Federal Elections: Why They Matter in 2026

By: Deborah Dietz

Why Federal Elections Matter to Disabled Voters

Federal elections directly affect the laws and programs that support people with disabilities.

Members of Congress decide:

• How much funding goes to Medicaid and Medicare
• How disability rights laws are enforced
• Support for accessible housing
• Funding for special education and transition services
• Workplace protections

These decisions affect daily life, such as healthcare, housing, employment, education, and independence.

When Congress changes, priorities, funding, and protections can change.

Voting in federal elections helps determine who makes these decisions for the next two years.

For people with disabilities, these choices matter.

Your vote helps shape the direction of federal policy and the future of disability rights.

 What Offices Are Elected at the Federal Level?

Federal elections choose the leaders who serve at the national level in Washington, D.C.

There are three branches of the federal government, but voters directly elect members of only one branch: Congress.

Congress has two parts:

• The U.S. House of Representatives
• The U.S. Senate

These are the offices voters elect at the federal level.

Members of Congress write and vote on federal laws. They decide how federal money is spent and oversee national programs.

The President is also a federal office, but presidential elections happen every four years. The next presidential election will be in 2028, not in 2026.

 Who Represents You at the Federal Level?

Every voter in the United States is represented in Congress by:

• One U.S. Representative
• Two U.S. Senators

Your U.S. Representative represents your local congressional district. Districts are smaller areas within your state. Your two U.S. Senators represent your entire state.

These elected officials serve on your behalf in Washington, D.C. They vote on laws that affect the entire country, including those that impact disability rights, healthcare, housing, employment, and education.

They make decisions about federal funding, national policies, and oversight of government programs.

The people elected to these offices help determine how federal laws are written, enforced, and funded.

 What Federal Offices Are on the Ballot in 2026?

During the 2026 federal election:

• All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives will be on the ballot.
• About one-third of the 100 U.S. Senate seats will be on the ballot.

U.S. Representatives serve two-year terms, which is why all House seats are up for election every two years.

U.S. Senators serve six-year terms, so only a portion of Senate seats are up for election at a time.

 How can You Find out who is running in 2026?

You can use Vote411 to find out if your senators are up for re-election.

• Go to vote411.org and enter your home address to find who is on your ballot.
• Vote411 will show you only the races you are eligible to vote in, including federal elections (U.S. House and U.S. Senate), based on your address.
• If your U.S. Senator is running for re-election in 2026, that race will appear on your ballot list on Vote411. If they are not up for re-election that year, it won’t show a Senate race for them.

 Looking Ahead to 2026

The 2026 midterm elections will help decide who writes federal laws and sets national priorities.

For people with disabilities, these decisions affect independence, opportunity, and access to services.

Understanding what offices are on the ballot and how federal elections work is the first step.

Being informed is how we prepare.

Participating is how we help shape the future.