Millions cast votes as 2026 US midterm elections get underway

UPDATE - follow-up to Here's when polls close for 2026 midterm elections tonight: Millions of voters are casting ballots in person across the United States for the Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026 midterm elections.

Voting Rules and Turnout

Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia offer early voting options, while Alabama, Mississippi and New Hampshire do not. Eight states and Washington, D.C., automatically send a mail-in ballot to every registered voter. Over 57 million people have already cast their ballots early this year. Any voter who is standing in line before a polling site closes keeps the right to remain in line and cast a vote.

Closing Times

The first polling stations close at 6 p.m. ET in parts of Indiana and Kentucky. Stations in Georgia, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, the rest of Indiana and Kentucky, and most of Florida close at 7 p.m. North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia follow at 7:30 p.m. States will begin reporting election results after their respective polls close.

Context

Election closing times vary across the United States because voting operations are managed locally by states rather than through a single national schedule. Understanding these closing times helps voters plan when to head to their polling places.