Polls begin to close in midterm elections as voters pass judgment on Trump's second term

Polls began closing across the United States on Tuesday as voters cast ballots in midterm elections that could shift power in Washington and serve as a referendum on President Donald Trump’s second term. Democrats hoped voter frustration over prices and the country’s direction would help them gain seats, while Republicans fought to retain control of Congress. More than 59 million people had voted early, and close races left the balance of both chambers uncertain.

Democrats need a net gain of four seats in the 100-member Senate and three seats in the 435-member House to win majorities.

Consumer prices rose 3.6% in September from a year earlier, according to the Commerce Department.

About three-quarters of voters said the economy was not so good or poor, and about 8 in 10 said inflation had caused moderate or severe financial hardship for their households.

Thirty-six states were electing governors, and Democrats hoped to control a majority of statehouses for the first time in two decades.

Republicans spent more than $850 million on television ad reservations in states and districts Trump won by at least 10 percentage points in 2024.

Published Nov 4, 2026 1:16 am KST

Updated Nov 4, 2026 9:36 am KST

First time voter Afruza Begum, 71, after casting her ballot along her son Miskat Husen at a community center in Hamtramck, Michigan, Nov. 3. Getty Images via AFP-Yonhap

WASHINGTON — The first polls were closing on Tuesday as voters, fed up over high prices and angry over the direction of the country, cast their ballots in midterm elections that will serve as a referendum on President Donald Trump’s second term.

The elections could drastically shift power in Washington. Democrats were cautiously optimistic as they watched Republicans spend the campaign’s final stretch pumping tens of millions of dollars into states and districts that Trump won handily two years ago. They're betting that discontent over Trump’s failure to tackle rising costs, the Iran war, and perceptions that he's focused more on gilding the nation’s capital than their pain at the pump will depress Republican turnout and drive their own voters to the polls.

Republicans held out hope their money advantage would help stem the tide, but they were bracing to lose control of the U.S. House and fighting to hang onto the U.S. Senate — an outcome that seemed unlikely earlier this year, given a map widely seen as favoring their party.

Margins are tight in both chambers; one or two seats could tip the balance. Democrats need a net gain of four seats in the 100-member Senate to win the majority, and most competitive races are in historically red states. In the 435-member House, they need three.

More than 59 million people had already cast ballots before Tuesday, according to an Associated Press analysis, surpassing early-voter turnout from 2022.

Trump, whose party has struggled when he's not running to turn out the low-propensity voters who've fueled his victories, has told voters to act as though he's on the ballot, even as many Republican candidates have kept their distance.

His aggressive campaign schedule had him visiting the reddest states, including Kansas, Mississippi and South Carolina, underscoring his party’s challenges.

On Tuesday, he declared in a Fox News Channel interview that “inflation is solved” — even though consumer prices rose 3.6% in September from a year earlier, the Commerce Department reported last week.

“I think the results are going to be better than you think,” Trump predicted.

Voters have their identification and ballots verified by poll workers inside a polling location at Center Elementary School Annex in Kent, Ohio, Nov. 3. Americans go to the polls in consequential midterm elections, where control of the House and the Senate is at stake for the remainder of President Donald Trump's second term in office. Getty Images via AFP-Yonhap

The electorate is frustrated and unhappy

Voters were sour heading into Tuesday, with the midterm electorate deeply unhappy with the country’s direction and pessimistic about the future, according to The AP Voter Poll.

Most said they feel frustrated with the way things are going, with about three-quarters saying they feel “angry” or “dissatisfied” with the country’s current trajectory. Dissatisfaction was particularly high in blue states like California and Massachusetts, but even in red states, a majority of voters were at least “dissatisfied.”

The economy was once one of Trump's strongest issues and key to his reelection victory. But the poll found that three-quarters of voters say the economy is “not so good” or “poor." About 8 in 10 say inflation has caused a “severe” or “moderate” financial hardship for their households as higher prices have made it harder to afford basic essentials such as gas and groceries.

