November ballot has 435 House seats, 35 Senate races

What the numbers mean

All 435 U.S. House seats and 35 U.S. Senate races are on the November ballot. Together, that makes 470 congressional contests nationwide.

The House figure counts seats, while the Senate figure counts races; neither number is a candidate total. The figures also describe contests for two separate chambers of Congress, so they should not be read as one nationwide race.

The national count is broader than any one voter’s ballot. A voter sees the congressional contests connected to that voter’s location, not every House and Senate contest included in the national total. A Senate race appears on ballots where that contest is being held, while House contests correspond to particular seats.

What the count does not show

The figures answer how many House seats and Senate races are on the ballot nationally. They do not identify candidate names, ballot order, voting procedures or when results will be completed.

The number of candidates in a contest does not change the national race count. A contest remains one race whether it has two names on the ballot or more. Likewise, 435 House seats means 435 separate House contests rather than one vote covering the entire chamber.

The distinction matters when voters review ballot information. The national figures describe the overall scale of the congressional election, while an individual ballot presents only the House and Senate contests applicable to that voter.