The Democrats have taken control of both houses of the US Congress in an extraordinary sweep of midterm results, leaving President Donald Trump humiliated and effectively a 'lame duck' leader for the remainder of his term.
These seismic elections carry profound implications not just for how America works, but for the rest of the world as well. Here is everything you need to know about the crucial votes and the results coming in.
What are the midterms?
Elections for the United States Congress occur every two years, and when they fall in the middle of a four-year presidential term, they are called the midterms. In these elections, Americans vote for members of the two houses of Congress: the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The House of Representatives consists of 435 voting members, where all bills (potential laws) are proposed. The Senate is made up of 100 members, two for each state, and is where decisions are made on bills, resolutions, amendments, motions, and nominations of key figures such as cabinet members.
Who has won in each house?
The Democrat Party has clearly won in both houses to take control of the US Congress. Although not all results are fully counted, with 367 of the 435 House seats counted so far, the Democrats hold an unassailable lead of 228 seats. In the Senate, the party has 54 of the 100 seats, with only two races yet to be called.
This means the Democrats control both houses, and the Republicans and President Trump have been roundly rejected by voters.
Key results across the states
This has been a historic set of elections, with several major results across the United States. In Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed became the first Muslim person elected to the US Senate, beating Republican rival Mike Rogers, who had received a last-minute endorsement from El-Sayed's Democratic primary rival, Haley Stevens.
In Maine, Republican senator Susan Collins, who had held her post for three decades, lost to Democrat Troy Jackson, a result that shows how far Republican popularity has fallen. Perhaps the biggest results of the night came in Texas, where Democrat James Talarico won a Senate seat and Gina Hinojosa was elected governor for the same party. These victories in one of the deepest red Republican states ended a generational period of Republican rule and underscored voter discontent with Trump and his party.
In other firsts, Democrat Chris Pappa became the first openly gay man elected to the Senate, while Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first black governor and the first woman elected in Georgia.
What does this mean for Donald Trump?
The President struck an unusually conciliatory tone when he spoke with CBS News after it became clear his party had lost control of both houses. He said: "My message is, congratulations to the Democrats, and I look forward to working with you for the good of our country."
In reality, for the remainder of his two years in the Oval Office, he is something of a 'lame duck'. The outcome is a powerful slap-down for a President who has angered voters over the war in Iran and its impact on the US economy and prices. Voters have sent a clear message to a President who promised to lower prices and take America out of expensive wars, but has done the opposite.
The loss of both houses means the President's legislative agenda has basically been stopped. However, he retains the power to veto laws proposed and agreed in Congress. In his call to Fox News, he suggested he will use this power, stating: "The power of veto is one of the stronger powers that a president has, and they'll send over things that are insane, and I'll veto them. And after a couple of months of vetoes, they'll call and they'll say, 'How do we get this stuff done?' And we'll work together."
