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Election updates: Trump admin to send poll monitors to Philly; two Pa. House races shift towards Democrats

Election Day is Tuesday in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and across the country.

A Philadelphia Election Warehouse employee demonstrates the flattening phase of the mail-in and absentee ballot process to make scanning easier.
A Philadelphia Election Warehouse employee demonstrates the flattening phase of the mail-in and absentee ballot process to make scanning easier. Read more
Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer
What you should know

  1. The 2026 midterm elections are Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls will be open in Pennsylvania from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. in New Jersey.

  2. Read our complete 2026 Pa. voter's guide, which includes information on the candidates, polling places, and an address search to see what your ballot will look like.

  3. The final polls show a blue surge across the country, including in Pa. Can we trust them?

  4. We watched 587 midterm TV ads to see how politicians are trying to secure your vote. Here’s what we learned.

  5. Philly sports team owners are sending big checks to Josh Shapiro. But he’s not the only one.

Two Pennsylvania House races shift towards Democrats

As the 2026 midterm elections draw near, two closely-watched Pennsylvania House races appear to be shifting in the Democrat's favor.

Among the 12 last-minute House rating changes is Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District, which Cook moved from "Lean Republican" to "Toss Up."

In the Bucks County district, incumbent Brian Fitzpatrick – the last remaining House Republican in the Philadelphia suburbs – is trying fight off a challenge from Buck County Commissioner Bob Harvie.

The DOJ plans to send poll monitors to Philly on Election Day. Here’s what we know.

The U.S. Department of Justice plans to send election monitors to polling places in Philadelphia and three other Pennsylvania counties on Election Day. Whether that’s cause for concern or business as usual is up for debate.

It’s not uncommon for the federal government to deploy election monitors. However, the plan has raised alarms due to President Donald Trump’s track record of disputing election results. The DOJ, which is run by Trump’s former personal attorney Todd Blanche, said the goal is to make sure federal law is followed.

The Pennsylvania Department of State, which oversees elections in the commonwealth, shared some of the DOJ’s communications, as well as its plans. Here’s what we know:

The final polls show a Democratic surge. Can we trust them?

Democrats gained ground right to the end in the final New York Times/Siena University polls of the 2026 midterm campaign. The party is ahead in all seven states likeliest to decide control of the Senate: Michigan, Kansas, Texas, Maine, Ohio and, more narrowly, Alaska and Iowa.

A substantial Democratic lead in Texas? Kansas? Anything like these results would have been unfathomable just a few months ago.

In today’s polarized era, there’s no precedent for a party to fare this well in so many states that are generally safe wins for the other side. The only plausible comparisons are the Democratic victories in 2006 and 2008, but the recent polls outpace even those. The average of all polls shows Democrats leading in the same states as the Times/Siena surveys, giving the party the edge in more solidly Republican Senate seats than it managed to flip in 2006 and 2008 combined.

Where to drop off your mail ballot

Election Day is right around the corner, and deadlines for mail-in voters are fast approaching.

Pennsylvanians who are casting their vote by mail have until 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, to get their filled-out ballots to their county board of elections. (The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot has passed; if you missed it, you can vote in person or request an emergency absentee ballot.)

There’s a couple ways to ensure your vote counts. Here’s what to know.

Your guide to the 2026 Pa. midterms

Pennsylvania, can you believe it? It’s almost here. Voters across the Keystone State are gearing up to cast their ballots in November’s midterm elections, which will decide the balance of power in Harrisburg and Washington.

Control of the U.S. House could come down to a few key Pennsylvania congressional districts, including one in the Philly suburbs. And the election will determine whether Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro holds onto the governor’s office as he faces a challenge from Republican Stacy Garrity.

Pennsylvanians will also make their voices heard in state House elections and state Senate races as Democrats vie for their first trifecta in Harrisburg in decades. The majority in the state Senate will likely come down to a handful of competitive races in the eastern half of the state.