US midterm elections begin as Democrats eye House victory

WASHINGTON: Millions of Americans are heading to the polls on Tuesday as the United States holds its midterm elections, with opinion polls suggesting that Democrats could gain control of the House of Representatives and pose a major political challenge to President Donald Trump’s administration.

The elections are being closely watched as voters decide the balance of power in Congress, with seven key Senate seats also expected to witness particularly competitive contests.

Facing the possibility of a Democratic victory, the Trump administration has reportedly prepared an alternative governing strategy that could allow the president to pursue major policy objectives without relying on congressional approval.

Trump has indicated that he would initially respond to a Democratic-controlled Congress by using his presidential veto powers. He described himself as potentially becoming “Mr. Veto”, adding that negotiations and agreements with Democrats could become possible later.

White House officials have reportedly been reviewing the legal framework for executive actions that could be taken without congressional approval. Potential areas of action include immigration, tariffs, housing and government spending.

The administration also suffered a setback ahead of polling day after the US Supreme Court rejected a request to stop the counting of disputed ballots in California. The Trump administration had alleged that some voters involved in the process were not US citizens.

Record early voting raises stakes

The elections have already witnessed unprecedented participation, with more than 51.3 million Americans casting their ballots through mail-in voting or in-person early voting before election day.

The figure surpasses the previous early-voting record set during the 2022 midterm elections. Democrats have held an overall advantage in early voting, although Republican participation has also increased in several important states.

According to the University of Florida’s Election Lab, if voter turnout matches the 2022 level, more than 100 million Americans could participate in this year’s elections.

North Carolina has recorded early votes from more than one million Democrats and approximately 679,000 Republicans. Texas has reported 7.6 million early voters, while South Carolina has recorded nearly one million.

Georgia has seen more than 2.8 million early votes, representing a 13 per cent increase compared with 2022. Early voting has also increased by around 30 per cent in Maine, Kansas and Michigan.

Data from 27 states shows Democrats accounting for 43.1 per cent of early voters, compared with 31.8 per cent for Republicans. Independent voters represent approximately 25 per cent.

Pennsylvania has shown an especially strong Democratic advantage, with Democrats accounting for 65 per cent of early voters, against 25 per cent for Republicans.

However, Republicans have maintained stronger early-voting participation in Florida and Michigan. In Florida, their advantage over Democrats stands at three percentage points, compared with 6.4 points in 2022.

With control of Congress at stake, Tuesday’s elections could reshape Trump’s legislative agenda and determine the political direction of Washington for the remainder of his presidency.