Americans are heading to the polls in the US midterm elections, widely seen as a referendum on Donald Trump's controversial second term in power. Several states considered Republican strongholds are predicted to flip to the Democrats, as Trump's grip on US politics is set to weaken dramatically.
Both the US Senate and the House of Representatives, which currently have Republican majorities, are up for grabs. The Democrats are ahead in a string of states like Texas and Kansas, which Trump won heavily in 2024 and where the party has not won in decades.
Election battlegrounds and key issues
Although Trump is not on the ballot, the public is expected to vote in line with anger over the cost of living and high energy prices fuelled by Trump's war in Iran, the Epstein Files, government corruption and anger over AI data centres.
Polls close at different times in each state, and each state counts its votes differently. Most states are expected to declare a result overnight, but some, like California and Alaska, could take days.
Poll closing times
Polls close at the following UK times, reflecting the latest time polls close anywhere in each state:
- 12:00 AM - Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia
- 12:30 AM - North Carolina, Ohio, West Virginia
- 1:00 AM - Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee
- 1:30 AM - Arkansas
- 2:00 AM - Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, Wyoming
- 3:00 AM - Montana, Nevada, Utah
- 4:00 AM - California, Idaho, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington
- 5:00 AM - Hawaii
- 6:00 AM - Alaska
The outcome of the election will determine control of both chambers of Congress, with the Democrats hoping to capitalise on voter discontent over economic pressures and other controversies during Trump's presidency.
