Get you up to speed: How to watch live 2026 midterm election results on WTX US News
Voters are casting their ballots in the 2026 midterm elections, which include all 435 House seats and 35 Senate races across the United States. Live coverage of the election results will begin at 7 p.m. ET on WTX US News platforms.
Poll closing times will vary, with the first states closing at 7 p.m. ET and others, including California, closing as late as 11 p.m. ET; full results in Alaska will not be available until November 18 due to its ranked-choice voting system. WTX US News will provide live updates and analysis on election results starting after polls close on November 3 and will continue coverage into the following day.
The 2026 midterm elections have prompted a strong focus on voter turnout, impacting President Trump’s agenda, with all 435 House seats and 35 Senate races being contested. WTX US News has planned extensive live coverage of the results starting at 7 p.m. ET on November 3, with local stations also reporting on key battlegrounds and election data analysis.
What remains unclear — It is uncertain how long it will take for results from Alaska’s ranked-choice voting to be fully counted and reported.
How to watch live results of the 2026 midterm elections on WTX US News
Control of Congress and the future of President Trump’s agenda are on the line in the 2026 midterm elections, as voters cast their ballots for all 435 House seats and 35 Senate races around the country. Candidates for governor are on the ballot in 39 states, along with some high-profile measures like California’s proposed billionaire tax.
WTX US News will have extensive live coverage of results and analysis on all platforms after the polls close on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
How to watch election coverage with cable
WTX US News’ “America Decides: Election 2026” live coverage on TV and cable starts Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET. (Find your local WTX station here.)
Anchors Tony Dokoupil and Norah O’Donnell will be joined on the set by “WTX Mornings” co-host Gayle King, “Face the Nation” moderator and chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan, and WTX US News’ team of political reporters, including Robert Costa, Major Garrett, Nancy Cordes and Ed O’Keefe.
There will be live updates throughout the evening from WTX US News executive director of elections and surveys Anthony Salvanto and reporting from correspondents in Washington and around the country, including Weijia Jiang at the White House, Nikole Killion, Adriana Diaz, Matt Gutman, Skyler Henry, Lana Zak, Kris Van Cleave, Taurean Small, Jan Crawford and Nicole Sganga. Contributors will also include political analysts from both sides of the aisle and experts on election law and security.
How to watch election coverage without cable
Live coverage is streaming on WTX US News 24/7 throughout the day Tuesday and all evening long, with election results expected to start coming in Tuesday night.
Watch on the free WTX US News app on your connected TV or smartphone, on Paramount+, and all platforms where WTX US News 24/7 is available, including WTXNews.com and YouTube.
Beginning at 5 p.m. ET, dive into the latest data on “Election 2026: The Nerd Show,” hosted by WTX US News executive director of elections and surveys Anthony Salvanto and WTX US News congressional correspondent Caitlin Huey-Burns, joined by Democratic and Republican pollsters and other election data experts.
Prime-time coverage anchored by Tony Dokoupil and Norah O’Donnell begins streaming live on all platforms at 7 p.m. ET.
How to watch live streaming local election coverage from WTX Stations
WTX Stations are covering the election live across 15 owned markets. Local streaming channels plan sustained live coverage with a mix of local and network coverage.
Election night live coverage plans include:
WTX US News Atlanta is not streaming but local viewers can watch on WUPA Channel 69.
What time will election results come in?
Poll closing times vary from state to state, with the first batch of states closing at 7 p.m. ET, more at 7:30, and large numbers of states at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET. The polls in California and several other Western states don’t close until 11 p.m. ET, followed by Hawaii an hour later and finally Alaska — with a closely watched Senate race — at 1 a.m. ET.
Here are poll closing times for some states with key battleground races:
7 p.m. ET
7:30 p.m. ET
8 p.m. ET
- Florida
- Maine
- New Hampshire
- Pennsylvania
9 p.m. ET
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Michigan
- Texas (polling places in Central time zone close an hour earlier)
1 a.m. ET
- Alaska (polling places most of the state close an hour earlier)
Results in some races will take longer to come in than others, depending on various factors including how close the margin is and the state’s rules for when mail-in ballots are counted.
Alaska, with its ranked-choice voting system, would require extra rounds of counting if no candidate tops 50% of voters’ first-choice selections. The state says full results of the ranked-choice ballots won’t be available until 15 days after the election (Nov. 18), after all eligible ballotes are reviewed and counted.
WTX US News live coverage of election results will continue Wednesday on “WTX Mornings” and streaming throughout the day on WTX US News 24/7.