Midterms 2026: first results fall in Kentucky and Virginia,

Polling stations have closed on the East Coast, while nearly 250 million American voters are called to the polls in these mid-term elections which are akin to a referendum for or against the action of Donald Trump.

What you need to know

Will the “blue wave” predicted for US President Donald Trump by the polls come true? Some 250 million American voters are expected to vote on Tuesday, November 3, in the United States, during the traditional mid-term elections. The vote aims to renew a third of the Senate and the entire House of Representatives. While polling stations have started to close on the East Coast, the first results have just come in, in Kentucky and Virginia. Follow the American night with us and the seat count in real time.

Control of Congress at stake. The House of Representatives, where all seats are up for grabs, and the Senate, where 35 seats (out of 100) are up for vote, are controlled by a narrow Republican majority. Polls predict Democrats could win in both chambers. Their victory would complicate the action of President Donald Trump, still in power for two years.

More than 58 million Americans have already voted. The figure is up significantly compared to 2022, according to calculations by the University of Florida. Some states, including Minnesota and Virginia, allow early voting, while others, such as California, allow mail-in voting. This possibility is regularly called into question by the Trump administration.

Live results. While the first polling stations have closed, follow the program "Midterms: American night" from midnight to 6 a.m., on franceinfo and France 2. Alongside Léa Salamé, special correspondents, correspondents, experts and guests will analyze the results and the repercussions of this crucial day in the United States. You can see the real-time seat count here.

Donald Trump's popularity at its lowest. The midterms are traditionally similar to a referendum for or against the head of state in place. The billionaire's popularity rating was at its lowest with only 37.5% positive opinions, according to The New York Times. A majority of voters thus judge the president's actions negatively on immigration, the economy and the cost of living.

These first results, which are falling in dribs and drabs, do not yet give any indication of the overall trend in results. For this, you will have to be patient.

Less than half an hour ago, polls closed in several states: Florida, Georgia, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia. The counting continues.

In Florida, the Democrats won three representative seats, compared to one for the Republicans, according to initial reports from the Associated Press. There are still 24 to fill.

According to reports from the American news agency Associated Press, in Kentucky, one representative seat was won by the Democratic Party, and another by the Republican Party. In Virginia, Democratic Senator Mark Warner retains his seat. The results are displayed live on our graphs.

First results are starting to fall in Kentucky and Virginia, according to reports from the American news agency Associated Press.

Will James Talarico become the first Democratic senator in Texas in more than 30 years? France Télévisions teams took the pulse of the campaign among Republican, Democratic and undecided voters.

Inflation is at the center of voters' concerns for these mid-term elections, as our special correspondent in Texas, Marie-Violette Bernard, observed with farmers. If you missed it, his report can be reread here while waiting for the first results.

Michigan is another key state: the Democrats hope to elect the country's first Muslim senator, Abdul el-Sayed, deciphers Elisabeth Guédel, correspondent for TV5 Monde in the United States, in "La nuit bleue" on franceinfo.

What do we know about participation in these mid-term elections? We do not yet have consolidated data on a national scale, but according to CNN, several states could record a very high participation rate, such as South Carolina, Ohio, or Iowa. It remains to be seen which political camp will benefit from this burst of participation.