First polls close in pivotal US midterm elections
Control of Congress on the line with all House seats and 35 Senate seats up for grabs
Quick Look
- Polls began closing in the US midterm elections after a full day of voting, with control of Congress at stake across all 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats.
- Democrats are seeking to retake the House and Senate, while Republicans aim to hold their ground.
- Early results are expected from Kentucky's sixth congressional district, where polls closed at 6pm ET.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The US midterm elections determine control of Congress, with all 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats contested. Democrats are campaigning on combating rising cost of living and ending the US-Israel war on Iran, while seeking to retake the House and Senate from Republicans.
After a full day of voting, the first polls have begun closing in the consequential US midterm elections.
Control of the US Congress is on the line, with all 435 House of Representatives seats and 35 of the Senate's 100 seats up for grabs.
Democrats, who have campaigned on promises to combat the country's rising cost of living and end the US-Israel war on Iran, are eyeing a return to power in the US House. The party is also optimistic it could recapture control of the US Senate from Republicans when all ballots are counted.
The first clues to how the midterms may affect each party will appear in the US state of Kentucky's highly competitive sixth congressional district, where polls closed at 6pm ET (23:00 GMT).
In the conservative district, which includes the state's second-largest city, Lexington, Democrats have invested heavily in the campaign of US Navy veteran Zach Dembo, who is running against a Trump-backed physician and former state lawmaker, Ralph Alvarado.
If Republicans hold the seat, it could signal how the party may perform in other races across the country.
Results from all of the day's races will continue to come in throughout Tuesday evening. But some may not be known until Wednesday, or later, as more states finish voting and officials start releasing their vote counts.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Results from Kentucky's sixth congressional district will provide early clues about each party's performance
Very likely · Within hours
Some election results will not be known until Wednesday or later
Very likely · Within days
Open Questions
- Which party will win control of the House of Representatives?
- Which party will win control of the Senate?
- Who won Kentucky's sixth congressional district?
- When will final results from all states be known?
