US Midterm Elections 2026

Live Updates02 November 2026 | 10:29 PMTrump administration appeals to Supreme Court in push to sideline 20,000 California mail ballots02 November 2026 | 10:28 PMTrump would preemptively pardon people 'if I needed to'02 November 2026 | 10:27 PMTrump Justice Dept breaks with tradition to intervene in midterms02 November 2026 | 10:26 PMTrump administration takes California ballot fight to Supreme Court02 November 2026 | 10:26 PMRepublicans, Democrats set midterm closing arguments as Michigan endorsement roils Senate race02 November 2026 | 10:24 PMTrump Justice Dept breaks with tradition to intervene in midterms02 November 2026 | 10:22 PMThe midterm races Wall Street and other financial firms are watching02 November 2026 | 10:21 PMInside the US Postal Service sprint to deliver millions of ballots by Tuesday02 November 2026 | 10:19 PMTrump White House maps path to govern without Congress if Democrats win.

Updated On:Mon, 02 Nov 2026 22:29:04 PKTTrump administration appeals to Supreme Court in push to sideline 20,000 California mail ballots. The Trump administration appealed to the US Supreme Court on Monday in its push to sideline thousands of disputed California mail ballots the day before the pivotal midterm elections.

The emergency appeal came after an appeals court rejected the request to set aside some 20,000 ballots from people the federal government suspects may not be citizens. The Republican Trump administration has prioritized identifying noncitizen voters this year, despite them being rare.

The federal government says those ballots should not be counted until the voters’ status can be verified. California officials say the list is highly unreliable and likely includes many people who are US citizens.

A district court judge forcefully denied the Justice Department’s request and warned that the demand could disenfranchise citizens in the Nov. 3 midterm elections to determine control of Congress.

Updated On:Mon, 02 Nov 2026 22:28:25 PKTTrump would preemptively pardon people 'if I needed to'In a new interview released Monday, the president indicated he’d have no qualms about issuing pardons to those surrounding him to protect them from potential criminal liability.

The comments come as Democrats could take control of at least one chamber of Congress, giving them investigative powers such as subpoena authority. “I would if I needed to, sure,” Trump ’s Miranda Devine on her “Pod Force One” podcast.

“I would not even think about — I’d do it.”He pointed to preemptive pardons former President Joe Biden issued to family members, administration officials and key lawmakers, such as those who worked on a special committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol.

Updated On:Mon, 02 Nov 2026 22:27:34 PKTTrump Justice Dept breaks with tradition to intervene in midterms. President Donald Trump’s Justice Department has shown a willingness to intervene directly in Tuesday's midterm elections, breaking with decades of practice meant to avoid the appearance that its law enforcement powers are being used to benefit a political party or candidate.

In California, ?the Justice Department sought to set aside mail-in ballots from about 20,000 voters it alleges are likely non-US citizens ineligible to vote. The department has also demanded records in a related ‌criminal probe.

California has said it has implemented measures to prevent voting by noncitizens and argued the Justice Department does not have the authority to block votes. Updated On:Mon, 02 Nov 2026 22:26:59 PKTTrump administration takes California ballot fight to Supreme Court.

On the eve of the US midterm elections, President Donald Trump's administration asked the Supreme Court on Monday to temporarily block California from counting mail-in ballots from more than 20,000 registered voters who federal officials allege are likely non-US citizens.

Escalating a legal fight that could affect thousands of voters, the Justice Department filed the emergency request as it seeks to prevent counting the disputed ballots until each voter's citizenship status can be verified. A federal appeals court refused the request on Friday.

Trump's fellow Republicans are fighting to retain control of Congress in Tuesday's midterms. California is the most populous US state and a Democratic stronghold. The administration has intensified its focus on alleged noncitizen voting in the run-up to the midterms.

Updated On:Mon, 02 Nov 2026 22:26:05 PKTRepublicans, Democrats set midterm closing arguments as Michigan endorsement roils Senate race. Republicans and Democrats made their final appeals to voters on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s US midterm elections, with a surprise endorsement intensifying tensions in Michigan’s Senate race.

Democratic Representative Haley Stevens, who lost the party’s Senate primary to Abdul El-Sayed, backed Republican candidate Mike Rogers, creating divisions among Democrats. El-Sayed’s campaign raised a record $2.4 million in one day following the endorsement.

Michigan is crucial to Democrats’ hopes of regaining Senate control. Meanwhile, a federal judge dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit seeking to block certification of Alaska’s Senate election results if Republican Senator Dan Sullivan loses. Updated On:Mon, 02 Nov 2026 22:24:37 PKTTrump Justice Dept breaks with tradition to intervene in midterms.

President Donald Trump’s Justice Department has shown a willingness to intervene directly in Tuesday's midterm elections, breaking with decades of practice meant to avoid the appearance that its law enforcement powers are being used to benefit a political party or candidate.

In California, the Justice Department sought to set aside mail-in ballots from about 20,000 voters it alleges are likely non-US citizens ineligible to vote. The department has also demanded records in a related criminal probe.

California has said it has implemented measures to prevent voting by noncitizens and argued the Justice Department does not have the authority to block votes. In Alaska, the department has intensified a criminal investigation into whether a Senate candidate with the same name as Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan entered the race to confuse voters.

It also sought to block certification if Sullivan narrowly loses, but a federal judge dismissed that lawsuit on Sunday. Courts have now rejected the department's lawsuits against both states, but the cases underscore the DOJ's willingness to intervene in election disputes before votes are counted and results certified.

The department has appealed the Alaska decision. Updated On:Mon, 02 Nov 2026 22:22:58 PKTThe midterm races Wall Street and other financial firms are watching. Wall Street and financial market players are watching this year's US midterm elections for more than which party controls Congress.

A handful of unusually competitive races could determine the fortunes of some of the financial industry's biggest political allies and adversaries, and help shape policy on cryptocurrency, credit cards, financial regulation and the artificial-intelligence investment boom. The stakes extend beyond legislative policy in Washington.

A victory in one or both chambers of Congress would hand Democrats powerful tools that they plan to use to probe a range of financial companies and their regulators, Reuters has reported. A clutch of gubernatorial races, meanwhile, could determine trillions of dollars of artificial intelligence infrastructure investment.

Updated On:Mon, 02 Nov 2026 22:21:49 PKTInside the US Postal Service sprint to deliver millions of ballots by Tuesday. The US Postal Service is working extended hours, deploying extra staff and arranging special ballot collection services to ensure millions of mail-in votes reach election officials ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections.

USPS has delivered tens of millions of ballots and a record 4.2 billion pieces of political mail this election cycle. The effort comes amid concerns over voting by mail and legal challenges to President Donald Trump’s proposed restrictions, which the Supreme Court blocked in September.

Postal workers are conducting additional deliveries, special pickups and daily facility checks to locate outstanding ballots before Election Day. Updated On:Mon, 02 Nov 2026 22:19:06 PKTTrump White House maps path to govern without Congress if Democrats win.

President Donald Trump's White House has spent months preparing for a possible Democratic takeover of Congress, developing plans to keep advancing major parts of his agenda through executive power while bracing for ?investigations of his administration, and two people familiar with the plans.

Senior officials, including deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller and budget director Russell Vought, have been working with the ‌White House Counsel's Office since April to identify executive actions on immigration, tariffs, housing costs and federal spending that Trump could pursue without congressional approval, said the three people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.