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

Voters are heading to the polls Tuesday in Texas, North Carolina and Arkansas, marking the start of the 2026 midterm cycle. Politics Polls start closing in today's primaries in Texas, North Carolina and Arkansas By Joe Walsh Joe Walsh Senior Editor, Politics Joe Walsh is a senior editor for digital politics at CBS News. Joe previously covered breaking news for Forbes and local news in Boston. Read Full Bio Joe Walsh Updated on: March 3, 2026 / 7:39 PM EST / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Voters in three states are headed to the polls Tuesday in a set of primary elections that mark the start of the 2026 midterm cycle — and could highlight internal debates among both Democrats and Republicans over the future of their parties.. Polls closed at 7:30 p.m. ET throughout most of North Carolina. The North Carolina State Board of Elections posted on social media that voting would be extended for one hour at a Halifax County voting site after delays on Tuesday morning, meaning there will not be any primary results until polls close at 8:30 p.m. Polls in Texas will close across most of the state at 8 p.m. ET, and will close in the state's westernmost corner at 9 p.m. ET and in Dallas County at 10 p.m., delaying primary results until then. Arkansas will close at 8:30 p.m. ET.The primaries come as Democrats seek to retake the House and Senate, while Republicans vie to hold onto — or possibly expand — their narrow majorities. Republicans are facing historical headwinds as the party that controls the White House traditionally loses ground in the House during midterms, though Democrats are contending with a challenging Senate map this year.In Texas, the longtime incumbent GOP Sen. John Cornyn is fighting to hold onto his seat amid primary challenges from Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has questioned Cornyn's conservative credentials, and Rep. Wesley Hunt, who has cast Cornyn as a "career politician." In the Texas Senate contest, Democrats are also choosing between state Rep. James Talarico and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, both of whom are trying to convince primary voters that they're capable of being the first Democrat to win a statewide race in Texas since the mid-1990s. A handful of House districts in Texas also have competitive primaries. GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales is facing a repeat primary challenge from hard-right gun advocate Brandon Herrera that has been shaken up in recent weeks due to an alleged affair between Gonzales and a staffer who later died by suicide. Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw is also trying to fend off a primary challenge from state Rep. Steve Toth.And on the Democratic side, Tejano musician Bobby Pulido is facing off against emergency physician Ada Cuellar for the party's nomination in the heavily GOP-leaning 15th district, while 11-term incumbent Rep. Al Green is running against newly elected Rep. Christian Menefee in a Houston-area district that was reshaped by last year's redistricting efforts in Texas.Meanwhile in North Carolina, former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley are running for their parties' Senate nominations, as the GOP fights to hold onto the seat in what could be one of the country's most heavily contested Senate primaries. And there's a crowded field for the GOP nomination in the state's 1st House district, which was redrawn and made more challenging for Democrats. © 2026 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.