US midterms: first polls close as control of Congress is decided
Voting in the 2026 US midterm elections is under way, with control of both chambers of Congress at stake. The first polls closed in parts of Indiana and Kentucky.
- All 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats are being contested on Nov. 3.
- Nikkei Asia reported that projections overwhelmingly favour Democrats to win the House.
- The Senate race is expected to be much closer.
- The first polls closed in parts of Indiana and Kentucky.
Americans are voting in the 2026 midterm elections, which will decide control of both chambers of Congress, Nikkei Asia reported. All 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats are being contested on Nov. 3.
The first polling centres to close were in parts of Indiana and Kentucky, at 6 p.m. local time. Some polls in both states close an hour later because they straddle the Eastern and Central time zones. Anyone in line by 6 p.m. will be allowed to vote. Al Jazeera put the earliest closures at 23:00 GMT.
According to Nikkei Asia, projections overwhelmingly favour the Democratic Party to take the House from the Republican Party. The Senate contest is expected to be much closer and could hinge on a small number of tight races, including in Alaska, where polls close after midnight Eastern time. Recounts or litigation over contested results could prolong the process.
Cook Political Report analysis expects the Kentucky Senate seat to stay in Republican hands. Kentucky overwhelmingly backed Donald Trump in the 2024 election.
US stocks were mixed on Tuesday as investors awaited the results. The S&P 500 rose 0.4% and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.8%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.4%. Nikkei Asia said lower oil prices supported sentiment amid hopes of progress toward ending the US-Iran conflict.
Nikkei Asia also reported that Asian countries are bracing for a renewed US trade offensive after the vote. The Trump administration is expected to use executive powers to impose tariffs whichever party controls Congress. It said Trump had held off announcing tariffs, including a 7.5% rate on Chinese imports, amid inflation concerns before the election.
Nikkei Asia cited an AAPI Data survey released in October showing that trust in Republicans among Asian American and Pacific Islander voters has declined since Trump returned to the White House. Karthick Ramakrishnan, founder of AAPI Data, said: "On both of those things, he hasn't delivered." Nikkei Asia said about 40% of AAPI Republicans now disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy and foreign policy, up from about 20%.
Why it matters
The result decides control of Congress, which can shape Washington's policy toward Pakistan, the Gulf and the region. Asian economies are also bracing for possible new US tariffs after the vote.
