WASHINGTON: Americans headed to the polls on Tuesday in high-stakes US midterm elections that will determine the balance of power in Washington and shape President Donald Trump’s final two years in office.
Voters across the nation are casting ballots to decide whether Republicans can maintain their legislative majorities or if Democrats will seize control of Congress.
Republicans currently hold a narrow 218–214 majority in the House and a 53–47 edge in the Senate, alongside 36 gubernatorial races across the country.
The electoral battleground centres on key Senate contests in conservative-leaning states, with final polling indicators showing tight races. More than 50.8 million Americans cast early or absentee ballots ahead of Tuesday, reflecting massive turnout.
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Meanwhile, federal authorities maintained heightened security following the recent arrest of an Oklahoma man suspected of mailing suspicious packages to election offices nationwide.
On the legal front, the US Supreme Court rejected an emergency request by the Trump administration to set aside 20,000 California mail-in ballots.
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Polling stations began closing at 6:00 pm EST as election officials prepared to tabulate initial results. American voters headed to the polls in the US midterm elections on Tuesday to determine control of the House and Senate, threatening President Donald Trump’s legislative majorities.
(With input from Reuters and Al Jazeera)
