The midterm elections are in full swing in all 50 U.S. states, as the last polls opened in Hawaii at approximately 12:00 p.m. (U.S. Eastern Time, 7:00 p.m. Cyprus time), with millions of Americans heading to the polls to decide which party will control Congress during the final two years of Donald Trump’s presidency.
Trump’s Republican Party currently controls both chambers of Congress, with Democrats hoping to win enough seats to secure a majority in both. If the Democrats gain control of Congress, they will be able to more easily block Trump’s plans, and they will also be able to launch investigations into Trump and his associates.
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Donald Trump will be watching the election results tonight alongside close associates and members of his administration at a gathering in the East Room of the White House. Meanwhile, special task forces from the White House and the political organization MAGA, Inc.
According to his aides, Trump hopes the polls will be proven wrong, believing that his personal mobilization has boosted the Republicans’ chances. However, in private conversations, he has acknowledged that his party may be facing the worst-case scenario.
Earlier, the U.S. president celebrated the unofficial results showing a Republican victory in the race for Guam’s governorship.
Democrats Are Optimistic About Regaining Control of the House of Representatives
Leading Democratic officials are optimistic that their party will regain control of the House of Representatives tonight, and even securing a more comfortable majority than the slim one currently held by Republicans under House Speaker Mike Johnson.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, avoids predicting the outcome both publicly and in private discussions, though he estimates that his party will secure at least 218 seats, the number required for a majority.
However, two high-ranking Democratic sources told CNN that they believe it is possible to win 230 to 235 seats.
That was the last time the Democrats regained control of the House of Representatives during Donald Trump’s presidency, gaining 41 additional seats.
The six states in the spotlight
All eyes are on six states: Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Ohio, and Texas.
In all six, the races are considered too close to call, as both Republicans and Democrats have a chance of winning.
In the race for the Senate, a poll by The New York Times and the Siena Research Institute, released on Sunday, showed Democratic candidates leading in several key states. In Texas, James Talarico has 50%, compared to Ken Paxton’s 43%. In Maine, Troy Jackson leads Susan Collins 51% to 45%, while in Ohio, Sherrod Brown holds 49% to John Husted’s 44%. In Kansas, Adam Hamilton leads Roger Marshall 49% to 44%. Smaller margins are seen in Iowa, with 48% for Josh Turek and 47% for Ashley Hinson, and in Alaska, with 48% for Mary Peltola and 46% for Dan Sullivan. The polls reflect voting intentions rather than predicting the outcome, with margins of error that vary by state.
When are the first results expected?
The first results are expected to begin coming in around 6:00 p.m. (U.S. Eastern Time, 1:00 a.m. Cyprus time).
However, the time it takes for the picture to become clear will depend on how close the individual races turn out to be.
An hour earlier, the first results from the exit poll are expected, which will provide an initial picture of the issues that influenced voters’ choices.
However, the process differs from that of British elections, where exit polls attempt to predict the overall election result.
Problems reported so far
In Westchester County, New York, technical problems arose during the voting process, with local authorities assuring voters that all ballots will be counted.
Prominent allies of U.S. President Donald Trump (Donald Trump) cited the problem with the ballot scanners in Westchester County to promote conspiracy theories about the election being “stolen.”
Meanwhile, as Republican Congressman Mike Loller stated, ballots collected through the emergency voting procedure in Westchester County, New York, will be transported under police escort to be counted.
Meanwhile, in Florida, flooding forced election officials to relocate some polling places to other locations.
Meanwhile, a polling place in Leavenworth County, Kansas, ran out of ballots. The problem was caused by an administrative error by a county employee, as only 100 paper ballots were ordered for the polling station at the Lynnwood community center instead of 100,000, according to officials.
Bomb threats led to the evacuation of school buildings and a polling place in Ohio. In Pennsylvania, three polling stations in Chester County will remain open for an additional half hour. Meanwhile, in Texas, wait times are reaching two hours at some polling stations in Tarrant County.
Counties in Minnesota have banned federal observers, limiting oversight by the Department of Justice.
ICE warns
“If you vote illegally, we will find you. We will track you down, arrest you, and bring you to justice,” the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stated in a post on Platform X, against the backdrop of Trump’s “claims” of possible fraud. “You won’t be able to get away with it.”
Instances of election fraud, including voting by individuals who do not hold U.S. citizenship, are extremely rare. However, the Trump administration and the Department of Homeland Security insist that the phenomenon has become widespread.
With information from skai.gr / cnn.gr
