US midterm election 2026 LIVE: Trump backs US action in Iran, says rising oil price ‘small price to pay’
US midterm election 2026 LIVE: Ahead of the key midterm poll, US president Donald Trump has defended the military action in Iran. He added that the rising oil prices due to the ongoing conflict was a “small price to pay” to make sure Iran does not get a nuclear weapon.
US midterm elections 2026 LIVE: The United States is all set for its midterm elections on November 3. The midterms will determine who controls the US Congress....Read More
The outcome of the midterms will decide which political party - Trump's Republicans or opposition Democrats - controls Congress and how easy it is for the president to carry out his plans.
In the US House of Representatives, all 435 seats will be up for grab and 35 seats out of 100 are being contested in the Senate.
Of the 35 seats up for grabs in the Senate, the Democrats currently hold 13 and Republicans are leading with 22. In order to take control of the chamber, the Democrats need a total of 51 seats in the Senate.
Meanwhile, in the House of Representatives, the Republican Party won a majority of the seats in 2024. The Republicans secured 220 seats, while Democrats secured 215 seats. 218 seats are needed to secure a majority.
Voting across all 50 states will be held on November 3 across various time zones. Polls will open between 6am and 8am local time on Tuesday. The closing for the polls will also differ based on the state and time zone.
The first polls close at 6pm Eastern Time (ET) in parts of Indiana and Kentucky. Polls in Virginia and several other states close at 7pm ET, while North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia close at 7:30pm ET.
Polls in California, Oregon and Washington close at 11pm ET. Nevada polls close at 10pm ET. In Alaska, most polls will close at midnight ET on Wednesday, November 4, while polling places in parts of the Aleutian Islands close at 1am ET.
Key issue ahead of midterms
Apart from the ongoing war between the United States and Iran, the state of the US economy remains a key issue for voters ahead of the midterm elections.
Immigration is another key issue with Republicans saying Trump has delivered on a major campaign pledge in 2024 by tightening the border and launching a widespread crackdown on illegal immigration.
Concerns over AI, inflation and Trump's trade tariff policies are also among key issues.
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- 2 Nov 2026, 12:08:16 PM IST
US midterm elections 2026 LIVE: Where the Congress stands at
US midterm elections 2026 LIVE: Republicans control both chambers currently. They hold 53 Senate seats to the Democrats’ 47, including two independents who generally vote with the Democrats.
In the House, Republicans hold 218 seats and Democrats 214, with one independent and two seats vacant.
- 2 Nov 2026, 12:01:29 PM IST
US midterm elections 2026 LIVE: Key governor races to watch out for amid midterms
US midterm elections 2026 LIVE: Along with the midterm elections for the US Congress, gubernatorial elections will also be held for 36 states.
These states are -
- Georgia
- Nevada
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Iowa
- Michigan
- Ohio
- Wisconsin
- Oregon
- Florida
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Texas
- New Hampshire
- Oklahoma
- Vermont
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- New Mexico
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Idaho
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Wyoming
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- 2 Nov 2026, 11:52:51 AM IST
US midterm elections 2026 LIVE: What are midterm elections?
US midterm elections 2026 LIVE: The midterms are held every four years, halfway through a president’s term, in every state and territory on the same day. The presidency is not on the ballot, but both chambers of Congress are, along with state offices such as governors, state legislators and, in some states, judges.
Congress, the legislative branch of the US government, is a bicameral, or two-chamber, legislature. The lower house, the House of Representatives, has 435 members; the upper house, the Senate, has 100.
Under the US Constitution, members of the House, known as representatives, are elected every two years, and senators every six. Senators are divided into three groups, and about a third of the Senate comes up for election every two years.
Since the 17th Amendment of 1913, voters have elected senators directly. If a Senate seat falls vacant, the amendment provides that “the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct”.
- 2 Nov 2026, 11:41:47 AM IST
US midterm elections 2026 LIVE: Why Trump initially cancelled his rallies in Kansas and Iowa
US midterm elections 2026 LIVE: With the midterm elections just days away, US President Donald Trump cancelled his rallies in Kansas and Iowa, but reversed the decision les than 24 hours later.
On October 29, the Republican National Committee (RNC) and the White House announced that Trump would skip planned in-person rallies in Kansas and Iowa to instead host a series of telephone-based "tele-rallies" across nearly 20 states.
However, on October 30, officials stated that Trump will continue with the rallies and go for the in-person events.
