The clues I'll be looking out for tonightpublished at 23:34 GMT 3 November

23:34 GMT 3 November

Daniel Bush
Washington correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

One of the defining features of the Trump era is the Republican Party's struggle with turnout when Donald Trump isn't on the ballot.

As election night is now truly under way, I'll be watching out to see how Republicans fare with some of the key voting blocs that Trump made gains with in 2024, including Latinos and women.

If Republicans can't hold the Trump coalition together, they'll likely suffer big losses on Tuesday - and that would be a warning sign going into 2028.

On the Democratic side, the reverse is true: if the party can win back its traditional share of the Latino vote while running up the numbers with women and college-educated voters, that would bode well for their chances in the next presidential election.

Political coalitions evolve over time, and there’s only so much we can read into the results and exit polls from a midterm election, when voter turnout is typically down.

But as the night goes on, I’ll be on the lookout for clues that can give us a sense of where both parties are headed over the next two years.

Sumi Somaskanda
Presenter, BBC News US Election special

There’s always a special energy on election night, and tonight’s no different. We’ve been checking in with our correspondents reporting from Alaska to Maine and from Moscow to Mexico.

We’ll be eagerly awaiting results for the seven close Senate races that could decide control of Congress. But election night also sees several states weigh in on ballot measures, or propositions. These are questions put before voters on local or statewide ballots.

There are two I’m watching tonight that will test voter appetite for curbing big money:

• In California, Proposition 40 would impose a one-time 5% tax on the net worth of all of California's billionaires. The measure has divided leaders across the political spectrum: its supporters say it helps ensure that the ultra-wealthy are contributing their fair share; opponents argue ultra-wealthy residents will flee
• In Montana, ballot initiative 194 would bar corporations from funding candidates, campaigns, and political action committees. If it passes, it could set up a clash in the courts, as the highest court of the land has held that money is a form of protected free speech in politics

You can watch our election results programme live above now, and on BBC One and the BBC News Channel.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
White House reporter

Image source, Getty Images

A White House official tells the BBC that the mood at the White House is "cautiously optimistic".

"The President has left it all out on the field and he’s done everything that was needed. Republicans are in a better spot now than they were four weeks ago," the official says.

The official did not respond to a request for a list of tonight's guests at the results viewing party being held in the East Room at 19:00 EST (02:00 GMT).

The president, a short time ago, also posted on Truth Social saying that he plans to watch the results come in on TV.

Chris Jeavans
Data journalist

Almost two thirds (65%) of voters say President Trump’s policies have worsened economic conditions in the US, according to the first wave of data from the midterms voter poll.

By contrast, 28% say Trump’s policies have improved conditions and only 8% say the president has had no impact.

People were also asked whether expressing support or opposition for President Trump was one reason for their midterm vote.

Some 43% said expressing opposition to the president was a reason for their vote, but a similar proportion (41%) said he was not a factor. Only 16% of those asked said expressing support was a reason for their vote.

The numbers from pollsters SSRS will be updated through the night so you might see these early figures change.

We also do not yet have a breakdown by those who said they were voting Republican and those who said they were voting Democrat.

Why counting ballots can take longer in some statespublished at 23:11 GMT 3 November

23:11 GMT 3 November

By Jake Horton, BBC Verify

US states have different rules when it comes to receiving and processing ballots - which means they count at different speeds.

Some of the factors which can affect this are the prevalence of mail-in voting and rules on processing and tabulating early ballots.

For example, most states allow election workers to remove ballots from their envelopes and confirm the voter’s eligibility before election day.

And nearly half of states - including Florida - allow election officials to scan ballots into tabulators ahead of election day so that these ballots can be counted immediately and included in results on election night.

But in some states - including Michigan and Wisconsin - election workers are prohibited from opening postal ballots ahead of election day.

This has led to claims in previous elections of "late night" arrivals of votes and "ballot dumps" in some parts of these states.

Some states accept mail-in ballots after election day which can delay vote totals.

Image source, Getty Images

Caitriona Perry
Presenter, BBC News US Election special

A very important question looms: what is the best snack to keep broadcasters going for eight straight hours of live television?

We've spent the last few days in the studio in Washington DC, rehearsing for our special TV results programme, which starts soon.

I'll be looking out for some of those early results in states where the polls are among the first to close - Ohio, Florida and North Carolina.

We may start to see early signs of a so-called "blue wave" for Democrats - and whether it's a trickle, a tsunami, or fails to materialise at all.

