US Midterm Elections 2026: Early Voting Begins As Trump, Democrats Battle For Congress Control

Early voting for the US midterm elections began in Virginia on Friday, opening the final six weeks of voting before Americans decide who will control Congress amid concerns over the cost of living, the prolonged war in Iran and other pressing issues.

The November 3 election includes votes for governor and state legislatures in most states and will determine whether Republicans maintain their majorities in the House and Senate. If Democrats regain control of Congress, the result would alter the course of the final two years of President Donald Trump’s term, potentially bringing investigations and increased congressional oversight of his administration.

The Associated Press reported that Friday marked the beginning of early voting in Virginia, while voters in several other states, including Idaho, Minnesota and South Dakota, can cast absentee ballots in person, generally at local election offices or voting centres. More extensive early voting is scheduled to begin in those states and elsewhere in the coming weeks.

Election administrators have said they are prepared and confident that the vote will be accurate and secure. The Associated Press reported that Trump has continued efforts to denigrate certain voting methods and reshape how US elections are administered through court challenges, an expansive federal hunt for noncitizen voters and a pressure campaign to force election officials to share sensitive voter data.

Trump Seeks Greater Federal Role In Election Administration

The start of early voting comes as Trump focuses on efforts to assert federal control over election administration, even though the Constitution bestows the power to run elections on the states and, in some cases, Congress.

The Supreme Court rejected Trump’s bid to restrict mail ballots this week. Other administration efforts to influence the voting process and examine state voter lists for potentially ineligible voters are continuing.

Trump has for years raised the possibility of widespread noncitizen voting in US elections, and his administration has continued to pursue the issue this year. The Associated Press reported that the administration has insisted that hundreds of thousands of people who are ineligible to vote are on voter rolls across the country. Research, however, continues to show that noncitizen voting is exceptionally rare.

David Becker, executive director and founder of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, said he wouldn’t be surprised if the president continues “his disinformation campaign and his attack on election officials.” But he said he thinks despite that and other challenges, “ultimately the process will hold as it has in past years.”

Voting rights advocates have encouraged voters to cast mail ballots early, partly because of concerns that recent changes to US Postal Service operations could delay the application of postmarks to ballots.

“Voting early, whether in person or by mail, is good for all of our communities because it gives voters options, eases lines on Election Day and can even mean faster results,” said Hannah Fried, co-founder and CEO of the voting rights group All Voting Is Local.

Redistricting Reshapes Congressional Districts

This year’s election also follows an unprecedented round of mid-decade redistricting in the US House that began after Trump urged the Republican-controlled legislature in Texas to redraw its congressional map to benefit the party. California and other states subsequently followed.

The changes have affected millions of voters. Research shows that one in 10 Americans will live in a different congressional district this autumn than they did in 2024.

Those partisan redistricting efforts are expected to continue ahead of the 2028 elections following a landmark Supreme Court ruling this year that weakened federal Voting Rights Act protections against racially discriminatory redistricting.

Economy, Iran War And Immigration Among Voter Concerns

The election is taking place amid deep concern among many Americans over rising petrol and grocery prices, the war in Iran, the potential risks posed by artificial intelligence and Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement campaign.

The congressional outcome will also shape the political landscape for the remainder of Trump’s current term. A Democratic takeover of the House and Senate would give the party greater scope to conduct investigations and pursue oversight of the administration.

In Minnesota, Secretary of State Steve Simon urged voters on Thursday not to be influenced by reports casting doubt on the state’s election operations. At a press briefing, he said voters would be able to cast their ballots “just like they always have”.

“I just want to reaffirm that Minnesota’s elections are fundamentally free, fair, accurate, honest and secure,” he said.

Early voting in Virginia is now underway, while more extensive early voting is scheduled to begin in Idaho, Minnesota, South Dakota and other states in the coming weeks ahead of Election Day on November 3.