Democrats win Senate
Democrats win House
The Democrats sweep to victory in the 2026 US midterm elections, taking back control of Congress for the rest of Donald Trump's presidency
American voters deliver a stinging rebuke of Trump's Republican Party as support collapses in historically safe seats - see the results in maps and charts
Kansas returns its first Democratic senator since 1932, Texas turns blue for the first time in decades, and in Michigan left-wing Democrat Abdul El-Sayed becomes the US's first Muslim senator
Trump acknowledges the Iran war and its knock-on effects on fuel prices contributed to his party's defeat, but says he'd "do it again" if given the same choices
Democrats have torn up Trump's political map on a night that will send shockwaves through American politics for years to come, writes our North America correspondent
What can - and can't - Democrats do with their power in Congress?
The midterms will be seen by many as the final voter verdict on Trump before his term ends in 2028, setting the scene for the rest of his presidency.
So what's he got to gain – or lose?
Our North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher explains.
Image source, GetTrump wrapped up his pre-midterm campaign with a speech at the Reflecting Pool in Washington DC.
He brought out placards showing images of the restoration alongside the slogan: "Back, and more beautiful than ever!"
The BBC's North America editor Sarah Smith, who was at the speech, described the opening as "utterly bizarre".
After 25 minutes, Trump turned to the elections, calling Democratic Party nominees "the most extreme and dangerous slate of candidates in American history".
The president described US personal incomes as the "highest in history", and touched on immigration and the Iran war.
Image source, AFPVoters on the eastern seaboard are the first to have their say in Tuesday's elections
Polls are opening in the eastern state of Vermont, where it's 05:00. At least 30% of voters have already cast their ballots, external.
Polls will open in others parts of the US east coast in an hour's time, including New York, New Jersey, Virginia and Maine.
Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent
Election day in the US is here at last, and there’s a lot on the line. Control of both chambers of Congress – the House of Representatives and the Senate – are up for grabs.
Americans in many states that could become pivotal battlegrounds in the 2028 presidential contest are also deciding who controls their legislatures and governorships.
Five states are voting on issues related to transgender rights, several others have abortion-related measures and Californians are considering a controversial new billionaire wealth tax.
For Democratic voters, this is the first chance most will have to cast ballots in a federal election since their crushing defeat in the 2024 presidential contest. Republicans, meanwhile, will attempt to ensure that Donald Trump has a friendly Congress to work with for the last two years of his White House tenure.
While public opinion polls – and historical trends – suggest the out-of-power Democrats are in for a good night, nothing is certain until the votes are counted. That will all begin this evening, when the first polls close on the East Coast.
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