U.S. voters will decide which party controls Congress on Nov. 3, choosing every House member and about one-third of senators in a vote that will set the balance of power for the next two years.
The ballot also includes 39 gubernatorial elections. The presidency is not contested in midterms. House members face election every two years, while senators serve staggered six-year terms.
The House's official party breakdown, last updated Sept. 2, listed 218 Republicans, 214 Democrats, one independent and two vacancies. The Independent reported the same lineup on Nov. 1. The Senate has 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats and two independents who caucus with Democrats, giving Republicans a 53-47 alignment.
A House majority requires 218 seats. In the Senate, a party needs 51 seats when the vice president belongs to the other party. Given the current alignment, Democrats need a net gain of four seats in each chamber to take control.
In an Ipsos survey for Reuters conducted Sept. 17-20, 32% approved of President Donald Trump's job performance and 66% disapproved. The same poll found that 23% named the economy, unemployment or jobs as the country's most important problem. It recorded respondents' concerns but did not establish how those concerns would affect their votes.
AdImpact projected in June that political advertising across the 2025-26 election cycle would reach $11.6 billion. By Oct. 27, AdImpact’s tally of spending and ad reservations had reached $11.21 billion, according to The Associated Press. The AP separately reported that spending and reservations had topped the $11.20 billion spent in the 2023-24 cycle; the figures describe different measures.
House historical records show Republicans held a majority after the 2010 election and Democrats after 2018. After the 2010 results, President Barack Obama described the outcome as a “shellacking.”
Voters cast ballots Tuesday, Nov. 3. The Associated Press says it waits until vote totals leave the second-place candidate without a viable route to victory before calling a race. Many contests are called on election night, but close counts can take days and, rarely, weeks.
