Follow the races that will decide control of Congress, along with the vote counts and the issues shaping each contest.
Midterm Elections live updates help you track a changing picture as results come in. Watch which seats are competitive, how control of the House and Senate may shift, and where vote counts remain unsettled.
Election night is only part of the story: the races to follow can also show what voters are weighing and what the next Congress may face.
| Source | Useful for | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| CNBC live coverage | AP vote data and race projections | Whether an item is a tally or a projection |
| NPR election-night guide | Poll-closing schedule | Times are listed in Eastern Time |
| Reuters and USA Today | Live results and graphics | Whether totals are still being updated |
| Election authorities | Official notices and result status | The relevant jurisdiction’s latest posting |
- 435 House seats being contested
- 35 Senate seats being contested
- at least 99 Expected new members of Congress in January 2027
How do you follow midterm elections live updates?
Follow midterm elections live by keeping a results page open for vote totals and race calls, and checking whether each item is a projection or an official result.
CNBC’s 2026 live coverage uses Associated Press vote data and race projections. Reuters and USA Today are partnering to collect live election results; Reuters also displays totals in graphics and charts. These pages help you track the count, but their labels matter: a projection is not an official result.
For campaign statements and voting-day issues, follow a separate newsroom live blog. It covers developments beyond the totals, so you can keep election-night reporting distinct from results tracking.
When do polls close, and how should you use the schedule?
Polls begin closing at 6 p.m. ET, and Alaska is the last to close, at 1 a.m. ET. Use the schedule to see when voting ends in each location, not to judge when results will be complete.
NPR’s election-night guide is organized by the latest poll-closing time, with all times given in Eastern Time. Before comparing a state’s scheduled close with a live results feed, check the time zone: the feed and schedule may display times differently.
A poll closing means voting has ended at that location. It does not mean every ballot has been counted or that a race has been called, so treat poll-close times as a schedule for following the night, not as a result.
Which congressional races are on the ballot?
All 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats are being contested in the midterms, including special elections in Florida and Ohio to fill seats vacated by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance.
A House result can change the balance of the chamber. Senate contests cover only the seats on the ballot, not the full Senate, so the two chambers’ outcomes need to be tracked separately.
The Associated Press analyzed district-level 2024 presidential margins before and after redistricting. Many districts shifted sharply, but the national House map did not move significantly toward either party. A national vote tally is therefore not a direct measure of control: follow House and Senate results separately.
What can polling tell you before Election Day?
Polling can show how registered voters say they plan to vote, but it cannot count ballots or predict which candidate will win. A Pew Research Center survey conducted from September 28 to October 4 found that 44 percent of registered voters backed the Democratic candidate in their district, compared with 36 percent for the Republican.
Treat that result as context for a contest, not an election-night outcome. Watch the live count and race calls for developments as votes are tallied.
Before comparing polls, check their field dates and who was surveyed. Different dates or groups can make two results difficult to compare directly.
How do projections differ from official results?
A media projection is a newsroom’s judgment that the remaining vote is unlikely to change which candidate appears to be ahead; it is not an official election certification.
Posted vote totals and projected winners answer different questions. An election office’s count records ballots tallied so far, and that count can change as more ballots are processed. A newsroom’s projection assesses whether those remaining ballots are likely to alter the apparent outcome. An early lead alone is not a race call.
- Newsroom projection: an assessment of who is likely to win, based on the vote counted and what remains.
- Election office count: the official authority’s posted tally, which may change as counting continues.
For official status, check notices from the relevant election authority. A live blog can report projections and updates, but it is not a substitute for that authority’s count or certification.
Why can the next Congress look different even before the count?
The next Congress can look different before any contested race is decided because departures and vacancies also change its membership. The European Parliament says Congress is expected to welcome at least 99 new members in January 2027: 83 representatives and senators announced they would not seek re-election, and 16 members resigned or died during the current Congress.
That expected turnover is separate from election results. A seat may change hands when voters choose a new representative or senator, or become vacant for another reason.
When you read a forecast about control of the House or Senate, distinguish seats being contested from seats expected to have a new member. The two counts describe different things.
When can live election coverage mislead you?
Live election coverage can mislead you when early vote totals or race calls are mistaken for final, official results.
Initial totals may cover only part of a state’s vote. The first reported leader can change as more ballots are counted, so treat early figures as provisional.
Poll-closing times mark when voting ends, not when counting is complete. Outlets may also call a race at different times because each uses its own projection process; a difference in timing does not mean officials have changed the count.
For a close race or one still being counted, check election officials’ updated totals and certification information before treating the outcome as settled.
Sources
- cnbc.com — “2026 Midterm Elections: Live updates”
- PBS News — “Live Updates: Midterm voters go to the polls on Election Day”
- npr.org — “Midterms: When polls close by state, and what races to watch : NPR”
- BBC — “Live updates: 2026 US midterm elections and results”
- Reuters — “US midterm election results in graphics and charts”