But for now, I'm cramming the last bits of candidate information and stocking up on almonds. (Editor's note: Fair play Caitriona, this is by far the healthiest snack in the newsroom)

• Watch our election results programme live above, and on BBC One and the BBC News Channel from 18:30 EST (23:30 GMT)

Sakshi Venkatraman
Reporting from Washington DC

As we’ve just reported, the first polls have just closed and we could soon start to see some results.

Here’s how we expect that to play out:

• First, we’ll see results from places that are easy wins for either Democrats or Republicans. These are not hotly contested races
• Later in the night, we’ll start to get wind of how the closer races are unfolding. Think toss-up races where the candidates are neck-and-neck
• What we still don’t know is when the Senate and House of Representatives will officially be called. It could be later tonight, or it could take days

We will update you on the outcomes right here in our results banner above. And if you want to monitor the vote count in real time, check out our larger results tracking page here.

The first polls have just closed in Kentucky and Indiana.

In the coming hours, other states will follow suit and results will begin to come in.

As a reminder, you'll be able to track those results live here. You can see a summary at the top of this page.

Our reporters have been busy speaking to voters across the US throughout the day. They'll continue to track reactions as results come in, but let's take a look at what some of them have heard so far:

In Texas: Vivian, arriving in an orange Mustang, told Gary O'Donoghue she'd voted Republican down the ballot: "Taxes, taxes, taxes - that's my main thing right now."

In Iowa: Tim, a farmer who's leaning Democrat, explained to Samira Hussein that he's "not happy, point blank, with what's going on" and that the "farm economy" was influencing how he'd vote.

In Ohio: Marilyn, 80, told Tom Bateman that she'd voted Republican across the ballot because she thought the country would "go in the tank if Democrats get in".

In California: Actor Remigio Ortiz, 42, wanted to express his dissatisfaction with the Trump administration, telling David Willis that he thinks the "country’s trash right now, it’s embarrassing. We need change".

Chris Jeavans
Data journalist

Earlier we told you about what voters think of the national economy, according to the voter poll survey.

Pollsters also asked about inflation and the effect of rising prices on people’s lives.

Almost eight in 10 voters (79%) said inflation had caused them and their family a severe or moderate hardship in the past year.

A fifth (21%) of those answering said it had caused them no hardship at all.

A majority of voters (59%) said they were “very concerned” about the cost of petrol and diesel and a similar proportion (58%) gave this answer about the cost of food and groceries.

More than six in 10 respondents (62%) said they thought that higher than usual prices were more because of President Trump’s policies.

And 38% said it was more due to factors beyond his control.

Sakshi Venkatraman
Reporting from Washington DC

We're continuing to pick through the data from the national voter poll, and we'll bring you more of that in the next little bit.

But in just a few minutes, the first polls will close in the 2026 midterm elections and then the vote count will begin.

This means that it might not be too long until we know some of the winners.

We’ll bring you those results here on this page. Races will be projected by our partner CBS or officially called, which means there is enough data to conclude one candidate has gained an unbeatable lead.

But as we’ve been reporting, the big question of the night is going to be finding out which party will control Congress. We may not know the answer to that for some time.

The first results to come in will be in places that are safe wins for Democrats or Republicans.

The swing states and close races will take more time to call and will come in later tonight - or even days from now.

When we start to hear results from tight races - like Ohio and Michigan - we’ll know things are heating up.

You can follow along on our results page all night, with information right down to state- and county-level data.

Chris Jeavans
Data journalist

We're still picking through the poll of voters across the US which has been taking the mood of the electorate.

Almost four in ten of those asked (38%) said they were angry at the way things are going in the country today, with a further 37% saying they were dissatisfied.

Only 18% said they were satisfied, and 7% of respondents felt enthusiastic.

So taken together, that's a majority telling pollsters SSRS they are not happy about the current state of the United States.

Chris Jeavans
Data journalist

A majority of US voters in these midterm elections have a negative view of the state of the national economy, according to the large voter poll we’ve been telling you about.

Some 75% of those asked said the economy was in a "not so good or poor" state with 25% saying it was "excellent or good".

Looking at their own family finances, 44% of people said they were in a worse situation than two years ago, 38% said about the same and 18% said better.

This data comes from a survey that includes exit polling of both early and on-the-day voters in the US midterm elections.

As a reminder, these are early estimates and the data will be updated through the night.

Chris Jeavans
Data journalist

Voters across the US have named the economy their top concern as they cast their ballots in the midterm elections.

Some 39% of those asked in the poll of more than 79,000 people said it was the most important issue facing the country.

The state of democracy was in second place, with 32% of respondents putting it top, followed by immigration on 14%.

Healthcare, foreign policy and crime were each named as the top issue by a lower share of voters.