According to The Guardian, Trump initially claimed he skipped the trips because local candidates like Senator Roger Marshall were performing well. However, people familiar with the matter noted the schedule was adjusted amid scrutiny over his heavy travel schedule and tight polling margins
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- 2 Nov 2026, 11:30:41 AM IST
US midterm elections 2026 LIVE: Trump backs military action in Iran
US midterm elections 2026 LIVE: US President Donald Trump on Monday defended American military action against Iran, saying Washington had acted to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
He added that the rise in oil prices due to the ongoing conflict was a "very small price to pay" for national and global security.
"I stopped Iran from having a nuclear weapon," Trump said while speaking at a rally in Iowa.
Explaining his decision to undertake military action, he said, "I said, 'let's make that journey into the Middle East because we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon.'"
- 2 Nov 2026, 11:12:25 AM IST
US midterm elections 2026 LIVE: Polls and surveys show close contest between Democrats and Republicans
US midterm elections 2026 LIVE: The US midterm elections on November 3 will be a highly contested one with the Democrats and Republicans locked in a tight race for the Senate and House of Representatives.
As per national THP/MM survey conducted on October 28 and 29, Democrats are ahead by 54 percent to Republican's 41 percent, while an Emerson College poll conducted from October 24 to 26 showed a 10-point Democratic lead.
According to RealClearPolling, Democrats continue to lead Republicans by 51.5 percent to 43.1 percent.
A ABC News, Washington Post and Ipsos poll held on October 20 found that Democrats have a growing lead over Republicans on economic issues, with Americans being more likely to trust Democrats than Republicans on the economy (37% trust Democrats, 28% trust Republicans) and the cost of living (38%, 24%).
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- 2 Nov 2026, 11:05:29 AM IST
US midterm elections 2026 LIVE: Trump targets Democrats over tax policies at Kansas rally
US midterm elections 2026 LIVE: US President Donald Trump intensified his attacks on Democrats over their tax policies, voter identification measures and border security during a campaign rally in Kansas.
Speaking to voters, Trump called for support for the Republicans in the November 3 midterm elections.
"Every single 'Dumocrat' in Congress voted against No Tax on Tips, No Tax on Overtime, and No Tax on Social Security for our great seniors. They voted against voter ID, proof of citizenship, and securing the border," Trump said, adding that Democrats wanted to "raise taxes by trillion of dollars."
"Democrats want to raise your taxes by trillions of dollars, defund the police, abolish oil and natural gas, wipe out your life savings, bankrupt your family, take away your guns, mutilate your children, and destroy your way of life," said POTUS.
Trump also outlined his administration's priorities, including tougher penalties for drug trafficking and human trafficking, measures against corruption and fraud, and stricter voter identification requirements.
- 2 Nov 2026, 10:55:31 AM IST
US midterm elections 2026 LIVE: Key races that could decide who runs the US Congress
US midterm elections 2026 LIVE: Control of the US Congress for the last two years of Donald Trump’s second term could be decided on November 3 in roughly a dozen Senate contests and a few dozen House districts.
As per Cook Political Report, seven Senate races are 'toss-ups.'
Six are Republican-held (Texas, Maine, Ohio, Iowa, Alaska and Kansas) and one is Democratic-held (Michigan). A seventh Republican-held seat, North Carolina, is rated likely Democratic.
If Democrats win North Carolina and hold all their own seats, they need three of the six Republican-held toss-ups to take the chamber. Cook estimates Democrats will gain between two and six seats, a range that includes the four they need.
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- 2 Nov 2026, 10:30:28 AM IST
US midterm elections 2026 LIVE: Trump's approval rating tanks
US midterm elections 2026 LIVE: US President Donald Trump's approval rating slid from 47% when he took office to an average of around 37%, with some polls recording all-time lows of 33% to 34%, as anger over the economy, fuel prices and the Iran war has mounted.
- 2 Nov 2026, 10:23:04 AM IST
US midterm elections 2026 LIVE: Polls open on Nov 3
US midterm elections 2026 LIVE: The United States is all set for its midterm elections on November 3. The midterms will determine who controls the US Congress.
The outcome of the midterms will decide which political party - Trump's Republicans or opposition Democrats - controls Congress and how easy it is for the president to carry out his plans.
In the US House of Representatives, all 435 seats will be up for grab and 35 seats out of 100 are being contested in the Senate.
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