article identifies Texas as one of the closest and most expensive Senate races. It also describes a difficult Democratic effort in Kansas. The results will determine which party controls the House and Senate.

When a party controls the House or Senate, it usually controls that chamber’s agenda. Its leaders decide which bills receive votes, and its members chair committees that conduct hearings and oversight. Control also shapes negotiations over taxes, spending, and national policy. A majority can therefore make its priorities much more likely to advance.

House control can determine which legislation reaches the floor and how investigations are organized. Senate control can influence debate, votes on legislation, and confirmation of presidential nominees. Major laws generally require agreement between both chambers and the president, so one chamber cannot accomplish everything alone.

The 2026 stakes are especially high because the article says the Texas Senate race could help decide which party controls the Senate. President Trump will monitor results from the White House, but a Congress controlled by the opposing party could block priorities, demand information, or force compromises. A same-party Congress could make the administration’s agenda easier to pursue.

The difference comes from the two chambers’ election schedules. House members serve two-year terms, meaning all 435 seats are regularly contested every two years. Senators serve six-year terms, and their elections are staggered. Only a portion of the Senate therefore appears on any one election ballot.

In 2026, the article lists 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats. The 35 Senate contests represent the seats whose terms or special election schedules bring them before voters this cycle. The remaining Senate seats are not scheduled for regular election in 2026, so they are not part of this nationwide contest.

This structure gives House voters a direct chance to reshape the entire chamber at once. Senate control can change through fewer races, especially when the current balance is close. That is why the article focuses on competitive contests such as Texas, where Ken Paxton and James Talarico are campaigning for a seat that could affect control of the Senate.

Senate control depends on the total number of seats each party holds, not on winning every contest. Many races may favor one party, while a small number remain genuinely competitive. If the chamber’s balance is close, victories in just a few of those close races can provide the seats needed for a majority.

Texas is a clear example from the article. Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico held dueling rallies before Election Day. Paxton said most polls showed the race would come down to the wire. Talarico predicted a shocking result. The article describes the contest as one of the closest and most expensive and says it could decide Senate control.

Kansas shows that another state can also attract attention. Democratic candidate Adam Hamilton is challenging Republican Senator Roger Marshall in a state that strongly backed Trump. The article does not give the national seat count or a projected winner. It does show why a few uncertain races can matter more than dozens of predictable ones.

The Supreme Court’s decision meant California officials did not have to follow the requested emergency procedure. The Trump administration wanted election officials to separate mail ballots from thousands of people it claimed were “likely” not U.S. citizens. The court denied that request in a one-line, unsigned order.

The requested mechanism was ballot separation. Officials would have had to identify the ballots covered by the administration’s claim and keep them apart from other mail ballots. By denying the injunction, the court declined to impose that requirement. The article does not state that the court made a final finding about the voters’ citizenship or ordered ballots counted or rejected.

The ruling was described as a blow to the Trump administration. It left California without the specific separation mandate the administration sought. The decision also became part of the final-day election news, alongside voting totals and competitive races. The article does not describe any further court action or the eventual treatment of the ballots.

The U.S. system divides federal power among the president, Congress, and the courts. The president leads the executive branch, while Congress writes laws, controls federal spending, and conducts oversight. Because these powers are separate, the party controlling Congress can support, alter, investigate, or resist a president’s program even when it does not control the White House.

For example, a congressional majority can decide which bills receive hearings and votes. Committees can question administration officials and examine executive actions. The Senate also votes on many presidential nominees. The president can veto legislation, so major policy usually requires bargaining when the chambers and White House are divided.

That makes the 2026 results consequential for President Trump. The article says the Texas Senate race could determine which party controls the Senate, while all 435 House seats are contested. Trump plans to monitor results from the White House. The outcome could therefore affect how easily his administration advances priorities or faces congressional resistance.