What time do polls open and close in the US midterm elections 2026?

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported on November 3, 2026, that voting in the US midterm elections was set to begin with the first polls opening in Vermont at 5am local time, followed by staggered start times across other states. The article noted that polling hours are set by each state, with places including New Jersey, Virginia, Connecticut and Kentucky opening at 6am, while others such as Georgia, Florida, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, North Carolina and Michigan begin later in the morning.

The report also outlined when polls would close, saying the earliest closures would come at 6pm in Indiana and Kentucky, with additional states ending voting later in the evening and Alaska closing last, around 1am Eastern Time on Wednesday. Al Jazeera said results would start coming in as polls closed, but close races could take hours or days to decide.

The article provided broader context on why the elections matter: more than 230 million eligible voters were able to choose all 435 House seats, 35 Senate seats and governor’s races in 36 states. Republicans held both chambers before the vote, while Democrats needed net gains to win control of the Senate or House. Al Jazeera also explained that mail, provisional and early ballots can delay final counts, meaning election night results may not immediately show which party will control Congress.