By Indianara Goz
Americans vote on Tuesday, November 3, in an election that decides who controls the US Congress during the last two years of President Donald Trump's term. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives, part of the Senate and 36 of the 50 state governorships are on the ballot. Polls begin to close at 8 p.m. Brasília time, according to the Brazilian site Visão da Direita.
Why it matters: what is at stake for Trump
Republicans currently hold the Senate by 53 to 47 and have a narrow majority in the House. Keeping both chambers means Trump can keep passing his agenda without a blockade: tax cuts, immigration control, defense and the "America First" policy.
If Democrats win the House or the Senate, the opposition gains the power to block bills, open investigations and paralyze the government until 2028. Midterm elections are held halfway through a president's term, and the president's party usually loses seats.
Trump predicted a Republican victory in both chambers and promised that, if the majority holds, "we will keep putting America first." Of a Democratic win, he warned that the country "is going to hell."
Senate, House and governors: the key races
In the Senate, Republicans need 50 seats to keep control, because Vice President JD Vance casts the tie-breaking vote. Projections point to a tight race, with scenarios ranging from 52 seats for Trump's party to a Democratic turnaround.
- Republican-held states in tight races: Alaska, Iowa, Maine, South Carolina and Texas.
- Kansas leans Republican; Ohio shows a Democratic advantage.
- Possible Republican gains from Democrats: Michigan, which is tied, plus Minnesota and New Hampshire.
In the House, a majority is 218 seats. One bellwether of the night will be Kentucky's 6th district, where Trump won by 15 points in the presidential election and which now appears competitive.
Among governors, Republicans currently hold 26 governorships and Democrats 24. Alaska, Nevada, Georgia and Wisconsin are among the most closely matched races. Florida, Kansas and Texas lean Republican.
Ballot measures and poll closing times
Besides candidates, voters will decide 145 state ballot measures. Eleven states vote on requiring ID to vote or banning noncitizens from voting, a flagship cause of conservatives. Other measures cover women's sports and transgender athletes, gender transition surgeries for minors, abortion and a 5% tax on billionaires in California.
Poll closing times (Brasília time):
- 8 p.m.: first polling places in Kentucky and Indiana.
- 9 p.m.: Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, Vermont and most of Florida.
- 9:30 p.m.: North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia.
- 10 p.m.: Pennsylvania, Maine, Michigan, most of Texas and more than ten other states.
- 11 p.m.: Arizona, Iowa, Minnesota, New York, Wisconsin and others.
- 1 a.m.: California and Washington.
- 3 a.m.: last polls in Alaska.
VDD Analysis
History works against whoever holds power: in midterm elections, the president's party usually loses seats. Trump also faces persistent inflation and the war with Iran. But the conservative American voter has shown more than once that he defies the polls. Tonight's result defines whether Trump ends his term at full strength or with the opposition running Congress.