Government corruption was also a key issue with voters. Roughly half cited it and the cost of living as “crucial” to their vote for Congress — higher than immigration enforcement policies, the war in Iran and AI data centers.

“The American people are angry. They want change,” said Rep. Suzan DelBene, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, who said momentum was on her party’s side.

Voters weigh in on Trump

Polling sites opened early Tuesday along the East Coast, with few disruptions. In New York’s suburban Westchester County, ballots were being placed in emergency bags for later counting due to what officials said was an issue with machines accepting paper ballots. They stressed the ballots would remain secure.

On Tuesday, Mark Barker of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, said Trump was top of mind as he voted.

“I’ve just been following Trump the whole time. I really think he’s doing an awesome job,” said Barker, citing the president's promise to give $5,000 to every U.S. adult if Republicans retain control of Congress, his border policies and the war in the Middle East. “Everything he's done has been outstanding.”

In Raleigh, North Carolina, 57-year-old librarian James Moore said he voted for Democrats in response to Trump's big tax breaks and spending cuts bill.

“I’m paying more taxes. I’m paying more for my healthcare. I’m paying more for everything,” he said. “We need more representatives in Congress that are going to stand up to Trump.”

Trump has made false claims about voting fraud, such as insisting noncitizens are casting ballots en masse. His administration has filed lawsuits in Alaska and California. Democrats fear interference and voter intimidation as his Justice Department threatens to prosecute local election officials.

U.S. voters cast their ballots in the midterm elections on Election Day at the Fairfax County Government Center in Fairfax, Virginia, Nov. 3. EPA-Yonhap

The election could reshape the political landscape

The results will shape the final two years of Trump’s second term after the Republican-controlled Congress acted as a rubber stamp to much of his agenda. While Trump has proven adept at steamrolling efforts to rein him in, Democrats taking control of even one chamber of Congress would open the floodgates to investigations and possible impeachments. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and tech titan Elon Musk, a former top Trump adviser, are among possible targets.

An especially strong showing for Democrats would also boost potential presidential candidates, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. It could also complicate the paths of Vice President JD Vance and other Republicans who may be looking to turn their loyalty to Trump into momentum.

Republicans tried to buck historical precedent — a president’s party almost always loses seats during the midterms — with an aggressive redistricting effort aimed at creating a more favorable congressional map. But the plan may fall short as districts drawn in Florida and other states to be safely red may not vote that way.

Other Trump choices could prove costly. In Texas, Trump worked to oust longtime incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in favor of scandal-plagued Attorney General Ken Paxton, setting the stage for an expensive race against Democratic nominee James Talarico, who Democrats hope may help them finally flip the state.

In North Carolina, Sen. Thom Tillis retired after clashing with Trump. The president's chosen replacement, former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley, has struggled to gain traction against the Democrats' candidate, former Gov. Roy Cooper.

“Everything depends on turnout. If we turn out our voters, we win," said Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters.

The Senate and the House are in play

In the Senate, Democrats have been most confident about picking up North Carolina and holding Georgia, where Sen. Jon Ossoff faces Republican Rep. Mike Collins. Other key battlegrounds include Ohio, where Democratic former Sen. Sherrod Brown is challenging Republican Sen. Jon Husted, and Alaska, where the Trump administration filed a lawsuit to block certification of Senate results if Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan loses the race, citing the presence of a second candidate named Dan Sullivan on the ballot.

Republicans hope they can hold seats in Iowa, Kansas and Maine and pick up Michigan, where Mike Rogers faces progressive Abdul El-Sayed — one of a crop of left-wing candidates who prevailed in Democratic primaries. El-Sayed's former primary opponent, Haley Stevens, upended the race by endorsing Rogers, renewing focus on tensions over Israel and the party's direction.

In the House, Republicans are trying to hang on to their narrow majority, as Democrats aim to flip seats in states Trump repeatedly carried, from Florida to Texas to Iowa.

The vast majority of Republican television ad spending in the general election, 88.1%, was spent in states and districts Trump won in 2024, according to an Associated Press analysis of data from media tracking firm AdImpact. That included more than $850 million on ad reservations in states and districts Trump won by 10 percentage points or more.

