US midterm elections on 3 November: control of Congress at stake, first results expected Wednesday

WASHINGTON: The United States is holding midterm elections on Tuesday, 3 November. They will decide which party controls Congress and how the last two years of President Donald Trump’s current term will unfold.

Votes will be cast for all 435 seats in the House of Representatives, 35 seats in the Senate and 36 governorships. Several state and local elections will also be held. Millions of American citizens have already voted through early polling and by post.

The Republican Party currently holds a majority in both chambers. The Democrats want to win 218 seats to take the House. In the Senate, they need a net gain of four seats. Senate contests in Texas, Ohio, Maine, Michigan, Georgia and Alaska are drawing particular attention.

President Trump is not on the ballot himself. However, the results will show whether the Republicans keep their control of Congress or the Democrats gain the power to challenge the administration’s legislative agenda and increase oversight.

According to UAE time, polling stations in Vermont may open first, at 2pm on Tuesday. Voting in parts of Indiana and Kentucky ends at 3am on Wednesday, and the first results and projections may begin to come in after that. The last polling stations, in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, will close at about 10am.

There is no fixed time for the announcement of results across the country. Close contests, postal ballots, recounts and differing state procedures mean final results could take days or even weeks. Media organisations may also project winners before official confirmation.