The first polls have closed in the US midterm elections, which will decide who controls Congress for the rest of Donald Trump's presidency - when will we get results?
A majority of voters are unhappy with the economy, a major voter survey suggests - read the latest from our data team
Trump's Republican Party currently controls the House and the Senate - how many seats must the Democrats win to take control?
Edited by Dulcie Lee, Caitlin Wilson and Johanna Chisholm in Washington DC, with correspondents across the US
Bernd Debusmann Jr White House reporter
A White House official tells the BBC that the mood at the White House is "cautiously optimistic".
"The President has left it all out on the field and he’s done everything that was needed. Republicans are in a better spot now than they were four weeks ago," the official says.
The official did not respond to a request for a list of tonight's guests at the results viewing party being held in the East Room at 19:00 EST (02:00 GMT).
The president, a short time ago, also posted on Truth Social saying that he plans to watch the results come in on TV.
Almost two thirds (65%) of voters say President Trump’s policies have worsened economic conditions in the US, according to the first wave of data from the midterms voter poll .
By contrast, 28% say Trump’s policies have improved conditions and only 8% say the president has had no impact.
People were also asked whether expressing support or opposition for President Trump was one reason for their midterm vote.
Some 43% said expressing opposition to the president was a reason for their vote, but a similar proportion (41%) said he was not a factor. Only 16% of those asked said expressing support was a reason for their vote.
The numbers from pollsters SSRS will be updated through the night so you might see these early figures change.
We also do not yet have a breakdown by those who said they were voting Republican and those who said they were voting Democrat.
US states have different rules when it comes to receiving and processing ballots - which means they count at different speeds.
Some of the factors which can affect this are the prevalence of mail-in voting and rules on processing and tabulating early ballots.
For example, most states allow election workers to remove ballots from their envelopes and confirm the voter’s eligibility before election day.
And nearly half of states - including Florida - allow election officials to scan ballots into tabulators ahead of election day so that these ballots can be counted immediately and included in results on election night.
But in some states - including Michigan and Wisconsin - election workers are prohibited from opening postal ballots ahead of election day.
This has led to claims in previous elections of "late night" arrivals of votes and "ballot dumps" in some parts of these states.
Some states accept mail-in ballots after election day which can delay vote totals.
Caitriona Perry Presenter, BBC News US Election special
Sumi Somaskanda, Caitriona Perry and Clive Myrie are presenting our live TV special
A very important question looms: what is the best snack to keep broadcasters going for eight straight hours of live television?
We've spent the last few days in the studio in Washington DC, rehearsing for our special TV results programme, which starts soon.
I'll be looking out for some of those early results in states where the polls are among the first to close - Ohio, Florida and North Carolina.
We may start to see early signs of a so-called "blue wave" for Democrats - and whether it's a trickle, a tsunami, or fails to materialise at all.
But for now, I'm cramming the last bits of candidate information and stocking up on almonds. (Editor's note: Fair play Caitriona, this is by far the healthiest snack in the newsroom)
Sakshi Venkatraman Reporting from Washington DC
As we’ve just reported, the first polls have just closed and we could soon start to see some results.
Here’s how we expect that to play out:
We will update you on the outcomes right here in our results banner above. And if you want to monitor the vote count in real time, check out our larger results tracking page here .
The first polls have just closed in Kentucky and Indiana .
In the coming hours, other states will follow suit and results will begin to come in.
As a reminder, you'll be able to track those results live here. You can see a summary at the top of this page.
Our reporters have been busy speaking to voters across the US throughout the day. They'll continue to track reactions as results come in , but let's take a look at what some of them have heard so far:
In Texas: Vivian, arriving in an orange Mustang, told Gary O'Donoghue she'd voted Republican down the ballot: "Taxes, taxes, taxes - that's my main thing right now."
In Iowa: Tim, a farmer who's leaning Democrat, explained to Samira Hussein that he's "not happy, point blank, with what's going on" and that the "farm economy" was influencing how he'd vote.
In Ohio: Marilyn, 80, told Tom Bateman that she'd voted Republican across the ballot because she thought the country would "go in the tank if Democrats get in" .
In California: Actor Remigio Ortiz, 42, wanted to express his dissatisfaction with the Trump administration, telling David Willis that he thinks the "country’s trash right now , it’s embarrassing. We need change".
Earlier we told you about what voters think of the national economy, according to the voter poll survey.
