Midterm 2026: Congress control at stake as voters cast ballots

A five-year-old boy in Herndon, Virginia, inserted his father’s ballot into a tabulating machine on Tuesday. Levi Prehn, three years old, watched from the side at Lutie Lewis Coates Elementary School while his brother Tyler completed the act. The scene captured a quiet moment of civic participation in a year where the balance of power in Washington hangs in the balance. Voters across the United States cast their ballots in the 2026 midterm elections, a contest that will decide which party controls Congress for the remainder of President Trump’s term.

The path to Election Day was marked by division and specific local tragedies that colored the national mood. In January, Alex Pretti and Renée Good, both 37 and Minneapolis residents, were killed in separate incidents involving federal immigration and border officers. These deaths occurred during Operation Metro Surge, a federal action that intensified tensions in the city. Peg Ihinger, a local photographer, kept her early voting sticker at a memorial for Pretti. She told reporters, "I just want this nightmare to end for our city and our country." She added, "And damn it, they shouldn't have died."

Polling locations varied widely, ranging from traditional civic buildings to community spaces. In Chicago, voters filled out ballots at the McKinley Park Library. In St. Louis, the Shaw neighborhood used Wild Carrot, an event space converted for the day, to accommodate residents. Austin, Texas, saw lines form at University Presbyterian Church, while Boston voters entered the Lyon Upper School in the Allston neighborhood, guided by a sign reading "VOTE HERE." In Fairfax, Virginia, an election official taped "VOTE" signs to a wall inside the Fairfax County Government Center to direct traffic.

Some communities added comfort to the process. Diane Mitchell in Des Moines, Iowa, served Dutch Deli sandwiches and cookies from a food truck to voters. In other areas, the political climate left visible marks. In Washington, D.C.'s Columbia Heights neighborhood, sidewalk markings indicated that the National Guard should stand 50 feet back from the voting site.

Routine scenes of democracy played out in cities like San Francisco, where ballots were dropped off outside City Hall. In Hartford, Connecticut, a large "VOTE" sign hung from a balcony, and in Manchester, Connecticut, a voter collected an "I Voted" sticker at Manchester High School. In Hastings, Minnesota, voters used electronic stations inside City Hall.

As polls closed, the focus shifted to the counting of ballots. NPR station photographers documented the evening as reactions unfolded in communities large and small. The results will determine the legislative makeup for the next two years. NPR stated it does not offer or accept money for coverage, and any such offers are not from employees.

The day concluded with the mechanical process of tabulation. In Herndon, the machine accepted the ballot cast by Tyler Prehn under the watchful eye of his brother. The count continued through the night.