Congressional elections and midterm elections

What is Congress?

The U.S. Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government. It is composed of two chambers: 

1. The U.S. House of Representatives
2. The U.S. Senate. 

Congressional elections determine: 

• Who represents your state in the federal government
• Which political party will hold a majority in each chamber for the next two years

Learn more about Congress and how it makes laws.

Find out when to vote for Congress and get election results

• Find your state to learn when to vote in person or absentee for your members of Congress.
• Get past results for congressional elections.

How congressional elections work

Congressional elections happen every two years. At that time, one-third of the Senate and every seat in the House of Representatives is up for election.

Midterm congressional elections are the elections that take place halfway between presidential elections. The next midterm elections will be in November 2026.

U.S. House of Representatives elections

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives serve two-year terms. All 435 House seats are up for election every midterm and presidential election year. You will have an opportunity to vote for your representative every two years.

Find your representative.

U.S. Senate elections

There are 100 U.S. senators, two from each state. Senators serve six-year terms. So they will not all be up for election at the same time, their terms are staggered. Every two years, during each midterm and presidential election year, a different third of the Senate is elected. Since only a third of the Senate is up for reelection, there's no guarantee that a Senate seat will be on your ballot.

Find your senators.