Joliet voters weigh House control as polls open in Illinois

Polls opened at 6 a.m. On Tuesday, November 3, 2026, for voters in Will County and across Illinois. Residents in Joliet, Naperville, Bolingbrook, Orland Park, Tinley Park, and Downers Grove are casting their votes in a midterm election that will determine the balance of power in the United States Congress for the final two years of President Donald Trump's second term.

In Illinois, the ballot includes an open seat for the U.S. Senate, with no incumbent running for re-election. Voters are choosing between Democratic and Republican candidates for this federal office. The state is also electing a governor, with incumbent JB Pritzker of the Democratic Party seeking to retain his position against opponents from the Republican, Green, and Independent parties.

Every U.S. House seat in Illinois is on the ballot, along with state and local offices. The outcome of these races contributes to the national tally where all 435 House seats are up for grabs. Republicans currently hold 218 seats, while Democrats hold 214, with one independent holding the remaining seat.

The margin for control in the House is extremely narrow. Democrats need a net gain of three districts to secure a majority, meaning they must win three more seats than they currently hold. Conversely, Republicans can afford to lose no more than two seats to maintain their current advantage. This three seat difference defines the stakes for the 46 battleground districts identified by Ballotpedia.

Ballotpedia counts 25 of these battleground districts as currently held by Democrats and 21 as held by Republicans. The competitiveness of these races is influenced by recent redistricting. Six states are using new congressional maps after mid decade redistricting, including California, Florida, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. Ohio is also utilizing a new map for its elections.

The Associated Press describes the election as a referendum on the president's second term, noting that voters are struggling with high prices and are angry over an unpopular war with Iran. An AP NORC poll indicates that 35 percent of U.S. Adults approve of Trump's job performance, while only 25 percent approve of his handling of the economy. About seven in 10 respondents say the country is heading in the wrong direction, with most blaming the president for high costs.

More than 57 million people had already voted as of Monday, surpassing the early vote totals of four years ago in many closely watched states. Republican officials were bracing for the possibility of losing the House, while Democrats expressed cautious optimism. Trump held dozens of rallies in the final days, ending his schedule in Salina, Kansas, where he urged voters to support his party's candidates.

In the Senate, 35 of 100 seats are up for election. This includes 33 regular elections and two special elections for the remainder of terms previously held by Marco Rubio and JD Vance. Republicans hold 53 seats and Democrats 45, with two independents who caucus with the Democrats. Democrats need a net gain of four seats to take control of the Senate, a task that is complicated by the fact that Republicans can only afford to lose two seats.

The 2026 elections are likely to be the most expensive in history. Republican committees outraised and outspent Democratic committees, aided by Trump affiliated groups and Elon Musk. However, at the candidate level, Democrats outraised their opponents. An analysis of AdImpact data shows that 88.1 percent of Republican general election TV ad spending went to states and districts that Trump won in 2024.

Voters in Joliet and surrounding towns are also considering the impact of federal administration actions on their daily lives. A federal judge temporarily barred the Trump administration from implementing a plan to prevent noncitizen voting, a move critics argued could disenfranchise eligible voters. The U.S. Postal Service added staff and hours to ensure mail ballots are counted on time, reflecting the high volume of participation seen in recent elections.

The race for the governorship in Illinois is part of a broader national contest involving 36 governorships. Democrats are hoping to hold a majority of governorships for the first time in two decades. In Illinois, the outcome of the gubernatorial race will influence the state's political direction and its relationship with the federal government. Voters in the Joliet area are turning out in large numbers to shape this landscape.

As polls close at 7 p.m. Local time, the focus turns to the counting of ballots in the 46 battleground districts. The final tally will reveal whether Democrats can achieve the three seat net gain needed for House control or if Republicans can withstand the midterm wave. The results of these races will set the stage for the final two years of the current presidential term and the upcoming 2028 cycle.