UNITED STATES - Midterm elections - 3 November

The next midterm elections in the United States will be held on Tuesday, 3 November 2026.

Mid-term elections are always held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, every four years, halfway through the presidential term. The last ones were held on 8 November 2022.

Midterm elections in the US are crucial because they redraw the balance of power in Congress and directly influence the incumbent president's ability to implement his policy agenda for the next two years.

Here are the main reasons for their importance:

Control of Congress: during mid-term elections, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and about one third (34 or 35) of the 100 seats in the Senate are renewed. The outcome determines which party controls one or both houses.

Impact on the presidential agenda: if the president's party loses its majority in one or both houses, it becomes much more difficult for the president to pass new laws, judicial appointments or the federal budget, often leading to gridlock.