Dozens of states are electing governors

Beyond Washington, 36 states are electing governors. Democrats hope to take over a majority of statehouses for the first time in two decades. Competitive races include those in heavily populated states such as Texas and Florida, plus reliably red states such as Iowa.

In Ohio, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign faced backlash for an ad featuring Democrat Amy Acton’s estranged mother, who lost custody of Acton decades ago after her husband, Acton’s stepfather, was indicted for raping Acton as a child.

The stakes in Washington are high

Trump’s final two years in office will likely be defined in part by who controls Congress.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, in line to make history as the nation’s first Black speaker of the House if his party sweeps to power, has outlined a 100-day agenda focused on lowering the cost of living and aggressively overseeing the Trump administration.

The Senate could emerge as a key backstop for Trump’s priorities if Republicans retain control or as a new power center for Democrats who could use it to halt presidential nominees and challenge the White House agenda.

周二，美国各地投票站陆续关闭，选民们为可能改变华盛顿权力格局、并对特朗普总统第二个任期进行全民公投的中期选举投下了自己的一票。民主党希望选民对物价和国家发展方向的不满能够帮助他们赢得更多席位，而共和党则力图保住国会的控制权。超过5900万人提前投票，选情胶着，参众两院的最终格局仍不明朗。

民主党需要在拥有 100 个席位的参议院中净增 4 个席位，在拥有 435 个席位的众议院中净增 3 个席位才能赢得多数席位。

据美国商务部统计，9月份消费者价格较上年同期上涨3.6%。

约四分之三的选民表示经济状况不太好或很差，约十分之八的选民表示通货膨胀给他们的家庭造成了中度或严重的经济困难。

36个州正在选举州长，民主党人希望二十年来首次控制州议会的大多数席位。

共和党在特朗普 2024 年大选中以至少 10 个百分点的优势获胜的州和选区，花费了超过 8.5 亿美元用于电视广告预订。

发布于2026年11月4日凌晨1点16分（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年11月4日上午9:36（韩国标准时间）

11月3日，71岁的阿弗鲁扎·贝古姆（Afruza Begum）首次投票，她和儿子米斯卡特·胡森（Miskat Husen）在密歇根州哈姆特拉姆克的一个社区中心投完票后合影。图片来源：Getty Images via AFP-Yonhap

华盛顿——周二，首批投票站关闭，选民们对高物价感到厌倦，对国家的发展方向感到愤怒，他们在中期选举中投下了自己的一票，这次选举将是对唐纳德·特朗普总统第二个任期的一次全民公投。

此次选举可能会彻底改变华盛顿的权力格局。民主党人谨慎乐观地看着共和党在竞选的最后阶段向两年前特朗普轻松获胜的州和选区投入数千万美元。他们押注，民众对特朗普未能解决不断上涨的物价、伊朗战争以及他更专注于粉饰首都而非解决民众油价困境的不满，将抑制共和党的投票率，从而促使民主党选民踊跃投票。

共和党人仍然抱有希望，认为他们的资金优势能够帮助扭转颓势，但他们已经做好失去美国众议院控制权的准备，并努力保住美国参议院的控制权——鉴于今年早些时候的选区划分普遍被认为有利于共和党，这种结果似乎不太可能发生。

两院的选情都非常胶着，一两个席位就可能决定胜负。民主党需要在拥有100个席位的参议院中净增4个席位才能赢得多数席位，而大多数竞争激烈的选区都位于传统上支持共和党的州。在拥有435个席位的众议院中，他们只需要净增3个席位即可。

据美联社分析，截至周二，已有超过 5900 万人投了票，超过了 2022 年的提前投票人数。

特朗普所在的共和党在他不参选时，很难动员那些投票意愿不高的选民（正是这些选民助他赢得了胜利），因此他告诉选民要像他本人也在选票上一样投票，尽管许多共和党候选人都与他保持距离。

