Americans are voting in midterm elections that could return control of Congress to Democrats, closing out the most expensive campaign in U.S. history.
Democrats' opening comes in part from an unusual wave of departures, with a record number of lawmakers stepping down this cycle.
The vote also arrives as President Donald Trump's popularity sits at an all-time low.
The outcome carries stakes abroad. Iran has used the midterms as part of a pressure campaign aimed at pushing Trump back to negotiations, and the results could signal whether the country returns to conflict with the United States and Israel.
On the eve of the vote, Iran reported explosions on Qeshm Island, a key launch point for its strikes, amid accounts of U.S. defensive strikes on Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz that have not been independently confirmed. Similar strikes have occurred several times in recent months, coinciding with stepped-up Iranian attacks on shipping in the strait.
