Midterm Elections Underway as Over 57 Million Cast Early Ballots

Midterm elections are underway across the United States on Tuesday, Nov. 3, with over 57 million Americans already having cast their ballots through early voting or mail-in options. All 435 House of Representatives seats and 35 of the 100 Senate seats are being contested. Polling times vary significantly by state, opening as early as 5 a.m. ET in Vermont and remaining open until 12 p.m. ET in Hawaii. Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia offer early voting, with Alabama, Mississippi, and New Hampshire being the exceptions. Eight states and Washington, D.C., automatically send mail-in ballots to registered voters.

The first polls closed at 6 p.m. ET in parts of Indiana and Kentucky, with closings continuing in waves throughout the evening. The first wave of results are expected at 7 p.m. ET from Georgia, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, and the rest of Indiana and Kentucky. Democrats are aiming for historic gains in both houses of Congress, campaigning on addressing the cost of living and reversing policies enacted during the previous administration. Republicans, despite facing historical headwinds for the sitting president’s party in midterm elections, are hoping to defy expectations by appealing to their base and capitalizing on distrust of progressive politics.

Haley Stevens, a former Democratic Senate primary candidate in Michigan, endorsed Republican Mike Rogers over her party’s nominee, Abdul El-Sayed, on Sunday. The Senate currently has a Republican majority of 53 seats, while the House has a narrow four-seat Republican majority.

Where they differ

• Al Jazeera emphasized the potential for Democrats to gain control of Congress and the campaign promises of the Democratic party.
• CBS News focused on the logistical details of polling times and early voting statistics.
• Al Jazeera highlighted the endorsement of a Republican candidate by a former Democratic primary contender, while CBS News did not mention this.
• CBS News provided a comprehensive state-by-state breakdown of polling times, a level of detail not present in Al Jazeera’s coverage.

Background

• The United States holds midterm elections every two years, with all 435 House of Representatives seats and approximately one-third of Senate seats being contested [background knowledge].
• Prior to this election, the Senate was controlled by Republicans with 53 seats, and the House had a narrow Republican majority of four seats [Fact Refinery, 2026-11-03].
• Over 57 million Americans cast early ballots or mail-in ballots before Tuesday, November 3rd, exceeding previous midterm election turnout numbers [Fact Refinery, 2026-11-03; Fact Refinery, 2026-11-03].
• In Michigan, Haley Stevens, a former Democratic Senate primary candidate, endorsed Republican Mike Rogers over the Democratic nominee, Abdul El-Sayed [Fact Refinery, 2026-11-03; Fact Refinery, 2026-11-03].
• President Donald Trump acknowledged the historical trend of the sitting president’s party losing seats in midterm elections [Fact Refinery, 2026-11-03].

Our reading

Our reading is that the election is poised to be a close contest, with both parties having viable paths to victory despite historical headwinds for the incumbent president’s party. The high number of early votes suggests significant voter engagement, and the differing media focuses, on logistics versus endorsements, indicate a complex narrative. The unusual endorsement in Michigan highlights internal divisions within the Democratic party, potentially impacting their overall performance.

What to watch

• The initial results from key states like Georgia, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, Indiana, and Kentucky at 7 p.m. ET to gauge early momentum [CBS News, as reported in the article].
• Whether Democrats are able to flip control of the House of Representatives, as projected by some sources prior to the election [Fact Refinery, 2026-11-03].
• The final vote count in Michigan, specifically the performance of Abdul El-Sayed, to see if Haley Stevens’ endorsement of his Republican opponent significantly impacted the outcome [Fact Refinery, 2026-11-03].

Was this useful? 👍 0 👎 0

---

Read the original coverage