Pollsters also asked about inflation and the effect of rising prices on people’s lives.
Almost eight in 10 voters (79%) said inflation had caused them and their family a severe or moderate hardship in the past year.
A fifth (21%) of those answering said it had caused them no hardship at all.
A majority of voters (59%) said they were “very concerned” about the cost of petrol and diesel and a similar proportion (58%) gave this answer about the cost of food and groceries .
More than six in 10 respondents (62%) said they thought that higher than usual prices were more because of President Trump’s policies.
And 38% said it was more due to factors beyond his control.
Sakshi Venkatraman Reporting from Washington DC
We're continuing to pick through the data from the national voter poll, and we'll bring you more of that in the next little bit.
But in just a few minutes, the first polls will close in the 2026 midterm elections and then the vote count will begin.
This means that it might not be too long until we know some of the winners.
We’ll bring you those results here on this page. Races will be projected by our partner CBS or officially called , which means there is enough data to conclude one candidate has gained an unbeatable lead.
But as we’ve been reporting, the big question of the night is going to be finding out which party will control Congress. We may not know the answer to that for some time.
The first results to come in will be in places that are safe wins for Democrats or Republicans.
The swing states and close races will take more time to call and will come in later tonight - or even days from now.
When we start to hear results from tight races - like Ohio and Michigan - we’ll know things are heating up.
You can follow along on our results page all night, with information right down to state- and county-level data.
We're still picking through the poll of voters across the US which has been taking the mood of the electorate.
Almost four in ten of those asked (38%) said they were angry at the way things are going in the country today, with a further 37% saying they were dissatisfied.
Only 18% said they were satisfied, and 7% of respondents felt enthusiastic.
So taken together, that's a majority telling pollsters SSRS they are not happy about the current state of the United States.
A majority of US voters in these midterm elections have a negative view of the state of the national economy, according to the large voter poll we’ve been telling you about.
Some 75% of those asked said the economy was in a "not so good or poor" state with 25% saying it was "excellent or good".
Looking at their own family finances, 44% of people said they were in a worse situation than two years ago, 38% said about the same and 18% said better.
This data comes from a survey that includes exit polling of both early and on-the-day voters in the US midterm elections.
As a reminder, these are early estimates and the data will be updated through the night.
Voters across the US have named the economy their top concern as they cast their ballots in the midterm elections.
Some 39% of those asked in the poll of more than 79,000 people said it was the most important issue facing the country.
The state of democracy was in second place, with 32% of respondents putting it top, followed by immigration on 14%.
Healthcare, foreign policy and crime were each named as the top issue by a lower share of voters.
The survey, officially called the Voter Poll, is a representative sample of American voters in the run up to the election, and includes exit polling of both early and on the day voters. It’s carried out by polling company SSRS on behalf of a consortium of US media organisations.
As a reminder, this is the first tranche of data - so the numbers may shift throughout the night.
We're still digging through the data, but we'll bring you more on this in the next few minutes.
Sakshi Venkatraman Reporting from Washington DC
In a few minutes, we’re going to see the initial results of a national voter poll. This will be our first big clue about what has motivated voters on election day.
The poll asks tens of thousands of people their opinions and top concerns about the country - and we’ll be able to look at how that differs by age, gender, education and other demographics as the night goes on.
From 17:00 EST (22:00 GMT), we'll start bringing you some of those results here.
And then at 18:00 EST (23:00 GMT) , the first polling sites will start to close to US voters. It won't be long after that that we can start bringing you some results. Stay tuned.
For more stories from the US and around the world, follow BBC News US on WhatsApp .
Will candidate James Talarico become the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in Texas in almost 40 years?
There are six Senate races deemed to be a toss-up by independent elections analyst Cook Political Report - Alaska , Kansas , Iowa , Maine , Ohio and Texas .
That list previously included Michigan, but Cook Political Report recently moved Michigan from "toss-up" to "leans Democrat" .
All six remaining toss-up states are currently held by Republicans. The Democrats would need to win three of those seats, plus five classed as likely or leaning Democratic, to hit 51 and take control of the Senate.
The current Republican majority in the House, the lower chamber, is thin. They have 218 representatives, the exact number needed to have control, plus one independent who votes with them.
Some of the most closely-watched races in the House are in east-coast states , according to the Cook Political Report. These include New York's 17th District, Pennsylvania's 8th District and Virginia's 1st District.
