US Midterms: Supreme Court rejects Trump's ballot bid as candidates make final appeals

Americans across the country are heading to the polls today, November 3, 2026, for the highly anticipated midterm elections that will determine the composition of the 120th U.S. Congress. Voters will cast ballots for all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the U.S. Senate, alongside numerous state and local races. These elections are taking place during what is set to be the second term of Republican President Donald Trump, marking a critical electoral test.

This election cycle has been characterized by unprecedented financial outlays, with campaign spending reaching record levels. Projections from ad industry trackers like AdImpact estimate that political ad spending alone will hit $11.6 billion, while OpenSecrets, a non-partisan research group, pegs total midterm spending at an estimated $11.9 billion. This far surpasses the spending seen in previous presidential election cycles, making the 2026 midterms the most expensive in U.S. history.

Adding to the election's intensity, the Supreme Court delivered a significant ruling on the eve of Election Day, rejecting a bid by the Trump administration concerning California ballots. The Court denied an emergency request on November 2, 2026, that sought to compel California election officials to set aside approximately 20,000 mail-in ballots from individuals suspected of being non-citizens. The administration had argued for the segregation of these votes for citizenship verification, while California officials contended that the list was unreliable and could lead to the disenfranchisement of eligible voters.