WASHINGTON — In-person voting for the 2026 US midterm elections began Friday, opening the final six-week stretch in a contest that will decide which party controls Congress and how much room the White House has to pursue its agenda.

The Associated Press reported that early voters were casting ballots in states including Virginia, where 18-year-old student Sanya Singhal arrived before a polling location opened. Election administrators said they were prepared and confident that the vote would be accurate and secure.

Voters are making their choices against a difficult political backdrop. AP described a cost-of-living crisis, a prolonged war in Iran and disputes over the administration of elections as central issues in the campaign. The contests include every seat in the House and a large share of the Senate, making turnout and ballot rules consequential well before November’s main polling day.

The administration of the vote is itself under pressure. AP reported that President Donald Trump has focused on efforts to assert greater federal control over election administration, even though the Constitution gives states — and in some cases Congress — responsibility for running elections. The postal service has also become an unlikely arbiter in disputes over eligibility and mail voting.

The opening of early voting is therefore both a logistical event and a political test. The ballot count is not yet a forecast of the final result, but the first voters are now exercising the power that the campaign has spent months trying to mobilise: deciding which party will write laws, investigate the executive and control the congressional agenda.

Reporting note: this article is based on the source record listed above and is current as of 18 September 2026, 16:50 BST. Figures, operational claims and casualty counts may change as authorities update their accounts.