Here's what Americans are voting on in today's elections

The 2026 midterms cover federal offices, state executive offices, and direct policy questions. Voters are choosing all 435 members of the House and 35 senators. They are also selecting governors in 36 states. The results could reshape both Congress and state governments.

Ballot measures add another layer. Voters are deciding proposals involving redistricting, abortion rights, and a proposed billionaire tax in California. These measures can change policy directly, rather than through elected lawmakers. Redistricting proposals can also influence which party has an advantage in future congressional races.

The election therefore reaches beyond a single national contest. It combines hundreds of congressional races, dozens of governor contests, and major state policy choices. More than 60 million people had already voted early, showing the election's large scale before polls closed on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The congressional stakes are nationwide. Every one of the House's 435 seats is being contested, while 35 of the Senate's seats are up for grabs. Together, those contests total 470 congressional seats. Because congressional control can rest on a small margin, even a handful of close races may matter nationally.

The election also includes 36 gubernatorial contests. Governors lead state governments, so these races can affect policy beyond Washington. Voters are additionally deciding ballot measures, including proposals about redistricting, abortion rights, and a billionaire tax in California.

The scale helps explain why midterms can produce broad political consequences. More than 60 million people voted early by mail or in person. On Tuesday, Nov. 3, voters completed a process involving every House district, more than half the Senate, dozens of governorships, and major state questions.

Midterm elections take place in the middle of a presidential term. The president is not being elected, but the vote still becomes a national test of the administration. Voters choose members of Congress, governors, and sometimes decide ballot measures. Those choices can signal satisfaction or frustration with the direction of the country.

The article describes midterms as potential referendums on the president and the party in power. This happens because the governing party is closely associated with the president's policies and performance. Congressional races can then become broader judgments, even when candidates are campaigning on local issues such as immigration or data centers.

In 2026, control of Congress, 36 governorships, and major policy proposals are all at stake. The president is absent from the ballot, but the results can still strengthen or weaken the party in power and shape the rest of the presidential term.

Congressional control depends on who holds more seats, not on how many races one party wins nationwide. A party can therefore gain power through a relatively small group of close contests. That power determines which party organizes each chamber and controls its legislative agenda.

The House shows the mechanism clearly. Republicans begin with a narrow three-seat majority. Democrats could move within striking distance of taking control by flipping four competitive Republican-held districts in Pennsylvania, including seats around suburban Philadelphia, the Lehigh Valley, and central Pennsylvania. Other close races are in New York, Iowa, Arizona, Colorado, and California.

Senate races matter through the same basic seat-count principle, although the article does not identify specific Senate contests. With all 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats contested, a few outcomes could determine control. That would affect which party leads Congress and which proposals receive consideration.

Redistricting redraws congressional boundaries after population changes or political decisions. Moving boundaries can alter a district's partisan balance, combine different communities, or separate existing voter groups. That can turn a reliably safe seat into a competitive one, or make a race more favorable to one party.

California provides the clearest example in the article. Democrats are trying to use a newly redrawn map to pick up five seats currently held by Republicans. The contested Central Valley 22nd District, where Republican David Valadao faces Democrat Randy Villegas, is one target. Republicans are also defending California's 48th District after Darrell Issa's retirement.

The map is intended to offset Republican gains in other redistricted states. Its effects could therefore reach beyond individual districts and influence control of the House. The article also lists redistricting among the ballot issues voters are deciding, showing that maps themselves are part of the political contest.

The party controlling a congressional chamber generally chooses its leaders, sets much of the legislative schedule, and controls committee leadership. Committees examine bills, hold hearings, and decide which proposals advance. In the Senate, the majority also has important influence over confirmations and the chamber's floor agenda, subject to Senate rules.

For example, if Democrats won enough close House races to replace the Republicans' three-seat majority, Democrats could decide which bills receive House consideration. If Republicans retained control, they would keep that agenda-setting power. In either case, committee control would shape which issues receive hearings and votes.

The article focuses on the election's stakes rather than explaining congressional powers in detail. Still, its emphasis on narrow margins shows why individual races matter. A change of only a few seats can shift control, affecting which national policies advance, stall, or face oversight.

The House is designed around population-based districts, so each representative speaks for one congressional district. The Senate gives every state two senators, regardless of population. This creates different kinds of representation: House races are usually more local, while Senate races cover entire states.

House members serve two-year terms, meaning all 435 seats can be contested in every midterm. Senators serve six-year terms, so only some Senate seats are normally on the ballot at once; 35 are contested in this election. Both chambers must generally approve legislation before it can reach the president, but each has distinct rules and responsibilities.

The article illustrates the difference in scale. It names many competitive House districts, including races in Pennsylvania, Iowa, Arizona, Colorado, and California, while separately noting 35 Senate seats. These structural differences help explain why House control can hinge on districts and Senate control on statewide contests.