First polls in the US midterms close, with most voting still underway

By Reuters Today, 1:06 am

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People cast their votes at the Milwaukee Public Market polling place on midterm Election Day, November 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP/Nam Y. Huh)

The first polls close after millions of Americans voted in midterm elections that could strip US President Donald Trump’s Republicans of control of Congress, with Democrats favored in opinion polls to capture the House and a handful of Senate races set to determine whether they can seize both chambers.

The battle for the Senate is unfolding across nearly 10 closely contested statewide races, most in Republican strongholds.

Polling stations began to close in Indiana and Kentucky at 6 p.m. ET and will close in another half-dozen states at 7 p.m., but remain open for hours yet in most states.