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NEW YORK - The 2026 midterm elections will decide control of the next U.S. Congress and key state leadership, including New York’s statewide offices.
Before the general election, each state will hold primaries to determine which candidates appear on the November ballot.
By the numbers:
In New York, the June primary will narrow the field of candidates who will compete in the November general election for several important posts, per Ballotpedia.
- U.S. House of Representatives — All congressional districts will hold primaries to choose nominees.
- Governor — Incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul is seeking reelection, with the primary determining party nominees for the statewide race.
- State Legislature — All 150 seats in the State Assembly and 63 State Senate seats are up for election.
- Local offices — Municipal and school district elections, including school board races, will also take place in various jurisdictions across the state.
Dig deeper:
The 2026 midterms are expected to be highly competitive and potentially pivotal in determining which party controls the two chambers of Congress. As of April 2026, the Republican Party controls both chambers of Congress.
On Nov. 3, voters will cast ballots for all 435 U.S. House seats, 35 U.S. Senate seats and numerous state and local positions, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.
Voters will decide 33 regularly scheduled Senate seats, plus two special elections to fill the seats vacated by J.D. Vance of Ohio and Marco Rubio of Florida, who left Congress to serve as vice president and secretary of state, respectively.
Voter registration and deadlines
What you can do:
Voters in New York who want to take part in the state’s 2026 primary must register by Saturday, June 13, according to the New York State Board of Elections. This deadline applies to both new registrations and updates to existing voter registrations.
The primary election will be held on Tuesday, June 23. The mail-in ballot request deadline is also June 13, though in-person requests can be made until June 22.
Voters are encouraged to check their registration status and ballot information well before these dates to ensure participation in both the primary and the November general election.
The Source: Information from the New York State Board of Elections, Ballotpedia, the Bipartisan Policy Center, Encyclopedia Britannica and previous FOX 5 NY reporting.