Voters weigh 36 governor races, 18-18 party split and nine battlegrounds

Polls across Central Indiana opened at 6 a.m. Tuesday and will remain open until 6 p.m., according to Ballotpedia. In Indianapolis, Fishers, Carmel, Noblesville, Greenwood, and Westfield, voters are casting ballots for every U.S. House seat in the state, state legislative offices, and local measures. Indiana does not have a governor or U.S. Senate election on the ballot this year, but state residents will vote on two public questions regarding bail standards and residency requirements for local judges.

The national election represents a midterm contest halfway through President Donald Trump's second term. According to the Associated Press, the results will determine which party controls Congress for the final two years of his administration. All 435 seats in the U.S. House are up for grabs, with Republicans currently holding 218 seats and Democrats holding 214. Democrats need a net gain of three districts to secure a majority, while Republicans can afford to lose no more than two seats. Ballotpedia identifies 46 battleground districts, with 25 held by Democrats and 21 by Republicans.

Thirty-five of the 100 U.S. Senate seats are on the ballot, including 33 regular elections and two special elections for the terms of Marco Rubio and JD Vance. Republicans hold 53 seats and Democrats hold 45, with two independents who caucus with the Democratic Party. Democrats require a net gain of four seats to take control of the Senate. Eleven senators are not running for re-election, including four Democrats and seven Republicans. The Associated Press notes that Republicans are bracing to lose the House while fighting to hold the Senate, with one or two seats potentially tipping either chamber.

Thirty-six governorships are also on the ballot, creating a complex landscape for voters. According to Ballotpedia, Republicans hold 26 governor's offices and Democrats hold 24 nationally. Of the 36 offices currently contested, the parties are evenly split, with each holding 18. Nineteen of these races feature no incumbent on the ballot. Fifteen governors are term-limited, while Iowa's Kim Reynolds, Minnesota's Tim Walz, and Wisconsin's Tony Evers chose not to run. Rhode Island's Daniel McKee lost his primary. Democrats need a net gain of two governorships to achieve a nationwide majority, a position Republicans have held since 2010.

Nine states are considered battlegrounds for governor, including Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Democrats are defending five governorships in states that Trump won in 2024, while Republicans are defending two in states that Kamala Harris won. The Associated Press and PBS highlight specific matchups, such as in Georgia where Republican Rick Jackson faces Democratic former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. In Ohio, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy is running against Democrat Amy Acton. The AP calls Texas, Florida, and Iowa competitive races, with Democrats hoping to hold a majority of governorships for the first time in two decades.

The mood in the country is described by the Associated Press as a referendum on Trump's second term, with voters struggling with high prices and anger over an unpopular war with Iran. AP-NORC polling shows that 35% of U.S. adults approve of Trump's job performance, while 25% approve of his handling of the economy. About 7 in 10 people say the country is heading in the wrong direction. More than 57 million people had already voted as of Monday, surpassing the early vote totals from four years ago in many closely watched states. RNC Chairman Joe Gruters stated that everything depends on turnout, while DCCC Chair Rep. Suzan DelBene said the American people are angry and want change.

Six states are using new congressional maps following mid-decade redistricting: California, Florida, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. Ohio is also using a new map. The Associated Press notes that Republicans tried to beat the typical midterm pattern of losing seats through redistricting, but new districts in states like Florida may not vote as drawn. Trump held dozens of rallies, ending Sunday in Salina, Kansas, where he asked voters to pretend he was on the ballot. His schedule included stops in Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas. Many Republican candidates kept their distance from the president during the final weeks of the campaign.

Financially, the 2026 elections are likely to be the most expensive in history. Republican committees outraised and outspent Democratic committees, aided by Trump-affiliated groups and Elon Musk. However, at the candidate level, Democrats outraised their opponents. According to an AP analysis of AdImpact data, 88.1% of Republican general election TV ad spending went to states and districts Trump won in 2024. This included more than $850 million in states where he won by 10 points or more. The Associated Press reports that if Democrats win even one chamber, investigations and possible impeachment proceedings become likely. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries would be the first Black speaker and has outlined a 100-day agenda focused on the cost of living and oversight.

Election administration faced several legal challenges before Tuesday. A federal judge temporarily barred the Trump administration from carrying out a plan to prevent noncitizen voting, which critics say risks disenfranchising eligible voters. Another judge ordered the administration to stop demanding that California election officials segregate ballots cast by people on lists of suspected noncitizens. The U.S. Postal Service added hours and staff to ensure mail ballots are counted on time. Reuters notes that Wall Street is watching the results for implications regarding AI spending and debt ceiling negotiations. The U.S. Postal Service added special lines to process mail ballots efficiently.