In Pictures

Gallery|US Midterm Elections 2026

In Pictures: US midterm elections in 20 photos

Voters, parents, and campaigners share the spotlight in a crucial election set to reshape US political direction.

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US midterm elections in 25 Photos
Voters wait in line to cast their ballots at a polling station at Central Bucks South High School on Election Day in Warrington, Pennsylvania. [Matt Rourke/AP Photo]
By AFP, AP and Reuters
Published On 3 Nov 2026

Americans head to the polls on Tuesday in midterm elections that will decide control of Congress and determine how much pressure President Donald Trump faces for the rest of his term.

After two years of unified Republican control, Democrats are fighting to reclaim both the House of Representatives and the Senate, while Republicans work to defend their narrow majorities and protect Trump’s agenda on immigration, the economy and the courts.

These 20 photos capture the pulse of this deeply polarised contest – from crowded polling stations and get-out-the-vote drives to last-minute campaign stops – offering a glimpse of voters at the booths and parents with children in tow across the country, all playing their part in a race set to shape the direction of American politics for years to come.

US midterm elections in 25 Photos
People vote during the US midterm elections on Election Day in Milford, Michigan. [Brian Snyder/Reuters]
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US midterm elections in 25 Photos
Voters visit a polling station to cast their ballots, in West Columbia, South Carolina. [Sam Wolfe/Reuters]
US midterm elections in 25 Photos
Steve Simpson, who is part of a group dedicated to spreading compassion, wears an eagle costume to attract attention as he reminds citizens to vote on Election Day, in Portland, Maine. [Robert F Bukaty/AP Photo]
US midterm elections in 25 Photos
A voter casts a ballot in New York City’s Brooklyn borough. [Heather Khalifa/AP Photo]
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Democratic US Senate candidate Chris Pappas speaks to members of the media after voting in the US midterm elections at Webster Elementary School in Manchester, New Hampshire. [Kylie Cooper/Reuters]
US midterm elections in 25 Photos
A volunteer places a 'Vote Here" sign at the Brooklyn Museum in New York on Election Day. [Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo]
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US midterm elections in 25 Photos
US Representative and Republican candidate for re-election Mike Lawler (R-NY), accompanied by his family, casts his ballot during the US midterm elections on Election Day, in Pearl River, New York. [Brendan McDermid /Reuters]
US midterm elections in 25 Photos
Voters cast their ballots at the Brooklyn Museum in New York [Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo]
Voters participate in the US midterm elections, Bangor, Maine, November 3, 2026 [Taylor Coester/Reuters]
Voters participate in the US midterm elections on Election Day, in Bangor, Maine. [Taylor Coester/Reuters]
A voter originally from Bangladesh wears an "I voted!" sticker on her sari, Florida City, Florida, November 3, 2026 [Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo]
A voter originally from Bangladesh wears an "I Voted!" sticker on her sari as she leaves a polling place in Florida City, Florida. [Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo]
US midterm elections in 25 Photos
People line up to voting at a polling station during the midterm elections in Portland, Maine. [Angela Weiss/AFP]
US midterm elections in 25 Photos
A voter enters a polling place located inside a church in Homestead, Florida, on Election Day. [Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo]
US midterm elections in 25 Photos
A volunteer sorts "I Voted" stickers at the Brooklyn Museum in New York. [Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo]
US midterm elections in 25 Photos
A person enters a voting booth to cast their ballot at the Webster Elementary School in Manchester, New Hampshire. [Joseph Prezioso/Getty Images/AFP]
US midterm elections in 25 Photos
People arrive to vote in Scarborough, Maine. [Scott Eisen/Getty Images/AFP]
US midterm elections in 25 Photos
A person rides past the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections office during the US midterm elections, in West Palm Beach, Florida. [Eva Marie Uzcategui/Reuters]
US midterm elections in 25 Photos
People hold signs at the Webster Elementary School in Manchester, New Hampshire. [Joseph Prezioso/Getty Images/AFP]
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A woman speaks with an election worker during the US midterm elections at the Los Pequenos Angelitos, a childcare service in Chicago, Illinois [Octavio Jones/Reuters]
A resident votes with her daughters, Washington, DC, November 3, 2026 [Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo]
Samantha Pounder, centre, votes with her daughters, Aya, three, left, and Sade, six, at the Emery Heights Community Center during the midterm elections in Washington, DC. [Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo]