Agencies | Washangton:
Voting began early Tuesday in the United States midterm elections, with the first polling stations opening in Vermont, followed shortly by New Jersey, Virginia, Connecticut and parts of Kentucky and Indiana.
The US Department of Justice announced on Tuesday that it would deploy a record 1,000 election monitors across all 50 states to oversee the electoral process.
The elections will determine the composition of the next Congress, with all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the Senate’s 100 seats up for grabs. Voters in 36 states will also elect governors.
The contest is being closely watched as a potential turning point for President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda. A Democratic victory in either chamber of Congress could complicate the administration’s efforts to advance its legislative priorities and increase scrutiny of the President’s policies.
Around 58 million of the country’s 210 million registered voters had already cast their ballots through early in-person voting and mail-in ballots, reflecting substantial participation ahead of Election Day.
The first results are expected on Tuesday evening as polling stations begin closing at 23:00 GMT. However, the final outcome in closely contested races could take several days, depending on vote counting and the margin between candidates.
