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Time to Vote!

On Election Day, voters will choose many of the leaders who create our nation’s laws.

October 26, 2026
By Parker Van Nostrand

Shutterstock.com

The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., where members of Congress meet

November 3 is Election Day in the United States this year. People will vote in elections called midterms. They’re called that because they happen midway through the president’s four-year term. Americans won’t be voting for president, but they will choose other leaders.

Voters will pick many of the people who represent them in the U.S. Congress. This branch of the federal government has two parts: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Voters will elect people to all 435 seats in the House. They will vote for 35 out of 100 people in the Senate.

In 36 states, people will also elect a governor, the head of a state government. Thousands of other state and local elections will take place too.

Time to Vote!
Watch a video about what happens on Election Day.

Laws of the Land

The midterms are important because many of the people elected will create our laws.

Members of Congress write bills, or proposals for new national laws. If Congress passes a bill, the president can sign it into law. 

The midterms decide which political party controls each part of Congress. The two main parties are the Democrats and the Republicans. Right now, Republicans control both parts of Congress. President Donald Trump is a Republican. Ideas he supports have a good chance of becoming laws. But that might change if Democrats get control of Congress.

Local Rules

Local and state leaders also make laws. Those rules affect everything from education to community parks. 

Over the years, officials have passed laws that might now seem silly. Many elected leaders can repeal, or do away with, laws that no longer make sense. Here are three laws that might surprise you.

No Pinball for Kids!

Illustrations by Luke Newell

Have you ever played pinball? For decades, kids in South Carolina weren’t legally allowed to play!

In the early days of pinball, players had no way to control the ball. Since it was a game of chance, some people considered it gambling. Many places across the U.S. banned people from playing.

Flippers were added in the 1940s, turning pinball into a game of skill. By the 1970s, most places had made it legal to play again. But it wasn’t until this May that South Carolina lifted the ban for kids there.

No Fishing With Your Bare Hands!

Illustrations by Luke Newell

Indiana has a law banning people from fishing with dynamite, poison, and . . . their bare hands? That might sound fishy, but the law was created for a reason.

Some people use a process called noodling to catch catfish. They reach underwater, wait for a fish to bite their hands, and then grab it. Experts say noodling can disturb the places where catfish reproduce. And it’s hard to see what’s lurking underwater, so people could accidentally catch an animal that they’re not allowed to. If you’d like to catch your dinner, bring a fishing rod!

No Playing Catch!

Illustrations by Luke Newell

Playing catch might seem harmless. But until this year, in Los Angeles, California, it could have cost you $1,000 in fines or even six months in jail!

An old law made it illegal to play catch on streets, on sidewalks, or in some parts of public parks. The law, which officials believe dates back to 1945, was meant to keep people safe.

Earlier this year, the Los Angeles City Council began the process of repealing the law. Kids could soon be free to toss a ball without breaking the law!

1. Based on the article, what are some of the types of leaders Americans will be choosing on Election Day?

2. What are political parties, according to the article? What are the two main political parties in the U.S.?

3. Why did the author include information about the South Carolina law saying kids could not play pinball?

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