Simple guide on all you need to know about US midterm election 2026

Di US midterm elections, wia voters go cast dia ballot for election wey fit get big impact on di rest of Donald Trump presidency go hold on Tuesday, 3 November.

Wetin be di midterms?

On 3 November, Americans go choose members of Congress, wey dey made up of two parts - di House of Representatives plus di Senate.

Elections dey happun evri two years, and wen dem occur for di middle of di president four-year term of office, dem dey call am di midterms.

One ogbonge task of Congress na to create and pass federal laws - laws wey go apply nationwide.

Di outcome of di midterms go decide which political party - Trump Republicans or opposition Democrats – dey control Congress and how easy e dey for di president to carry out im plans.

Pipo also dey see di results as measure of how happy pipo for US dey wit di president performance so far.

Who dem go elect?

Dem go elect all 435 members of di House - di lower chamber of Congress. Dem dey serve for fixed terms of two years. Di House na wia dem introduce and debate proposed laws.

Meanwhile, 35 out of 100 seats for di Senate, wey be di upper chamber of Congress, go also dey up for election. Senators dey serve six-year terms. One of dia major jobs na to approve or reject bills wey di House of Representatives don pass.

For di same election day, voters for many parts of di US go also choose politicians for state level positions.

Di govnorship races for states like California, Florida, Georgia, and Michigan na some of di contests wey many pipo go watch closely sake of dia importance and possible effect on national politics.

Wetin be di issues wey be koko??

Di US economy dey on di minds of many voters wey dey struggle wit di price of fuel, groceries, housing and healthcare.

Inflation still dey above di level wey di US Federal Reserve target, e dey down sake of di war wey US and Israel bin start wit Iran for February.

Democrats argue say Trump programme of trade tariffs don also increase di prices for Americans.

Immigration na anoda key issue. Republicans say Trump don deliver on major campaign pledge for 2024 as e tighten di border and launch one widespread - and often controversial - crackdown on illegal immigration.

For recent weeks, fear and concern about AI don grow well-well. Top politicians from both parties don agree say govment need put rules and regulations for di technology. But dem dey oppose Trump, wey don reject di idea of making laws to control how AI dey develop.

Wetin dey at stake?

Congress na one of di three branches of govment for di US, alongside di presidency and di judiciary. Who dey in control dey important becos e fit influence di kind laws wey go pass.

Right now, di Republican Party dey control both di House of Representatives and di Senate. But dia majority no too plenty. For di House, dem get 218 seats, wey be di minimum number needed to control di chamber, plus one independent member wey usually dey vote with dem.

For di Senate, Republicans currently get 53 seats. Di upper chamber go only change hands if di Democrats win 51 seats, which would overcome a tie-breaking vote by the vice-president - currently a Republican - in the event of both sides getting 50.

If opposition Democrats win back control of at least one chamber, dem go get power to bring dia own laws to di floor.

Who fit win?

In di past, voters dey usually "punish" di party of di president duringmidterm elections by voting agaist them.

Recent polling shows a low approval rating for the president. He began his second term as president with an approval rating of just over 50%, according to polling resource website Silver Bulletin, but in early October it was sitting at about 37%. Meanwhile 61% disapproved of him.

In di past, voters for America dey usually "punish" di president party during midterm elections by voting against dem.

Recent polls show say many pipo no too happy wit di president. Wen e start im second term, more dan 50% of pipo approve im performance, but by early October dat figure don drop to around 37%. Meanwhile, about 61% of pipo say dem no approve of di way e dey do im job.

But no be all seats for each chamber dey competitive. Some na safe bet for Republicans or Democrats.

Di BBC US partner CBS News don identify ten Senate races to watch, for states like Iowa and New Hampshire, and 42 House races, for states like Arizona and Ohio.

Dis year vote dey hard to predict pass bifor sake of say both parties dey fight on top how dem draw voting districts for di House of Representatives.

Republicans bin try to arrange electoral maps for some states for way wey go favour dem and give dem advantage during elections. Democrats too do di same thing for states wey dem control.

Sake of dat, di competition tight well-well, and e make am hard to know which party go eventually take control of di House.

Wetin e mean for Trump?

If di Democrats win either di House or di Senate, then, e go dey hard for Trump to get any laws through Congress.

Dem fit frustrate im domestic plans, although e don find ways to exercise power without im wider party.

Democratic control of either chamber go also mean say dem fit use committees to torchlight some aspects of di Trump presidency.

Corruption allegations, di new White House ballroom and ICE tactics could be subject to scrutiny.

One debate also dey ground within Democratic Party about weda to impeach Trump, wey mean to bring charges in Congress wey go form di basis for a political, not criminal, trial.

If di Republican Party continue to dey in control of Congress, Trump go fit go on wit im plans for im remaining time for office.

Wetin dis one mean for 2028 election?

Dem no dey add di president name on di ballot during di midterm elections, though Trump don ask Republicans to pretend say dem dey vote for am by voting for him as an endorsement of im actions so far.

No mata how di election result turn out, political analysts and commentators go likely use am to judge how Americans dey feel about di direction wey di kontri dey go under Donald Trump leadership.

Trump no fit run for president again for third term, according to US law. So afta di midterm elections, attention go begin shift towards 2028 presidential election. Pipo go start dey speculate about who fit bicom di next Republican candidate to succeed Trump, and who di Democrats fit put forward to challenge dat person.

Additional reporting by Deirdre Finnerty