Voting begins in US midterm elections
All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 Senate seats are being contested; Republicans currently hold the majority in both chambers.
Voting in the US midterm elections began on 3 November in East Coast states and the central regions of the country.
All 435 seats in the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of Congress, and 35 Senate seats are being contested. The results of the vote determine the composition of both chambers of the next Congress.
According to figures as of mid-October, Republicans hold 53 seats in the Senate and Democrats 47. In the House of Representatives, Republicans hold 218 seats and Democrats 214, one independent member caucuses with the Republicans, and two seats are vacant. Democrats need a net gain of four seats to take control of each chamber.
In some states, early voting began as early as mid-September. Rules for registration, early voting and mail-in voting vary from state to state. Because the country spans several time zones, polling station opening and closing times also differ.
Midterm elections in the United States are held every four years, midway through a presidential term. Members of the House of Representatives are elected for two-year terms and senators for six-year terms, with about a third of the Senate renewed every two years. This year's elections fall midway through Donald Trump's second presidential term.
