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Election 2026 live updates: Americans cast their votes

There are key House and Senate races that could determine control of Congress.

Voters are heading to the polls on Tuesday for the last day of voting in the high-stakes midterm elections.

There are several key House and Senate races that could determine the balance of power in Congress as well as significant races for governor around the country. The elections could ultimately determine how effective President Donald Trump's agenda is in the back half of his second term.

Watch ABC beginning at 7 p.m. EST for live Election Night 2026 coverage and results. Also streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

1 hour and 16 minutes ago

DOJ ramps up probe of Alaska Senate race with target letters, new subpoenas: Sources

The Justice Department in recent days has continued moving at an aggressive clip in ramping up its criminal investigation into the Alaska U.S. Senate race, sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News, with prosecutors now in the process of issuing more than 100 subpoenas and at least twenty letters alerting individuals that they are targets of the probe.

People vote at a polling location early in the morning on Election Day during the midterm elections in Anchorage, Alaska, November 3, 2026.
Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images

The investigation began accelerating last week after The New York Times detailed alleged efforts by Democrats and some in Democratic candidate Mary Peltola's campaign to recruit Daniel J. Sullivan, a retired teacher, to be on the ballot with incumbent Republican Dan S. Sullivan.

The target letters are being issued to Democrats whom investigators believe were involved in the recruitment effort.

A DOJ spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News.

-ABC News' Pierre Thomas, Alexander Mallin, Luke Barr and Katherine Faulders

1 hour and 42 minutes ago

Troy Jackson says Maine election is about more than the Senate race

Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson attended a canvass launch in Portland, Maine, telling supporters that Tuesday's election is not just about the Senate, but is about the people of Maine.

“I mean, you all know it, and I talk about this all the time. You know, I always enjoy the team sports, and this is the ultimate team sport right now, and so this is not, you know, about U.S. Senate. This is about all of us in this race,” Jackson said.

Democratic US Senate candidate for Maine, Troy Jackson speaks at a canvass launch on Election Day during the midterm elections in Portland, Maine, November 3, 2026.
Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

“We are going to be able to do some really great things if we pull this off in these next seven-and-a-half hours,” he said.

Jackson was asked if he’s nervous about how he will perform in some of the counties that voted Democratic for the presidential race and Republican in the Senate race, as seen in the 2020 election, which saw former President Joe Biden win Maine but also saw GOP Sen. Susan Collins win reelection.

“Well, as far as nervous goes, I mean, I don't know how many elections I've been in, but I was nervous in every one of them, and one of them I was unopposed. If you're going to do this work, you should be nervous. I mean … it should matter to you that you know people are giving you, trusting you with your vote,” Jackson said.

-ABC News’ Hannah Demissie

1 hour and 55 minutes ago

Texas Latino voters are turning out in 'historical numbers,’ voting group CEO says

Héctor Sánchez Barba, the president and CEO of Mi Familia Vota, told ABC News Live anchor Kyra Phillips that Latinos have emerged as a critical voting bloc this election.

After speaking to voters in the Rio Grande Valley this week, Barba said that "Latinos are turning out to vote in historical numbers."

"We are rejecting MAGA. We are tired of extremism. We are tired of the hate crimes. We are tired of the situation of the economy. We are tired of exclusion," he said.

Democratic Senate candidate from Texas James Talarico waves at the final rally of his campaign, ahead of the midterm elections, in Austin, Texas, November 2, 2026.
Mike Segar/Reuters

Barba, who said he plans to watch election results with Texas U.S. Rep. James Talarico tonight, who is the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, he stated that he believes that there is an "alignment" between the demands of Latino voters and Talarico’s campaign.

"He knows what it means to be working class, and he understands the Latino community from that perspective. That's why we're making sure that we support candidates that are welcoming to Latinos, that are respectful to Latinos, but also that Latinos are at the center of making the decisions and are at the center of the table," he said.

-ABC News’ Synai Ferrell

2 hours and 5 minutes ago

Records for ad spending broken at gubernatorial, Senate and House levels this cycle

According to an analysis of advertising spending from AdImpact, of the ten most expensive gubernatorial races in U.S. history, eight were held this election cycle.

The most expensive is the California gubernatorial race, which saw roughly $350.3 million expended. That race has Democrat Xavier Becerra, the former U.S. secretary of health and human services, facing off against Republican Steve Hilton, who has worked as a contributor for Fox News. Tom Steyer, a liberal billionaire, spent over $215 million of his own money trying to make it into the general election.

Of the ten most expensive House races on record, nine are from the current cycle. The most expensive is the race for Michigan's seventh district, which has Democratic candidate Will Lawrence, co-founder of the Sunrise Movement environmental group, up against Republican incumbent Rep. Tom Barrett. AdImpact says over $66 million has been spent on the race for Michigan's seventh district.

Three U.S. Senate races from this cycle broke into the top ten most expensive of all time: Texas, Ohio and Michigan.

According to AdImpact, the Texas race has cost about $594.1 million, Ohio cost about $525.5 million, and Michigan cost about $382.1 million.

-ABC News’ Will Lennon

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