In brief

• Polling stations opened across the United States on Tuesday for the midterm elections.
• Democrats held a lead in several battleground states in polls before the vote.
• Trump warned of being a "Mr Veto" if Democrats win and joked about becoming Israel's prime minister.
• Results from the closest races may take days to finalise.

Voting opens across the country

Polling stations opened in all US states on Tuesday, with Alaska and Hawaii among the last to begin voting. Long lines were reported in Georgia, New York, Michigan and Pennsylvania, while bad weather in the southwest affected turnout in parts of that region (Midterm, l'America al voto: seggi aperti in tutti gli Usa. Primo risultato: Guam ai repubblicani LA DIRETTA – ANSA) (Midterm, l'America al voto: aprono anche Alaska e Hawaii, seggi aperti in tutti gli Usa  LA DIRETTA – ANSA) (Midterm, l'America al voto: lunghe code ai seggi in Georgia, New York, Michigan e Pennsylvania. LA DIRETTA – ANSA). Early results were expected to come in through the evening.

Democrats ahead in key states

Polls going into election day showed Democrats holding a lead in several battleground states, a development that has unsettled the White House (Midterm, oggi l'America al voto. Per i sondaggi i dem avanti negli Stati chiave. LA DIRETTA – ANSA). In the days before the vote, Democrats widened their advantage in the surveys. Trump warned that a Democratic win would turn him into what he called a "Mr Veto" who could block legislation from a Congress controlled by the opposition (I dem aumentano il vantaggio. Trump: 'Se vincono loro sarò Mr Veto' – ANSA).

What comes next

Results from the closest races may take days to finalise. The outcome will shape how much room the administration has for the remaining two years of Trump's term (Rush finale alle midterm, Trump teme l'ondata dem – ANSA).

Read also

• US midterms test whether Democrats can check Trump's final two years in office
• US Midterms 2026: Polls Suggest Voters May Punish Trump at the Ballot Box
• US midterm elections under way as voters head to the polls in Vermont and the East Coast