The wait is over. Polls opened across the country Tuesday morning for the 2026 midterm elections, the last stop in a campaign season that has turned surprisingly competitive for both chambers of Congress. Every one of the 435 House seats is up for grabs, along with dozens of Senate seats and 36 governor's offices.

Voters did not wait for the final day to have their say. More than 54 million ballots were cast before Tuesday, close to half of the entire turnout from the last midterm four years ago. Early numbers show Democrats walking into the day with a double digit edge among those early voters.

That lead is far from the whole picture. Republicans have leaned on in person voting on Election Day for years, so the size of the GOP turnout over the next several hours may decide many of the tightest contests.

The House

Democrats are seen as favorites to win the House. They need a net gain of just three seats to flip the chamber and the map has drifted their way over the last month. Republicans tried to protect their thin majority with unusual mid-decade redistricting in several states, though analysts doubt that will be enough to hold on.

The Senate

The Senate is a true coin flip. Democrats need to gain four seats for a majority, a goal that looked out of reach when the cycle began. North Carolina is viewed as their best pickup chance. Beyond that, most of the close races are being fought on Republican ground. Apart from Maine, the toss-up seats sit in states that went for President Trump by double digits two years ago.

Republicans see Michigan as their top target. GOP nominee Mike Rogers spent his closing rally Monday night pointing to Democrats who have crossed over to back him, while Democrat Abdul El-Sayed kept his Detroit speech focused on gas prices, grocery bills and taxes.

In Texas, Ken Paxton told supporters in Allen that the race would come down to the wire, as James Talarico promised a packed crowd in Austin that Democrats would shock the nation. In Kansas, pastor Adam Hamilton reminded voters that no Democrat has won a Senate seat there in nearly a century as he tries to unseat Sen. Roger Marshall.

When results arrive

The first polls close at 6 p.m. Eastern time in parts of Kentucky and Indiana. Results will roll in from there through the night. Officials are urging patience. With so many close races, some outcomes may not be clear for days. A handful could take even longer as every mail and provisional ballot is counted.