US midterm elections 2026

News outlets are publishing early polling and coverage for the 2026 US midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress. With all 435 House seats and about a third of Senate seats on the ballot, trackers are following candidate announcements, primary contests and approval ratings for President Trump and congressional leaders as the campaign season takes shape.

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has signed a directive ordering the department to defend the 2026 midterm elections from foreign threats. The move puts the Pentagon formally behind election security preparations ahead of next year's vote. The announcement was published by the department and is drawing attention to how the military will be involved in countering foreign interference.

Observers warn the days between the US midterms and final vote counts — the so-called 'counting window' — could be exploited by Donald Trump to cast doubt on results he dislikes, echoing his 2020 election fraud claims. The Guardian's First Thing briefing highlights the delayed-count period as the most vulnerable moment for baseless fraud allegations to spread and for officials to face pressure over certification.

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has signed a directive aimed at defending the 2026 midterm elections from foreign threats. The announcement, published by the Department of War, is drawing attention in the United States and abroad, with the story trending in Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. Observers are weighing what role the Pentagon will play in election security and how the directive will be implemented ahead of the vote.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies has published an analysis of the terrorism threat facing the 2026 United States midterm elections, drawing on data to assess risks around the voting cycle. The report examines patterns in extremist activity and what they suggest about potential threats to candidates, officials and the electoral process.

A call is going out for voters to press candidates in the 2026 US midterm elections on where they stand on public health. The appeal, published by The Hill, urges constituents to make health policy a campaign issue by directly asking candidates about their positions on immunisation, disease prevention and public health funding.

The US Defense Department has issued a new security directive aimed at protecting American voting systems ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The Pentagon is working with state election officials to shield critical election infrastructure from foreign cyber threats. The initiative is being discussed as part of broader national defense reporting on election security.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered military intelligence agencies to prioritize identifying and countering foreign threats aimed at the 2026 US midterm elections. The directive shifts intelligence resources toward election security, framing foreign interference as a defense priority. The move is drawing attention because it expands the military's role in election-related matters ahead of the midterms.