Millions of Americans are heading to the polls as the United States midterm elections begin, with voters choosing all 435 members of the House of Representatives and 35 senators. The results are widely viewed as a test of President Donald Trump’s policies and his administration’s performance.
Polling stations opened at 6 a.m. local time in many states along the East Coast, including New York and New Hampshire. In the northeastern state of Vermont, some polling stations opened an hour earlier, as scheduled.
Voting began at 7 a.m. local time in much of Republican stronghold Texas, as well as in Colorado and California on the West Coast. The last polling stations are expected to open in Alaska and Hawaii.
The first results are expected overnight into Wednesday, Central European Time. However, it remains unclear how quickly it will become apparent which party will control either chamber of Congress.
Millions of Americans Have Already Voted Early
Although official Election Day voting began today, millions of Americans have already cast their ballots.
According to the University of Florida’s Election Lab, nearly 58.7 million early votes had been recorded shortly before the first polling stations opened in Vermont. Voters took advantage of mail-in ballots or cast their votes in person before Election Day.
What Is at Stake in the Midterm Elections?
In Tuesday’s elections, voters are choosing all 435 members of the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate.
According to polling, Democrats could win control of the House of Representatives, while the outcome in the Senate remains uncertain.
Midterm elections, held halfway through a president’s four-year term, are traditionally seen as a referendum of sorts on the sitting president’s policies. In this case, the results will offer an indication of how Americans view Trump’s performance in office.
If Democrats win a majority in either or both chambers of Congress, they would theoretically gain significantly greater power to oversee the Trump administration and scrutinize its policies.
Because the majority party controls the chairmanships of congressional committees, Democrats could launch investigations and summon government officials to testify under oath.
The U.S. Constitution also gives the House of Representatives the authority to initiate impeachment proceedings against the president. The Senate then decides whether to remove the president from office, a decision that requires a two-thirds majority — a threshold that is difficult to reach.
