2026 United States elections

Incumbent Republican Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election against Democrat Kamala Harris in part due to campaign promises such as economic renewal from the 2021–2023 inflation surge, and American domestication away from foreign entanglements such as the Gaza war and the Russo-Ukrainian war. The second Trump administration has imposed tariffs on much of the world with the intent to re-industrialize America, a decision that received mixed reception. It was criticized by experts and global leaders for worsening inflation rather than fighting it. The administration's immigration policies, including deportations by ICE due to strengthened funding via the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, were also scrutinized by experts and activists. The outbreak of the 2026 Iran war on 28 February introduced a further complicating factor, with rising gasoline prices emerging as a central electoral concern. Analysts argued that gasoline prices represented the most direct channel through which the costs of the Iran war were transmitted to American voters, and that domestic electoral pressure from fuel costs was a primary political driver behind the Trump administration's push toward a ceasefire ahead of the November midterms. The 2026 elections will be the first federal elections since the 2016 presidential contest where ABC News, CNN, CBS News, NBC News, the Associated Press and Fox News will use one election survey, the Voter Poll by SSRS, to measure voters' opinions and preferences. From 2018 to 2024, the former four news networks continued to use data from the National Election Pool while the Associated Press and Fox News relied on AP VoteCast. Although Trump will not be listed as a candidate on any state ballot in 2026, voters' views of his presidency will likely be a factor in the election. During the 2025 off year elections, exit polls found that many voted in opposition to Trump or said that he was not a factor. Surveys released in late 2025 and early 2026 find that many view Trump's handling of the economy and immigration, two issues that propelled him to victory in the 2024 election, negatively. During elections held in his first term, Trump was on the minds of many who voted. The Republican Party performed worse than expected in the November 2025 general elections. Democratic candidates Abigail Spanberger of Virginia and Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey won their gubernatorial races over their Republican opponents by larger than expected margins. Democrats performed strongly in the concurrent state legislative elections, winning a supermajority in the New Jersey General Assembly and expanding their majority in the Virginia House of Delegates. In New York City, Democrat Zohran Mamdani, a self-identified democratic socialist, was elected mayor in a three-way race against independent former governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. The main theme of the elections was affordability. Allegations of attempted election subversion In January 2026, The Washington Post reported that the second Trump administration had undertaken several tactics, including mid-decade redrawing of congressional districts for partisan gain, prosecution of political opponents, and a push to change voting methods and rules, that were meant to undermine confidence in the midterm elections. Trump floated the idea of canceling the elections, citing an expected loss in the elections and a distrust in democratic systems. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later claimed Trump was "speaking facetiously", and was "simply joking". In February, Trump stated that the elections should be nationalized to prevent voter fraud. A day later, Steve Bannon said the federal government was planning to send ICE to patrol polling stations in an attempt to prevent a Democratic victory, vowing to "never again allow an election to be stolen". That month, the House of Representatives passed the SAVE America Act, an amended version of the previously proposed Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act. The bill, if approved by the Senate and signed into law by Trump, would require registering voters to provide proof of citizenship in order to obtain or renew their voter registration. Voting rights activists allege that such provisions would disenfranchise married women, racial minorities, low-income groups, and people who legally changed their name, among others. On February 27, it was revealed that several right-wing activists are working with the Trump administration to draft an executive order which, if signed, would effectively instate a national emergency and give Trump extended powers over the elections. Trump denied the existence of the executive order. In March, Stateline reported that legislation to "restrict immigration enforcement or the presence of federal forces" near polling places and other election sites has been offered or announced in California, Connecticut, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and Washington. The same month, the Associated Press reported that several Democratic-led states including New Mexico and Virginia are taking steps to counter potential tactics to intimidate voters. In May, Ned Lamont, the governor of Connecticut, signed into law a bill that restricts immigration enforcement at locations including schools and places of worship. The legislation also prohibits law enforcement from wearing facial coverings or personal disguises. Louisiana v. Callais ==Federal elections==