Americans Cast Ballots in Midterms That Will Shape Trump's Presidency

Americans are heading to the polls in elections that could change the second half of Donald Trump's presidency. Polls begin opening at 7am on the US east coast, which is 11pm Tuesday AEDT. They start to close from 6pm eastern time, with Texas and most midwest states closing at 9pm eastern and Alaska closing at midnight eastern. All seats in the US House of Representatives and a third of Senate seats are up for grabs.

Michigan Race And Early Voting

All eyes are on Michigan where Democrat progressive Abdul El-Sayed faces Republican Mike Rogers for a Senate seat. Democrat Haley Stevens stunned party officials by endorsing Rogers after calling on El-Sayed to condemn an outside group's ad. Donald Trump later invited Stevens to join the Republican Party during a rally in Iowa. Meanwhile, The New York Times reports that an estimated 50 million Americans have already cast ballots. Registered Democrats showed higher early vote shares in several states compared to 2024.

Court Ruling And Polls

Chief Judge James Boasberg ordered the Trump administration to stop demanding that California election officials set aside 20,000 ballots from people the Department of Justice flagged as potential noncitizens. Boasberg ruled that the lists were flawed and the Justice Department acted outside its legal authority. A Reuters/Ipsos poll showed Trump's approval rating near a record low. That same poll found 46 percent of registered voters picked Democrats and 38 percent picked Republicans in a generic ballot question, narrowing the Democrats' lead from 11 points down to 8 points. Additionally, President Donald Trump raised doubts about whether he would resume military strikes against Iran, stating a deal with Tehran could happen.

Context

Midterm elections in the United States take place halfway through a presidential term and traditionally serve as a referendum on the sitting president's performance. The results decide which political party controls the House and the Senate, which directly affects the administration's ability to pass laws. These congressional races are decided state by state through local districts rather than a single nationwide count.