Polls start closing in today's primaries in Texas, North Carolina and Arkansas

Voters successful 3 states are headed to the polls Tuesday successful a acceptable of superior elections that people the commencement of the 2026 midterm rhythm — and could item interior debates among some Democrats and Republicans implicit the aboriginal of their parties.

. Polls closed astatine 7:30 p.m. ET passim astir of North Carolina. The North Carolina State Board of Elections posted connected societal media that voting would beryllium extended for 1 hr astatine a Halifax County voting tract aft delays connected Tuesday morning, meaning determination volition not beryllium immoderate superior results until polls adjacent astatine 8:30 p.m. 

Polls successful Texas volition adjacent crossed astir of the authorities astatine 8 p.m. ET, and volition adjacent successful the state's westernmost country astatine 9 p.m. ET and successful Dallas County astatine 10 p.m., delaying superior results until then. 

Arkansas volition adjacent astatine 8:30 p.m. ET.

The primaries travel arsenic Democrats question to retake the House and Senate, portion Republicans vie to clasp onto — oregon perchance grow — their constrictive majorities. Republicans are facing humanities headwinds arsenic the enactment that controls the White House traditionally loses crushed successful the House during midterms, though Democrats are contending with a challenging Senate representation this year.

In Texas, the longtime incumbent GOP Sen. John Cornyn is fighting to clasp onto his seat amid superior challenges from Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has questioned Cornyn's blimpish credentials, and Rep. Wesley Hunt, who has formed Cornyn arsenic a "career politician." 

In the Texas Senate contest, Democrats are besides choosing betwixt authorities Rep. James Talarico and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, some of whom are trying to person superior voters that they're susceptible of being the archetypal Democrat to triumph a statewide contention successful Texas since the mid-1990s.

A fistful of House districts successful Texas besides person competitory primaries. GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales is facing a repetition superior situation from hard-right weapon advocator Brandon Herrera that has been shaken up successful caller weeks owed to an alleged affair betwixt Gonzales and a staffer who aboriginal died by suicide. Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw is besides trying to fend disconnected a superior situation from authorities Rep. Steve Toth.

And connected the Democratic side, Tejano instrumentalist Bobby Pulido is facing disconnected against exigency doc Ada Cuellar for the party's information successful the heavy GOP-leaning 15th district, portion 11-term incumbent Rep. Al Green is moving against recently elected Rep. Christian Menefee successful a Houston-area territory that was reshaped by past year's redistricting efforts successful Texas.

Meanwhile successful North Carolina, erstwhile Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and erstwhile Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley are moving for their parties' Senate nominations, arsenic the GOP fights to clasp onto the spot successful what could beryllium 1 of the country's astir heavy contested Senate primaries. And there's a crowded tract for the GOP information successful the state's 1st House district, which was redrawn and made much challenging for Democrats.