The survey, officially called the Voter Poll, is a representative sample of American voters in the run up to the election, and includes exit polling of both early and on the day voters. It’s carried out by polling company SSRS on behalf of a consortium of US media organisations.

As a reminder, this is the first tranche of data - so the numbers may shift throughout the night.

We're still digging through the data, but we'll bring you more on this in the next few minutes.

Sakshi Venkatraman
Reporting from Washington DC

Image source, EPA

In a few minutes, we’re going to see the initial results of a national voter poll. This will be our first big clue about what has motivated voters on election day.

The poll asks tens of thousands of people their opinions and top concerns about the country - and we’ll be able to look at how that differs by age, gender, education and other demographics as the night goes on.

From 17:00 EST (22:00 GMT), we'll start bringing you some of those results here.

And then at 18:00 EST (23:00 GMT), the first polling sites will start to close to US voters. It won't be long after that that we can start bringing you some results. Stay tuned.

For more stories from the US and around the world, follow BBC News US on WhatsApp.

Image source, Getty Images

There are six Senate races deemed to be a toss-up by independent elections analyst Cook Political Report - Alaska, Kansas, Iowa, Maine, Ohio and Texas.

That list previously included Michigan, but Cook Political Report recently moved Michigan from "toss-up" to "leans Democrat".

All six remaining toss-up states are currently held by Republicans. The Democrats would need to win three of those seats, plus five classed as likely or leaning Democratic, to hit 51 and take control of the Senate.

The current Republican majority in the House, the lower chamber, is thin. They have 218 representatives, the exact number needed to have control, plus one independent who votes with them.

Some of the most closely-watched races in the House are in east-coast states, according to the Cook Political Report. These include New York's 17th District, Pennsylvania's 8th District and Virginia's 1st District.

Trump will have no reason to campaign after this final major electoral testpublished at 21:50 GMT 3 November

21:50 GMT 3 November

Sarah Smith
North America editor

Image source, Reuters

The midterms are Donald Trump’s last major electoral test before the end of his term in 2028.

He says he has accepted that he cannot run for a third term as president. So he will not face the verdict of voters again.

After this he will have no reason to go out campaigning or convene rallies across the country at which he can bathe in the adoration of his loyal supporters.

Once the midterms are over, President Trump will soon start to feel his political power draining away- even if his Republicans perform better than opinion polls suggest.

Every president looks like a lame duck when he enters the last two years of his tenure. Everyone knows he won’t be in office much longer and attention soon turns to who the next president might be.

This must be a difficult prospect for every president.

It will be uniquely painful for President Trump.

From the urban streets of New York City to rural Ohio and Californian beach towns, Americans around the country are heading out to vote in person today.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Asma Khalid
Co-host, The Global Story Podcast

Image source, Reuters

A black woman has never been elected governor of any state in US history. Democrat Keshia Lance Bottoms would make history if she wins in Georgia today.

The former Democratic mayor of Atlanta is in a tight race against the Republican Rick Jackson, a billionaire businessman and healthcare executive.

Georgia has not had a Democratic governor in more than 20 years. This is the third time in a row that Democrats have chosen a black woman as their nominee for governor.

Stacey Abrams lost in 2018 and 2022 to the current Republican governor Brian Kemp, who is finishing his final term this year and has maintained significant popularity.

In a sign of Bottoms' challenge, I met some voters who are splitting their tickets – voting for the Democrat Jon Ossoff for Senate and Rick Jackson for governor, or voting for Ossoff but leaving the governor’s spot blank.

Bottoms faced intense scrutiny during her time as mayor of Atlanta over questions of public safety and crime during Covid lockdowns. The issue became so contentious that some residents in the affluent neighbourhood of Atlanta, known as Buckhead, tried to secede.

Gary O'Donoghue
Chief North America correspondent in Austin, Texas

There’s a steady stream of voters making their way into the Carver Branch of the Austin Public Library, past a thicket of campaign posters and party workers pitching their candidates.

Off to one side, three observers from a coalition of non-partisan groups are watching the vote and handing out information on how to vote.

Morgan, 28, split her ticket – voting Republican in the governor's race and Democrat in the battle for the Senate seat.

"I voted for Greg Abbott and then I voted for James Talarico."

The Senate race weighed heavily, she says: "I have two younger sisters, I have a lot of LGBTQ friends."

She didn’t like some of the messaging on minority issues coming out of the Republican candidate for Senate, Ken Paxton.

Vivian, arriving in an orange Mustang, voted Republican down the ballot. "Taxes, taxes, taxes - that's my main thing right now."

Brian backed the Democrats, citing "the current administration and essentially affordability".

Charlie is more positive. "I've been voting to help Texas go blue for the 15 years I've lived here. Hopefully this is the year."