03 Nov 2026, 05:27 PM
Inflation puts Republican seats at risk
With two years left in his presidency, Donald Trump faces a potentially pivotal mid-term test after reshaping America’s political landscape over the past decade.
The cost of living dominates voter concerns. Soaring food and fuel prices, fuelled partly by Trump’s aggressive tariffs and an unpopular war with Iran, weigh heavily as Americans head to the polls.
Facing record-low approval ratings, Trump has embarked on an intensive campaign blitz, holding dozens of rallies nationwide. His final weekend took him through traditionally safe Republican territory, including Iowa and Kansas, as inflation concerns cut across party lines.
Republicans have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into campaign advertising to defend their seats, including once-secure contests such as the Senate race in Kansas.
03 Nov 2026, 05:05 PM
The Big Questions
Q1: Which national issues are having the greatest influence on competitive races?
Answer: Rising living costs, inflation, housing, healthcare, food and fuel prices are the biggest concerns for voters. Around half of voters consider the cost of living the most important issue.
Q2: What are the most likely paths for Democrats and Republicans to win control of the House and Senate in the 2026 midterm elections?
Answer: Democrats need to gain four Senate seats to take control, while Republicans face a tough fight to maintain their narrow House majority. Around 40 House races could determine the outcome.
Q3: How do states verify voter eligibility and citizenship, and how common is election fraud?
Answer: States use voter registration checks, identification requirements and signature verification for mail-in ballots. Evidence shows that illegal voting, including voting by noncitizens, is extremely rare.
Q4: How are election officials preparing for threats, misinformation and attempts to interfere with elections?
Answer: Election officials are hiring legal experts, strengthening cybersecurity, expanding public awareness campaigns and improving physical security to protect election workers and voting systems.
Q5: How has redistricting affected the 2026 electoral map, and which maps are facing legal challenges?
Credit:
Reuters
03 Nov 2026, 04:53 PM
The Trump Factor
History is against Trump's Republicans: the sitting president's party has lost ground in Congress in all but two midterm elections since World War Two. Trump's approval rating is hovering near his all-time lows, dragged down by deep voter frustration over the war with Iran and the resulting rise in fuel prices.
There is little doubt this year's election is all about Trump, the central US political figure for most of the last decade. Trump himself has told his supporters repeatedly to "pretend I'm on the ballot," a message Democratic leaders have happily echoed.
The president has sought to energise his base with more than two dozen campaign rallies since the start of October, the vast majority in states he easily won in 2024, underscoring the extent to which Republicans are playing defence.
Led by Trump, Republicans have portrayed Democratic candidates as radical, un-American and even communist.
"The Democrat Party has nominated the most extreme and dangerous slate of candidates in American history," Trump said on Monday during a speech in Washington.
But opinion polls show voters are most concerned about affordability and disapprove of Trump's handling of the issue, after his sweeping tariff policy and his decision to attack Iran in February increased domestic costs. Republican candidates, meanwhile, have struggled to distance themselves from a president who demands fealty and rarely acknowledges mistakes.
Credit:
Reuters
03 Nov 2026, 04:53 PM
When do US Congress elections take place?
The US Congress has two chambers: the House of Representatives, the lower house, and the Senate, the upper house.
The president is elected every four years, but Congress votes every two. The election held midway through a president’s four-year term, two years after the presidential vote, is known as the midterm election.
House members serve two-year terms, so every seat is up for election every two years.
03 Nov 2026, 04:42 PM
Judgment Day for Trump
Welcome to bdnews24.com's live coverage of the 2026 US midterm elections.
American voters are headed to the polls to deliver a verdict on the first two years of President Donald Trump's second term on Tuesday.
All ll 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives are up for grabs, as are 35 out of 100 seats in the Senate.