Millions Vote in Midterm Elections as Polls Close Across Key States
Control of Congress hangs in the balance, shaping the remainder of Donald Trump's presidency.
Carla Rooney
Millions of US voters have gone to the polls in midterm elections.
All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are contested, alongside 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate. These congressional races are the most expensive in US history.
Early results reveal significant outcomes. Democrat Mark Warner secured re-election to the US Senate. Republican Hal Rogers is projected to win Kentucky's 5th congressional district. Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff's re-election marked an early win for Democrats on election night.
The midterm elections will definitively determine which party controls Congress. Democrats must achieve a net gain of four seats to seize control of the House.
Should Democrats secure even one chamber, they could obstruct Mr. Trump’s remaining time in office and initiate investigations into his administration's conduct. The president would still retain executive authority in key areas, alongside veto power.
I think the results are going to be better than you think.
A series of state governorships are also being contested.
Legal challenges have punctuated the electoral process. A federal judge dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit that sought to delay certification of Alaska's Senate election.
Separately, the Supreme Court rejected a Justice Department request to block California from counting mail-in ballots from voters who might not be US citizens.
Ballots are currently being counted in states including Kentucky, Virginia, Indiana, and Florida. The first individual race calls were expected after polls closed in Indiana and Kentucky at 6 p.m. (ET) on Tuesday.
Donald Trump stated, "I think the results are going to be better than you think." Election officials will continue processing ballots received through Election Day. Ballot counting in 2022 will extend beyond election day; the full House picture will emerge a week later.