他积极的竞选行程让他走访了堪萨斯州、密西西比州和南卡罗来纳州等最保守的州，凸显了他所在政党面临的挑战。

周二，他在接受福克斯新闻频道采访时宣称“通货膨胀问题已经解决”——尽管商务部上周公布的数据显示，9月份消费者价格同比上涨了3.6%。

“我认为结果会比你想象的要好，”特朗普预测道。

11月3日，在俄亥俄州肯特市中心小学附属投票站，选民的身份信息和选票正在接受工作人员的核实。美国民众正在参加至关重要的中期选举，此次选举将决定众议院和参议院的控制权，这将影响唐纳德·特朗普总统第二个任期的剩余时间。图片来源：Getty Images via AFP-Yonhap

选民感到沮丧和不满。

据美联社选民民意调查显示，选民们在周二的中期选举前情绪低落，对国家的发展方向深感不满，对未来感到悲观。

大多数人表示对现状感到沮丧，约四分之三的人表示对国家目前的发展轨迹感到“愤怒”或“不满”。在加利福尼亚州和马萨诸塞州等民主党占优势的州，不满情绪尤为高涨，但即使在共和党占优势的州，大多数选民也至少感到“不满”。

经济曾是特朗普最强有力的竞选议题之一，也是他连任的关键。但民调显示，四分之三的选民认为经济状况“不太好”或“糟糕”。约八成受访者表示，通货膨胀给他们的家庭造成了“严重”或“中度”的经济困难，因为物价上涨让他们更难负担汽油和食品等基本生活必需品。

政府腐败也是选民关注的关键问题。大约一半的选民表示，政府腐败和生活成本是他们投票选举国会议员的“关键因素”——其重要性甚至超过了移民执法政策、伊朗战争和人工智能数据中心。

“美国人民很愤怒。他们想要改变，”民主党国会竞选委员会主席苏珊·德尔贝内众议员说，她表示，目前势头正盛，民主党占据优势。

选民对特朗普发表看法

周二，美国东海岸各地的投票站提前开放，过程基本顺利。在纽约郊区的威彻斯特县，由于官员称机器无法正确接收纸质选票，选票被放入应急袋中，以便稍后清点。他们强调，选票的安全将得到保障。

周二，佛罗里达州棕榈滩花园的马克·巴克表示，他在投票时首先想到的是特朗普。

“我一直都在关注特朗普。我真的觉得他做得非常出色，”巴克尔说道，并列举了总统承诺如果共和党继续掌控国会，将向每位美国成年人发放5000美元、他的边境政策以及中东战争等政绩。“他所做的一切都非常杰出。”

在北卡罗来纳州罗利市，57 岁的图书管理员詹姆斯·摩尔表示，他投票给民主党是为了抗议特朗普的大规模减税和削减开支法案。

“我缴纳的税款更多了，我的医疗保健费用更高了，我所有开销都在增加，”他说。“我们需要更多敢于在国会挺身对抗特朗普的代表。”

特朗普曾多次发表关于选举舞弊的虚假言论，例如坚称有大量非公民参与投票。他的政府已在阿拉斯加州和加利福尼亚州提起诉讼。由于司法部威胁要起诉地方选举官员，民主党人担心选举受到干预和选民恐吓。

11月3日，美国选民在弗吉尼亚州费尔法克斯县政府中心参加中期选举投票。图片来源：EPA-Yonhap

这次选举可能会重塑政治格局。

在共和党控制的国会几乎完全无视特朗普的政策议程之后，此次选举结果将决定他第二个任期最后两年的走向。尽管特朗普已经证明自己能够轻松压制任何限制他的努力，但民主党即便只掌控国会的一个议院，也将为调查和可能的弹劾打开闸门。国防部长皮特·赫格塞斯和科技巨头埃隆·马斯克（特朗普的前高级顾问）都可能成为弹劾目标。

民主党若能取得特别强劲的成绩，也将提振包括加州州长加文·纽森、伊利诺伊州州长JB·普里茨克和前交通部长皮特·布蒂吉格在内的潜在总统候选人的选情。同时，这也可能使副总统JD·万斯和其他一些共和党人的道路变得复杂，他们或许正试图将对特朗普的忠诚转化为竞选动力。

