Midterm campaigns make final push as early voters hit the polls

By Caitlin Yilek Politics Reporter Caitlin Yilek is a politics reporter at CBSNews.com, based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked for the Washington Examiner and The Hill, and was a member of the 2022 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship with the National Press Foundation. Read Full Bio Updated on: October 28, 2026 / 7:05 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google What to know leading up to Election Day 2026 Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, and early voting is currently underway throughout the country. More than 35 million people have voted early as of Tuesday, according to the University of Florida Election Lab. All 435 House seats plus 35 Senate seats will be on the ballot, and voters in 36 states will be electing governors. CBS News' Battleground Tracker estimates that Democrats have an edge in the race for control of the House. Senate control could be decided by voters in a handful of toss-up states ranging from Alaska to Maine.President Trump heads to Ohio today to campaign for GOP Sen. Jon Husted and Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican candidate for governor, part of a weekslong blitz that brought him to Texas on Tuesday and Mississippi on Monday. 1m ago Mike Johnson campaigning in 13 states in final week before election President Trump is scheduled to campaign in Ohio on Wednesday for Republicans, including GOP Sen. Jon Husted and Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican running for governor. Although Ohio has become more reliably red in recent years, the race between Husted and Democrat Sherrod Brown, who served in the Senate from 2007 to 2025, is currently considered a toss-up by CBS News. Polls also show the governor's race between Republican Vivek Ramaswamy and Democrat Amy Acton could also be close. It's Mr. Trump's third visit to the Buckeye State this month. Vice President JD Vance, who grew up in Ohio, has also made several visits to the state in recent months, including one last week.Former President Barack Obama campaigned in Cleveland over the weekend for Brown, Acton and more Democrats. Updated 6m ago 47 battleground House seats could determine which party wins control Control of the House of Representatives will come down to a number of battleground seats. CBS News has identified 47 House districts that will likely determine which party will have the majority. Of those seats, 20 are currently held by Democrats and 27 are held by Republicans. Republicans currently hold a razor-thin majority, with 218 seats, plus an independent who normally caucuses with them. Democrats hold 214 seats. There are two vacancies. CBS News' Battleground Tracker model estimated on Sunday that Democrats are on track to take control of the House with 229 seats. There is still a path for the GOP to keep the House: The Battleground Tracker's estimates ranged from 215 Democratic seats — which would give Republicans a narrow majority — to 237 seats. Updated 6m ago The 10 Senate races that will decide control of the Senate Republicans currently hold 53 seats in the Senate, while Democrats have 47. CBS News has identified 10 key seats this election that could determine control of the Senate.Seven of those seats are held by Republicans: Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, Kansas, Iowa, Texas and Alaska.The other three are held by Democrats: New Hampshire, Michigan and Georgia. Updated 6m ago Ramamswamy avoids mentioning controversial ad with Acton's estranged mother At two campaign stops on Tuesday, Ohio gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy avoided mentioning his campaign's recent ad that featured Democrat Amy Acton's mother. At the first event, Ramaswamy did not mention Acton. He spoke for just over seven minutes at Vance Outdoors, a hunting and fishing retailer in Hebron, where he predicted Republicans will win down the ballot on Election Day. He framed the election as a "fork in the road," conflating Democratic socialist candidates' election wins with socialism around the world and warned it could "infect" Ohio. Around 100 Republicans gathered in the middle of the store, and several down-ballot Republicans spoke before him, including the lieutenant governor nominee.At the second event, Ramaswamy directly called out Acton for leaving her post as public health director during the COVID-19 pandemic, but he didn't mention the ad.Ramaswamy has faced bipartisan backlash, including from Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, over the ad, which featured Acton's estranged mother calling her a liar. Acton has said she was abused by her now-deceased stepfather, and her campaign provided court documents to CBS News and other outlets detailing that he was charged with abusing her when she was 12 years old. According to Acton, she has not seen her mother since she and her stepfather appeared for a court date decades ago. Acton said that her mother and stepfather left town after posting bond. Updated 6m ago Trump to campaign in Ohio on Wednesday President Trump is scheduled to campaign in Ohio on Wednesday for Republicans, including GOP Sen. Jon Husted and Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican running for governor. Although Ohio has become more reliably red in recent years, the race between Husted and Democrat Sherrod Brown, who served in the Senate from 2007 to 2025, is currently considered a toss-up by CBS News. Polls also show the governor's race between Republican Vivek Ramaswamy and Democrat Amy Acton could also be close. It's Mr. Trump's third visit to the Buckeye State this month. Vice President JD Vance, who grew up in Ohio, has also made several visits to the state in recent months, including one last week.Former President Barack Obama campaigned in Cleveland over the weekend for Brown, Acton and more Democrats. Talarico and Paxton hold dueling rallies in Texas 02:09 Talarico and Paxton hold dueling rallies in Texas (02:09)