US voters head to the polls in Tuesday’s midterm elections to choose members of the House of Representatives and Senate. The results will also serve as a measure of public opinion on President Donald Trump’s policies, which he has sought to make central to the campaign.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), one of the country’s major LGBTQ+ organizations, estimates that 25.6 million people in the US identify as LGBTQ+. Its annual survey found that 95% of respondents are registered to vote, while 87% said they would definitely vote and a further 7.5% said they probably would.

Civil rights are the leading motivation: three in four LGBTQ+ voters surveyed named them as their most important reason to cast a ballot. Respondents also cited economic security, government accountability, democracy, healthcare and reproductive rights. HRC said rights, equality and protective laws rank among the top priorities across age groups, with younger adults especially likely to emphasize them.

The survey was conducted from August 5 to September 8 among more than 9,000 LGBTQ+ adults in the United States. It did not ask respondents which party they planned to support. However, 95% expressed strong disapproval of Trump’s performance in his second term, and a similar share reported having very little confidence in the Republican Party. By comparison, 38% said they had very little confidence in the Democrats. Eight in ten also said they distrusted the Supreme Court.

The midterms feature around 20 openly LGBTQ+ candidates for Congress. New Hampshire Democrat Chris Pappas could become the first openly gay man elected to the Senate. Sarah McBride, who became the first transgender person elected to the House in 2024, is seeking to retain her seat for Delaware. If Democrats take control of Congress, California representative Robert Garcia is among those being considered for a leadership role on a committee overseeing the Trump administration.

Voters in six states will also decide measures affecting LGBTQ+ people. Washington, Colorado, Missouri, Arizona and Nebraska have proposals that would restrict rights or access to services; Virginia is considering an amendment to remove its constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.

Several state measures concern transgender people. Washington voters will consider proposals on disclosure of students’ personal information to parents and transgender students’ participation in school sports. Arizona, Nebraska and Colorado also have measures addressing transgender athletes. Colorado voters will decide separately whether to restrict gender-affirming care for minors, while Missouri’s Amendment 3 combines a proposed ban on such care with restrictions on abortion rights.

In Virginia, the proposed amendment would repeal the state’s constitutional prohibition on same-sex marriage. The ban has been unenforceable since the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which established federal protection for same-sex marriage. LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have warned that state measures restricting rights could lead to further limits on LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights.

Sources: El País Portada.