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Polls opened Tuesday in the U.S. midterm elections, with Americans choosing all 435 members of the House of Representatives, 35 senators and 36 governors in a vote that will shape the last two years of U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term.
Voting began at 6 a.m. local time in states including New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Virginia, with polls opening across other time zones through the day. The first polls close at 6 p.m. local time in Indiana and Kentucky, and the last in Alaska at 1 a.m. local time Wednesday.
Republicans control both chambers. Democrats need three House gains and a net four Senate seats to take both.
Republicans hold 218 House seats to Democrats’ 214, with one independent and two vacancies.
Some 48% of registered voters named the cost of living as their top issue, compared with 26% for democratic norms and 13% for immigration, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found. U.S. fuel prices have surged since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran in February.
Some 25% of voters said military action against Iran had been worth the cost, while 55% said it had not, the poll showed.
Democrats led Republicans 46% to 38% on the generic ballot, down from an 11-point lead a week earlier. Trump’s approval stood at 32%, according to Reuters/Ipsos.
Decision Desk HQ’s final forecast projected 241 House seats for Democrats and 194 for Republicans, and a 52-48 Democratic Senate majority.
Republicans say Trump’s tax cuts and immigration crackdown will benefit Americans and portray Democratic candidates as left-wing radicals.
"This is the last day before the midterm elections, the most important midterm I believe in our lifetime," Trump said Monday. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called Trump’s final campaign appearance a "pathetic closing message."
Competitive Senate races are underway in states including Georgia, Michigan, Maine, Alaska, North Carolina, Ohio and Iowa.
More than 57 million Americans voted early, out of about 210 million registered voters.
Some 77% of voters said they were confident their ballots would be counted, while 45% said they believe voter fraud is a widespread problem, the Reuters/Ipsos poll found. Trump has repeatedly alleged widespread fraud without evidence; the White House says its goal is to safeguard election integrity.
A court ruled against a Justice Department bid to potentially block certification of Alaska’s Senate race, and the Supreme Court rejected a bid to force California to set aside more than 20,000 mail-in ballots.
"I veto everything," Trump said Monday on a podcast when asked about losing Congress, though he said he might eventually strike deals with Democrats.
The new Congress takes office Jan. 3, 2027. Follow live updates on the U.S. midterm elections throughout the day.
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