Held midway through each four-year presidential term, midterm elections give voters a chance to choose local representatives, weigh in on state issues, and determine which party controls Congress. Read More: Congress Is Headed for a Massive Turnover This year’s midterms will take place among unique challenges to the democratic process itself. The Trump Administration has attempted to restrict mail-in voting and gather voter data from several states.
There have also been concerns raised about the presence of federal agents at polling stations, which President Donald Trump has not categorically ruled out. The TIME staff has put together answers to some of your most pressing questions about the midterm elections in our 2026 Voting Guide. Unlike presidential election years, there is no candidate or issue that appears on every ballot across the U.S. in 2026.
Instead, the ballots in every state will vary—and many will be different from county to county, as well. Senate races in 35 states, and gubernatorial elections in 36 states. All 435 seats in the U.S.
House of Representatives are up for election, as they are every two years. There will also be downballot races for positions in the state legislature. In four states—Idaho, Missouri, Nevada, and Virginia—voters will be deciding on ballot measures concerning abortion rights.
Voters in six states, including Alaska and Arizona, will decide on whether to add or strengthen citizenship requirements for voting in state and local elections. There are multiple ways for voters to request a sample ballot so they can see both what propositions will be on their state ballot and what local, state, and federal positions will appear on their ballot. Vote.org and Ballotpedia both have sample ballot lookup tools.
Many official websites—including those in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and New York City—also have their own “What’s On My Ballot” pages, which allow voters to enter their address and look up a sample ballot. —Rebecca Schneid People can register to vote in federal elections if they are a U.S. citizen and meet their state’s eligibility and registration requirements. Voters generally must be 18 years old on or before Election Day, although almost every state allows people to register before their birthday if they will be 18 by Election Day. North Dakota does not require voter registration.
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