U.S. voters will elect House members and senators on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, determining which parties control both chambers and shaping President Donald Trump’s agenda and congressional oversight.
The Federal Election Commission lists Nov. 3 as the general election date. USAGov says all 435 voting House seats are on the ballot, while a U.S. Postal Service election notice lists 35 Senate races; the National Conference of State Legislatures lists 36 gubernatorial contests.
The presidency is not on the ballot. House members serve two-year terms, and each state’s number of House seats reflects its population, according to the House of Representatives. The Senate gives every state two seats. Senators serve staggered six-year terms, so about a third of the chamber normally faces voters every two years, the Senate says.
A membership count posted by the Office of the House Clerk on Oct. 9, 2026, had 218 Republicans and 214 Democrats; it also recorded one independent and two vacancies. Senate Facts, dated July 14, 2026, listed 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats and two independents. The Senate says the two independents are included with Democrats for chamber organization.
The balance in Congress affects legislation and scrutiny of the executive branch. A bill must pass both the House and Senate before it goes to the president, who can sign it or use the constitutional veto. House leadership helps set the chamber’s legislative agenda, and Congress conducts oversight of the executive branch.
The House can bring impeachment charges against a president, while senators hear the case. Conviction in the Senate requires a two-thirds vote of senators present. A House impeachment vote by itself does not remove a president from office.
CBS News reported that the president’s party lost seats in 37 of the past 41 midterm elections. That history does not determine the 2026 outcome.
The vote is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