共和党试图打破历史惯例——总统所在的政党几乎总会在中期选举中失去席位——他们采取了激进的选区重划策略，旨在打造更有利于共和党的国会选区。但这项计划可能收效甚微，因为在佛罗里达州和其他一些州划定的、原本被认为是共和党稳固票仓的选区，投票结果可能并非如此。

特朗普的其他一些选择可能会付出高昂代价。在德克萨斯州，特朗普试图让长期担任参议员的约翰·科宁下台，转而支持丑闻缠身的司法部长肯·帕克斯顿，这为与民主党候选人詹姆斯·塔拉里科展开一场耗资巨大的竞选埋下了伏笔。民主党人希望塔拉里科能够帮助他们最终拿下该州。

在北卡罗来纳州，参议员汤姆·蒂利斯因与特朗普发生冲突而退休。总统钦点的继任者，前共和党全国委员会主席迈克尔·沃特利，在与民主党候选人、前州长罗伊·库珀的竞争中，一直难以获得支持。

“一切都取决于投票率。如果我们能提高选民的投票率，我们就能赢，”共和党全国委员会主席乔·格鲁特斯说道。

参议院和众议院的控制权都悬而未决。

在参议院，民主党人最有信心拿下北卡罗来纳州并保住佐治亚州，该州现任参议员乔恩·奥索夫将迎战共和党众议员迈克·柯林斯。其他关键战场州包括俄亥俄州，民主党前参议员谢罗德·布朗将挑战共和党参议员乔恩·赫斯特；以及阿拉斯加州，特朗普政府已提起诉讼，试图阻止参议院选举结果的认证，如果共和党现任参议员丹·沙利文败选，理由是选票上还有另一位名叫丹·沙利文的候选人。

共和党人希望保住爱荷华州、堪萨斯州和缅因州的席位，并拿下密歇根州。在密歇根州，迈克·罗杰斯将迎战进步派候选人阿卜杜勒·埃尔-赛义德——他是众多在民主党初选中胜出的左翼候选人之一。埃尔-赛义德之前的初选对手海莉·史蒂文斯转而支持罗杰斯，这一举动颠覆了选情，也让人们再次关注到围绕以色列问题的紧张局势以及共和党的未来走向。

在众议院，共和党人正努力保住他们微弱的多数席位，而民主党人则力图在特朗普屡次获胜的州——从佛罗里达州到德克萨斯州再到爱荷华州——夺回席位。

据美联社对媒体追踪公司AdImpact数据的分析显示，共和党在大选中的电视广告支出绝大部分（88.1%）都花在了特朗普在2024年大选中获胜的州和选区。这其中包括在特朗普以10个百分点或以上优势获胜的州和选区预订超过8.5亿美元的广告位。

数十个州正在选举州长

除了华盛顿特区之外，还有36个州将举行州长选举。民主党希望二十年来首次掌控州议会的多数席位。竞争激烈的选战包括德克萨斯州和佛罗里达州等人口大州，以及爱荷华州等传统共和党州。

在俄亥俄州，共和党人维韦克·拉马斯瓦米的竞选活动因一则广告而遭到强烈反对，该广告以民主党候选人艾米·阿克顿疏远的母亲为主角。几十年前，阿克顿的继父因强奸幼年阿克顿而被起诉，她的母亲也因此失去了阿克顿的监护权。

华盛顿局势的利害关系十分重大。

特朗普执政的最后两年，很可能在一定程度上取决于谁控制国会。

如果民主党赢得大选，纽约州众议院民主党领袖哈基姆·杰弗里斯有望成为美国历史上第一位黑人众议院议长。他制定了一项为期100天的议程，重点是降低生活成本并积极监督特朗普政府。

如果共和党继续掌控参议院，参议院可能会成为特朗普各项优先事项的关键保障；或者，对于民主党而言，参议院可能会成为新的权力中心，民主党可以利用参议院阻止总统候选人提名并挑战白宫的议程。