Washington—— As Americans head to the polls on Tuesday to vote in a series of historic midterm elections, control of Congress hangs in the balance that will determine how power is distributed for the remainder of President Trump’s term.
A strong turnout appears likely after months of polls suggesting voters’ frustration with cost-of-living issues could drive them to the polls. More than 59 million Americans have already voted early, according to the University of Florida Elections Laboratory.
The campaign featured unexpected gains for Democrats in red states, making the Senate race much tighter than expected. Whether that translates into losses for Republicans is likely to be a thorny question Tuesday night.
Polls show Democrats are expected to make significant gains in the U.S. House of Representatives and be in a strong position in swing Senate races, but analysts say any changes to the Senate majority are subject to change. Several gubernatorial seats are also open, and races are surprisingly close in some states, including Georgia, Kansas, Texas and Florida.
As polls begin to close, eyes will be on several bellwether House races, with one Kentucky district expected to be the first to provide clues as to how good the night might be for Democrats.
For weeks, the midterm elections seemed poised to provide a referendum on Trump’s second term and the state of the economy. Americans’ approval of the president has fallen to historic lows as they cite concerns about affordability, corruption and immigration as driving factors in voting.
On Monday and over the weekend, candidates made last-ditch efforts to convince voters.
Democrats, hoping to win over a “blue wave” electorate, have repeatedly hammered home their arguments about affordability, corruption and the damage caused by the Trump administration in an effort to sway non-Democratic voters.
“This election is a fight between the power that exists and the power that should exist,” Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico said at a rally Sunday night. “We stand with the rightful — teachers and nurses, farmers and ranchers, grandmothers facing eviction.”
Anticipating defeat in the House, Republicans focused on delivering dire warnings to voters about Democratic candidates, whom they described throughout the campaign as extreme, dangerous and, in some cases, a threat to the American way of life.
“This game is about defending our state and our country, but it’s also about defending our way of life,” the Texas lawyer said. Gen. Ken Paxton, the state’s Republican Senate candidate, said Sunday. “Texas has never been closer to disappearing. We’ve never been closer to losing everything we hold dear — our jobs, our livelihoods, our way of life.”
Justice Department election monitors fanned out at polling places across the country as voters cast their ballots on Tuesday. Thousands of volunteers across the country have also been mobilized to serve as poll workers, a backlash against the idea of potential federal election interference.
Trump posted a series of last-minute endorsements for Republican congressional candidates on social media and called on “Fox & Friends” for a final endorsement. Democratic candidates dropped ads at the last minute urging voters to go to the polls.
this article will be updated.