US Midterm Elections 2026 LIVE: Supreme Court Rejects Trump Push On California Ballots As Voting Begins

US Senator Bernie Sanders has endorsed Florida Democratic Senate candidate Angie Nixon, saying working people across the country are “sick and tired of status quo politics and status quo policies”.

In his endorsement statement, Sanders said voters “want change, real change”. Nixon would become Florida's first Black US senator if elected in November.

More than 57 million ballots had been cast across 47 states and Washington, DC, as of Monday, the night before Election Day, according to an Associated Press analysis. The tally includes early in-person voting and mail-in ballots.

Early voting has increased compared with the 2022 midterm elections, when just under 44.5 million ballots had been cast across 49 states and Washington, DC, at the same point.

US President Donald Trump has no public appearances listed on his schedule for Tuesday, November 3, as Americans vote in the midterm elections. His White House diary instead lists private meetings and an election-night reception.

The schedule includes a closed-door meeting with John Joseph Arrigo, the US ambassador to Portugal, and a session marked “signing time”. Trump typically uses these sessions to sign executive orders, proclamations and bills passed by Congress. The signing session is listed as closed to the news media.

Trump is also scheduled to host an election-night reception in the White House East Room. The event is currently listed as closed to press coverage, although the arrangements could change depending on how Republicans fare in the elections.

Democratic US Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has urged Michigan voters to reject Republican rival Mike Rogers in an opinion article published by Fox News on Monday, November 2, a day before the US midterm elections.

El-Sayed said his campaign had held more than 700 events across 120 cities, including a week-long town hall tour of Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. He argued that residents in these areas had been overlooked by both Republicans and Democrats, and said working families were struggling with the cost of gas, groceries and healthcare.

He also criticised President Donald Trump and Rogers over tariffs and the war with Iran, claiming that Trump's policies had increased financial pressure on Michigan households. Reiterating his campaign priorities, El-Sayed wrote: “money out of politics, money in your pocket, and Medicare for All”. He called on voters to send Rogers home and support his Senate bid.

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen and other major carmakers, has backed the Trump administration in a legal challenge brought by California and other states over its revised fuel economy standards.

The US Department of Transportation finalised the revised C orporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards in September. They set a fleet-wide average of 34.9 miles per gallon by 2031, down from the 50.4 miles per gallon target established under former President Joe Biden’s 2024 rules.

The development comes as fuel prices remain a concern ahead of the US midterm elections. Regular petrol averaged $4.17 per gallon on Monday, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA), about 12 cents lower than a week earlier.

“The application for injunction pending appeal presented to Justice Kagan and by her referred to the Court is denied,” the order stated.

The ruling came hours after the Justice Department filed an emergency appeal seeking to segregate around 20,000 ballots linked to voters whom federal officials suspect may be noncitizens, ahead of Tuesday’s US midterm elections.

-BBC

US Senator Elizabeth Warren campaigned alongside Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed on Monday, continuing to urge voters to support his bid for the Senate.

In a post on X, Warren wrote: “Vote Abdul for money out of politics, money in your pocket, and Medicare for All.”

-Al Jazeera

Abdul El-Sayed vs Mike Rogers

Abdul El-Sayed (Democrat): A physician and former director of the Detroit Health Department, El-Sayed won the Democratic Senate primary with a progressive campaign.

Mike Rogers (Republican): A former US representative and ex-chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Rogers is seeking to return to Washington.

All US citizens aged 18 and above are eligible to vote in federal, state and local elections, although certain restrictions apply. The right to vote, once largely limited to white, land-owning men, was gradually expanded following decades of activism and civil rights movements to include women and African Americans.

However, voting eligibility varies across states. Some states restrict voting rights for people convicted of felonies or those currently serving prison sentences. US citizens residing in territories such as Puerto Rico and Guam cannot vote in the general presidential election, though they can participate in presidential primaries and certain other elections. Meanwhile, some states allow noncitizens to vote in specific local elections.

-AP

The Supreme Court has turned down the Trump administration’s request for California to set aside about 20,000 mail ballots ahead of the midterms. The administration said the ballots were sent to non-citizens. The court refused the application, so the ballots remain valid as voting begins.

-AP

Donald Trump’s conflict with Iran has reached its ninth month. Unlike earlier short US operations, it is settling into a longer fight. Oil, petrol and diesel prices have risen and stayed high, adding to inflation. The Strait of Hormuz has become a low-intensity war zone, limiting supplies of fertilisers and liquefied natural gas. Iranian drones and missiles have hit US bases in the Gulf. The Ukraine war continues as well, and Trump’s approach to Russia has drawn criticism at home and from European allies. If Republicans lose Congress, the next steps remain unclear.

-BBC

Volunteer Cheryl has knocked on at least 1,000 doors since March in Georgia. She says many voters, including some independents and Republicans, are focused on President Trump and the high cost of living. In Roswell, independent Sally said she is voting for all Democrats because she wants politicians who will “stand up to Trump”. Suburbs like this will be watched closely on Tuesday.

-BBC

President Trump spent Monday at the Lincoln Memorial rather than on the campaign trail. He held up a poster of the algae-clogged Reflecting Pool while music played and promoted the renovations. Republicans were fighting to keep control of Congress. Strategist Doug Heye said the setting was “bizarre and being very self-focused” and of little help to undecided voters.

-AP

US President Donald Trump has suggested that a deal with Iran could be reached soon, claiming that Tehran wants a settlement “as soon as possible” in a post on Truth Social on Monday, November 2.

“It could happen!” Trump wrote, while claiming that oil prices were “DROPPING LIKE A ROCK”.

Vice President JD Vance also expressed optimism about the possibility of negotiations, telling reporters that he and Trump “both feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement”.

The comments come a day before US voters head to the polls for the November 3 midterm elections. The Iran conflict has contributed to higher fuel and household costs, making the war an economic concern during the campaign. Oil prices fell sharply on Monday amid renewed hopes of a US-Iran agreement.

-BBC

Mike Johnson says polls miss GOP enthusiasm at Virginia rally

US House Speaker Mike Johnson on Monday dismissed polls showing Democrats with an edge in key congressional races, saying they did not reflect Republican enthusiasm on the ground.

Johnson was speaking at a campaign event in suburban Richmond, Virginia, in support of Republican Representative Rob Wittman, who faces Democratic challenger Shannon Taylor in the state's 1st Congressional District.

“I’m telling you: Dismiss the polls; dismiss the pundits,” Johnson told supporters gathered at a restaurant.

Wittman, who has represented the district since 2007, is facing one of the toughest re-election campaigns of his congressional career. Johnson praised his experience, calling him a “steady hand at the wheel” and a hard worker, and predicted he would win re-election on Tuesday.

-AP

US Vice President JD Vance has said the Trump administration has not set a strict deadline for Iran to reach an agreement to avoid a possible resumption of US strikes.

Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s US midterm elections, Vance said Washington’s main concern was securing a firm and verifiable commitment from Tehran that it would not rebuild its nuclear programme.

“We want to make sure they don’t rebuild it or try to rebuild it. That’s what matters most to the United States,” Vance said.

Vance said he believed Iran placed importance on its sovereignty and economic recovery, adding that an agreement was possible if Tehran made a verifiable commitment on its nuclear programme.

Trump has said in recent weeks that he does not plan to launch fresh strikes on Iran before the US midterm elections.

-AP