Polls open across US in midterm elections for Congress control

Voting underway nationwide

Polling stations opened across the United States on Tuesday as nationwide midterm elections got underway, with Americans heading to the polls to choose members of Congress, state governors and thousands of local officials while determining which party will control the legislative agenda for the remainder of President Donald Trump's term. Voting began at 6 am Eastern time (1100GMT) in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Virginia and portions of Indiana and Kentucky, followed by openings in North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia at 6:30 am ET (1130GMT).

A broader wave of polling stations opened at 7 am ET (1200GMT) across Delaware, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, most of Rhode Island, South Carolina and eastern portions of Florida and Michigan. At 7 am Central time (1300GMT), voting began in Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Alabama, Iowa, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Wisconsin, as well as portions of Florida, Kansas, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota and Texas.

Congressional control in balance

All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 Senate seats are being contested in Tuesday's elections, alongside governorships in 36 states. Republicans currently hold majorities in both chambers of Congress, while Democrats are seeking to win control of at least one chamber to limit the president's ability to advance his legislative priorities.

West Coast voting began at 7 am Pacific time (1500GMT) in California, Nevada and Oregon, while Alaska opened at 7 am local time (1600GMT) except for the Aleutian Islands. Opening times in New Hampshire, Tennessee, Vermont and Washington varied by local jurisdiction, though all polls were open in New Hampshire, Vermont and Idaho by 1600GMT. The first regular poll closings are scheduled for 6 pm Eastern time.