politics

First polls close in pivotal US midterm elections

First polls close in pivotal US midterm elections

With control of the US Congress on the line, results from Tuesday's races will have marked implications for the country.

After a full day of voting, the first polls have begun closing in the consequential US midterm elections.

Control of the US Congress is on the line, with all 435 House of Representatives seats and 35 of the Senate’s 100 seats up for grabs.

Democrats, who have campaigned on promises to combat the country’s rising cost of living and end the US-Israel war on Iran, are eyeing a return to power in the US House. The party is also optimistic it could recapture control of the US Senate from Republicans when all ballots are counted.

The first clues to how the midterms may affect each party will appear in the US state of Kentucky’s highly competitive sixth congressional district, where polls closed at 6pm ET (23:00 GMT).

In the conservative district, which includes the state’s second-largest city, Lexington, Democrats have invested heavily in the campaign of US Navy veteran Zach Dembo, who is running against a Trump-backed physician and former state lawmaker, Ralph Alvarado.

If Republicans hold the seat, it could signal how the party may perform in other races across the country.

Results from all of the day’s races will continue to come in throughout Tuesday evening. But some may not be known until Wednesday, or later, as more states finish voting and officials start releasing their vote counts.

Follow all the returns on Al Jazeera’s live results page.

  • midterm
  • poll
  • election
  • control
  • congress
  • line
  • result
  • race

Summaries and tags are generated automatically. Stay informed with VidiaNews.

Related news

Polls open on US east coast in pivotal midterm elections
politics

Polls open on US east coast in pivotal midterm elections

Polls opened on the US east coast on Tuesday in midterm elections that could upend Donald Trump’s presidency, with Democrats looking to seize control of Congress and significantly curb his executive powers. Multiple polls predict Democrats will take control of the House of Representatives and have a shot at seizing the Senate on the back of voter resentment at a deeply unpopular president, soaring energy costs and the dragging conflict with Iran.

Read →
US midterm elections 2026 live: Americans go to the polls in referendum on Trump’s agenda
politics

US midterm elections 2026 live: Americans go to the polls in referendum on Trump’s agenda

Polls open across the US where key Senate and House races will decide which party controls Congress for remainder of Donald Trump’s second term Sign up for the Breaking News US email What are the races to watch and why do they matter? Rachel Leingang, a Midwest political correspondent for Guardian US, has been in Iowa, getting a sense of the political mood ahead of the crcuial elections: Continue reading...

Read →