Overview
- Voting is underway nationwide on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, with pre-election polls showing Democrats leading in many competitive House and Senate races and putting Republican control at risk.
- A handful of tight Senate contests, especially the Alaska race where Democrat Mary Peltola polls ahead in a traditionally Republican state, could tip the chamber and give Democrats leverage over judicial confirmations and investigations.
- The Justice Department under President Trump sued multiple states for voter rolls earlier this year and lost most cases, and legal experts warn the administration’s rhetoric and tactics could lead to post-vote challenges that aim to cast doubt on close results.
- State and local election officials and civic groups such as Vote Safe have trained poll workers and deployed volunteers to protect voting sites and ballot integrity after widespread concern about federal interference and new misinformation tools like AI deepfakes.
- Economic worries—rising fuel and food costs cited by voters in battlegrounds like Alaska—large private donations and the decision not to invite OSCE observers are intensifying scrutiny of the process and could prolong the time it takes to reach settled results.