The midterms are Donald Trump’s last major electoral test before the end of his term in 2028.
He says he has accepted that he cannot run for a third term as president. So he will not face the verdict of voters again.
After this he will have no reason to go out campaigning or convene rallies across the country at which he can bathe in the adoration of his loyal supporters.
Once the midterms are over, President Trump will soon start to feel his political power draining away- even if his Republicans perform better than opinion polls suggest.
Every president looks like a lame duck when he enters the last two years of his tenure. Everyone knows he won’t be in office much longer and attention soon turns to who the next president might be.
This must be a difficult prospect for every president.
It will be uniquely painful for President Trump.
From the urban streets of New York City to rural Ohio and Californian beach towns, Americans around the country are heading out to vote in person today.
People cast their ballots at the Barn at Bull Meadow voting site in Concord, New Hampshire
Voters line up to cast their ballots before polls open in Edinburg, Ohio
Voters in Brooklyn, New York cast their votes
Several 27 foot tall flamingos are displayed outside an elections centre in West Palm Beach, Florida
A voter drops her ballot in a mail drop-off box on Election Day in Santa Monica, California
Asma Khalid Co-host, The Global Story Podcast
A black woman has never been elected governor of any state in US history. Democrat Keshia Lance Bottoms would make history if she wins in Georgia today.
The former Democratic mayor of Atlanta is in a tight race against the Republican Rick Jackson, a billionaire businessman and healthcare executive.
Georgia has not had a Democratic governor in more than 20 years. This is the third time in a row that Democrats have chosen a black woman as their nominee for governor.
Stacey Abrams lost in 2018 and 2022 to the current Republican governor Brian Kemp, who is finishing his final term this year and has maintained significant popularity.
In a sign of Bottoms' challenge, I met some voters who are splitting their tickets – voting for the Democrat Jon Ossoff for Senate and Rick Jackson for governor, or voting for Ossoff but leaving the governor’s spot blank.
Bottoms faced intense scrutiny during her time as mayor of Atlanta over questions of public safety and crime during Covid lockdowns. The issue became so contentious that some residents in the affluent neighbourhood of Atlanta, known as Buckhead, tried to secede.
Gary O'Donoghue Chief North America correspondent in Austin, Texas
There’s a steady stream of voters making their way into the Carver Branch of the Austin Public Library, past a thicket of campaign posters and party workers pitching their candidates.
Off to one side, three observers from a coalition of non-partisan groups are watching the vote and handing out information on how to vote.
Morgan, 28, split her ticket – voting Republican in the governor's race and Democrat in the battle for the Senate seat.
"I voted for Greg Abbott and then I voted for James Talarico."
The Senate race weighed heavily, she says: "I have two younger sisters, I have a lot of LGBTQ friends."
She didn’t like some of the messaging on minority issues coming out of the Republican candidate for Senate, Ken Paxton.
Vivian, arriving in an orange Mustang, voted Republican down the ballot. "Taxes, taxes, taxes - that's my main thing right now."
Brian backed the Democrats, citing "the current administration and essentially affordability".
Charlie is more positive. "I've been voting to help Texas go blue for the 15 years I've lived here. Hopefully this is the year."
Kind of, but not as you may know it.
It’s not like a UK election, where the exit poll predicts the overall outcome.
But the voter poll, as it's called, will be our first big clue about what has motivated voters on election day.
The first analysis from this huge survey of the American electorate will land in just under an hour at 17:00 EST (22:00 GMT).
It asks tens of thousands of people their opinions and top concerns about the country - and we’ll be able to look at how that differs by age, gender, education and other demographics as the night goes on.
The Democrats would need to win in at least three of six toss-up races if they are to take control of the Senate.
The Senate has 100 seats overall, meaning that 51 are needed for any one party to have a majority. Only a third of the seats are up for election today.
Currently, the Democrats have 45 to the Republicans' 53, with two held by independents.
There are six Senate races deemed to be a toss-up by independent elections analyst Cook Political Report - Alaska , Kansas , Iowa , Maine , Ohio and Texas .
Michigan had also been classed as a toss-up seat, but as of Tuesday afternoon was now deemed "leans Democrat".
In the House, all seats are up for grabs, and a party needs 218 seats for a majority.
Currently the Democrats have 214 and the Republicans 219. Two seats are currently vacant.
