Americans vote as Democrats seek control of Congress
Voting is under way across the United States in midterm elections that will decide control of Congress for the last two years of Donald Trump’s presidency. Democrats need net gains of three House seats and four in the Senate, and go into polling day with a nine-point lead on the generic ballot in CNN’s poll of polls. The first polls close at 23:00 GMT.
Control of the House may become clear overnight, NPR reports, but the Senate could take days, with seven states especially competitive and two using ranked-choice voting. Ballot-scanning machines failed in part of Westchester County, New York, a pivotal House district, and flooding forced 23 Florida polling places to move. The Justice Department has sent about 1,000 monitors to 126 jurisdictions. Spending is projected at nearly $12bn, the most on record. Mr Trump will watch results with allies in the White House East Room.