US midterm elections 2026: Americans vote as cost of living climbs

Americans will head to the polls on Tuesday, 3 November, to decide the make-up of next year's Congress and key state-level roles, with most polling stations open from 7am to 8pm local time.

Early voting opened in some states in mid-September, but all stations will be open to voters on Tuesday, according to The National.

The midterms take place as the cost of living in the US has surged amid the conflict with Iran, with prices for petrol, food and other essentials remaining high. The war has become a central campaign issue, and many voters say its domestic economic effects are a top concern.

President Donald Trump is not on the ballot, but he has urged voters to make their choices as if he were. On Monday he described the election as one of the most consequential midterms in his lifetime and spoke of a "Golden Age of America" during a final pitch at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

The party holding the White House typically loses seats in midterm elections, so the number of House and Senate seats and governorships Republicans retain will be closely watched as a measure of the electorate's mood. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and about a third of the Senate are being contested, along with many governorships and state legislative seats.

The conflict with Iran has featured prominently in campaign debates, with candidates from both parties addressing its impact on fuel prices and household budgets. Voters in many districts are weighing the economic consequences of the war alongside other domestic priorities.