US midterm elections under way as voters head to the polls in Vermont and the East Coast

In brief

• Voting in the US midterm elections began on November 3, starting with polling stations in Vermont.
• Democrats are seeking to win control of at least one chamber of Congress from Republicans, which would limit Trump's power.
• More than 50 million Americans voted early, a midterm record, and polls show Democrats ahead by about eight points.

Voting opens on the East Coast

The first polling stations opened in the northeastern state of Vermont, and voting has started in states along the eastern seaboard. The midterm vote decides the whole House of Representatives and a third of the Senate, along with many state offices. (USA: Rozpoczęło się głosowanie w wyborach połówkowych – Rzeczpospolita) (В США стартовали промежуточные выборы в Конгресс – Charter 97) (У США стартували проміжні вибори до Конгресу – Європейська правда) (Wybory do Kongresu USA. O co toczy się gra, jak przebiega głosowanie i kiedy będą wyniki? – wyborcza.pl)

What is at stake

Democrats are seeking to take the majority in the Senate and the House of Representatives from the Republicans, who hold both chambers. A Democratic win in at least one of them would give Congress a real check on Trump's second term, reducing his room to pass legislation and shaping his political influence for the next two years. (В США открылись первые участки на промежуточных выборах: когда ждать результатов голосования – NV) (День битвы за Конгресс. Что изменят промежуточные выборы в США, почему они решающие для Трампа и в каких штатах гонка самая ожесточенная – NV)

Early voting and polls

Early voting has already set a record for a midterm election. More than 50 million Americans had cast their ballots before election day, according to the Election Lab at the University of Florida, which is about 10 percent above the 2022 midterm total. Surveys point to a lead for the Democrats of roughly eight percentage points. (На выборах в Конгресс США установлен рекорд досрочного голосования – Charter 97)

In the 27 states that report party registration among early voters, 43.4 percent were registered Democrats, 31.6 percent Republicans and 25 percent were not registered with either major party, a gap of 11.8 points in the Democrats' favour.

Counting and results

Voting continues through the day, and the outcome will depend on the most closely contested races across several states. Results are expected to come in throughout the night as ballots are counted.

Read also

• US midterm elections on November 3: Democrats seek control of Congress as Trump signals possible veto fight
• Record early voting ahead of US midterms: over 43 million ballots already cast