Americans went to the polls in midterm elections that will decide whether Republicans keep control of both the House and the Senate, a contest widely cast as a verdict on President Donald Trump's second term.
The ballot reaches well beyond Congress. Voters are also choosing governors in 36 states and settling control of state legislatures, sheriff races and ballot measures.
Opinion surveys suggest Democrats are well placed to win the House, where 218 seats make a majority. The Senate is a harder climb, though Democrats have targeted Republican-held seats in Ohio, Texas and Maine.
A final round of battleground polling released Sunday put Democratic candidates ahead in five of seven key contests. Those included Texas and Kansas, which have not sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1988 and 1932, respectively.
History works against Trump's party, since the side holding the White House typically loses congressional seats in midterms. Polls show his approval at record lows of 33 to 37 percent, yet he staged several dozen rallies and urged his base to vote as if his own name were on the ballot.
His final public campaign stop on Monday dwelled mostly on his troubled renovation of the Reflecting Pool in Washington. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer dismissed the appearance as a pathetic closing message.
This is the last day before the midterm elections, the most important midterm I believe in our lifetime,
Donald Trump, U.S. president
Late turmoil for Democrats
Democrats faced their own last-minute drama in Michigan, a state seen as pivotal to Senate control. Rep. Haley Stevens, who lost the Democratic Senate primary to Abdul El-Sayed, endorsed Republican Mike Rogers on Sunday, a move Schumer called a despicable betrayal.
Stevens' endorsement followed a feud with the El-Sayed campaign over an outside group's ad that blamed the high cost of living on U.S. support for Israel.
In Alaska, Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola denied knowing of any effort by her campaign to recruit a challenger with nearly the same name as Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. Before that allegation surfaced, the Justice Department sued to block certification of the state's Senate results if the Republican lost, citing voter confusion; a judge dismissed the suit.
Federal monitors and cost of living
The Justice Department, led by Attorney General Todd Blanche, plans to send a record 1,000 election monitors to polling places nationwide. Critics call the deployment voter intimidation, and opponents say the department's cases, including baseless claims of mass voting by noncitizens, aim to cast doubt on the election and raise questions about whether Trump will accept a loss.
Democrats have centered their pitch on affordability, alleged corruption and the war with Iran, which Trump launched in February alongside Israel. The conflict has pushed up global oil prices, raising costs for gasoline and diesel.
I’m tired of watching elected officials cater to people like Elon Musk.
Troy Jackson, Maine Democratic Senate candidate
Disclosures to the U.S. Office of Government Ethics show Trump has made about $2.2 billion since returning to the White House, including royalties from his meme coin. A recent Harris poll found 76 percent of voters believe elected officials care more about enriching themselves than helping ordinary people.
When the answer may come
Results may take time. If the House is close, control could hinge on California's days-long mail ballot count, and Republicans could be helped by redrawn district lines in Texas, Florida and North Carolina.
