The United States is holding its midterm elections on Tuesday, with voters deciding races that could end the Republican Party’s control of Congress under President Donald Trump. The results are being tallied in a political climate marked by the president’s low popularity and voter concerns about the cost of living, immigration policy and the state of democracy.
All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are up for election, along with 35 of the Senate’s 100 seats. Voters are also choosing governors in 36 states, as well as state and local lawmakers. Held halfway through a presidential term, midterm elections are commonly seen as a measure of the administration in power.
Republicans currently control both chambers, but their advantage in the House is narrow. In the Senate, they hold 53 seats. A Democratic victory in either chamber could make it harder for the administration to pass legislation, increase scrutiny of the executive branch and constrain Trump’s agenda during the remaining two years of his term.
Polling and projections suggest Republicans face a difficult contest, despite efforts by Trump and his allies to redraw electoral maps in several states. The economy is voters’ leading concern, while declining presidential approval and weaker support among some Latino voters pose further challenges for governing-party candidates.
The Senate races in Texas, Maine, Ohio, Iowa, Michigan, Alaska and Kansas are among the most competitive. Vote counts from those seven states are being tracked in the maps accompanying this report.
Polls are expected to close at around 9 p.m. Brasília time on the East Coast and at 1 a.m. Wednesday on the West Coast.
Sources: Folha Mundo.