Election Day underway across all 50 states as voters decide control of Congress, governorships and ballot measures

Election Day is underway across all 50 states, with voters deciding contests that will shape control of Congress, determine dozens of governorships and fill thousands of state offices. The outcomes will help set the direction of Washington and state capitals alike for the next two years, while voters in much of the country also weigh statewide ballot measures.

The scale is vast. Ballotpedia says it is tracking 44,443 races featuring 80,984 candidates nationwide. On the federal side, 35 U.S. Senate seats are on the ballot, including special elections in Florida and Ohio, and all 435 U.S. House seats are up for election. At the state level, 36 governorships are being decided, elections are being held in 46 states for 88 of 99 legislative chambers, and Ballotpedia says 6,139 of 7,386 state legislative seats are up this year. Voters in 39 states will also decide 145 statewide ballot measures Tuesday, part of 164 statewide measures Ballotpedia says were certified this year in total. State supreme court elections are taking place in 25 states.

For voters who have not yet cast a ballot, the practical advice is straightforward: check official state or county election office information before heading out. Polling hours vary by state and, in some places, by county. Those offices can confirm a voter’s polling place, sample ballot, registration status, identification requirements and the rules and deadlines for returning a mail ballot. Some states allow same-day voter registration, but the rules differ widely.

Poll-closing times stretch across the day and into early Wednesday on the East Coast clock. Ballotpedia highlighted the earliest expected poll closings at 6 p.m. EST in parts of Indiana and Kentucky. The latest poll closings are in Alaska’s westernmost time zone, where polls close at 8 p.m. local time, or 1 a.m. EST on Nov. 4. Even after polls close, many races may not be settled quickly. The Associated Press has reported that some contests could take days to call because of large volumes of early and mail ballots, different state rules on when ballots can be processed and ongoing legal disputes over ballot handling. Ranked-choice voting, used in states including Alaska and Maine, can also delay final outcomes because it requires additional rounds of counting.

The biggest national question is which party will control Congress, a result that will shape the remainder of President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda, as well as confirmations and congressional oversight. “The Associated Press will be calling races in all 435 House districts and the 35 Senate contests that are up for election this year,” AP’s Mike Catalini wrote Tuesday. He also noted: “The bar for the Senate is 51 seats for Democrats or 50 for Republicans, since Vice President JD Vance can cast a tiebreaking vote for his party. Republicans have a 53-47 edge in the Senate right now.”

According to Ballotpedia’s pre-Election Day count, Republicans were defending 22 of the 35 Senate seats on the ballot and Democrats were defending 13. In the House, Ballotpedia’s pre-election count showed Republicans with a 218-214 edge, including an independent who caucuses with Republicans, with two vacancies. In the governor’s races, Ballotpedia says Democrats and Republicans are each defending 18 seats, and Republicans controlled 26 governorships to Democrats’ 24 heading into the day.

Two Senate specials are drawing extra attention. In Florida, the election follows Marco Rubio’s resignation from the Senate to join the administration; Ashley Moody was appointed to fill the seat pending the special election. In Ohio, the special election follows J.D. Vance’s resignation from the Senate to become vice president; Jon Husted was appointed to fill that seat until voters choose a winner.

As results begin to come in, early leads should not be mistaken for final outcomes. Counting rules differ from state to state, some ballots can arrive or be processed later than others, and a number of races may remain uncalled well after Election Night.