Voters Head to Polls for Midterm Elections While Supreme Court Opens New Term

Election Day arrives Tuesday, Nov. 3, as American voters cast ballots in local, state, and federal races. The midterms will determine which party controls Congress for the remainder of President Donald Trump's second term. Republicans currently hold the majority and aim to retain it, while Democrats seek to capture both chambers.

All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are up for election. Additionally, 35 Senate seats are contested, with races in Texas, Michigan, and Alaska drawing particular attention. Current polls label the Senate contests in those states as toss-ups. Voters in 36 states will also elect their governors on the same day.

The Supreme Court begins its November oral argument session on the same day voting takes place. The court has scheduled seven hours of arguments spread across five days, running from Nov. 2 through Nov. 10. This schedule places the start of the new term directly alongside the national voting process.

The case of St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy serves as the focal point of this session. The dispute centers on whether a Catholic preschool's exclusion from Colorado's universal preschool program constitutes religious discrimination. The justices will hear arguments in this matter on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Legal teams will present their positions during the first day of the session. The outcome of the case could influence how universal public programs interact with religious institutions. The court's docket remains busy as it moves through the week.

Voters across the country will finalize their choices on Tuesday. The results of these races will set the political direction for the final two years of the current administration. The Supreme Court will continue its deliberations on the Colorado preschool case following the oral arguments.