An hour-by-hour guide to watching the 2026 midterms and when well know who controls Congress

WASHINGTON — Tuesday will finally end months of speculation and reveal which party will control Congress for the next two years.But it can be anywhere from late Tuesday night until over a week after Election Day before the winner becomes clear, depending on how close the House and Senate races will be.Many forecasters are predicting a blue wave will sweep House races, increasing the odds of knowing who controls the upper chamber late Tuesday or early Wednesday.In recent history, control of the Senate has been determined fairly quickly, but there are a handful of toss-up races this year, including one in Alaska that could face litigation and drag out.

The Post breaks down when the polls close in key races and what to watch out for:The first meaningful signal of the night may come out of Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District.Because the Lexington-area seat sits entirely within the Eastern time zone, its polls are among the earliest in the country to close.President Trump carried the district by 15 points in 2024, but the race has tightened since, and Fox News’ Power Rankings moved it from Lean R to toss-up.

Republican Alvarado faces Democrat Zach Dembo, a former federal prosecutor, for the open seat.A Democratic flip this early in the evening would be a bad omen for House Republicans.The seat is open because Rep.Andy Barr (R-Ky.) is pursuing the Senate seat of the retiring Mitch McConnell.

Barr is favored to beat Democrat Charles Booker.Georgia has two marquee races.Sen.

Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), once considered perhaps the most endangered Democratic incumbent in the Senate, led Rep.Mike Collins (R-Ga.) 48% to 40% in an Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll published Oct.

21.The governor’s race is tighter.Georgia Republicans have a habit of ignoring Trump’s endorsements, as Gov.

Brian Kemp proved when he annihilated Trump-backed David Perdue in 2022.They did so again in June, when billionaire healthcare executive Rick Jackson defeated Trump’s pick, Lt.

Gov....