Midterms: US elections: First polling stations close

The congressional elections midway through Donald Trump's four-year term are seen as a vote on his policies. In some districts the election has already been completed.

250 million eligible voters in the USA are called upon to cast their votes.

Washington. The first polling stations are closing in the important congressional elections in the USA. In parts of the states of Indiana and Kentucky, voting should end at 6:00 p.m. local time (midnight CET). Since the USA spans several time zones, the election takes a very long time: in large parts of Alaska and Hawaii, the polling stations are open until 6 a.m. CET.

In the so-called midterms, President Donald Trump's Republican Republican majority is at stake in both chambers of Congress. The elections are also seen as an important test of sentiment for the president around two years after his return to the White House.

The first results are expected during the night - but it is unclear when the majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate will be determined. If the result is close, this can take several days.

Millions of US citizens had already voted in advance. According to the University of Florida's Election Lab, nearly 61 million voters cast their ballots before Election Day. In the 2022 midterms there were almost 46 million.