Americans vote in high-stakes midterms as Supreme Court rejects late California ballot push

Americans are heading to the polls in elections that will shape the final two years of Donald Trump's presidency, with control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate on the line.

Voting Times And Races

Polls opened at 7 am on the US east coast on Tuesday, with closing times staggered across the country, starting at 6 pm eastern and ending with Alaska at midnight eastern. All seats in the House of Representatives and a third of Senate seats are up for grabs. In Texas, former teacher and seminarian James Talarico is running against Trump-endorsed state Attorney-General Ken Paxton. In Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola faces Republican incumbent Dan S. Sullivan and unaffiliated candidate Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., after a federal judge dismissed a Department of Justice lawsuit trying to block certification if Peltola wins. Meanwhile, Michigan's Senate race saw Democratic infighting after primary loser Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers instead of progressive Abdul El-Sayed.

Legal Battles And Turnout

Legal battles preceded election day, including the US Supreme Court rejecting a Republican administration push for California to set aside 20,000 mail ballots from people flagged as potential non-citizens. Chief Judge James Boasberg separately ordered the administration to stop demanding those ballots be separated, after local officials warned it could disenfranchise legal voters. Attorney General Todd Blanche urged the public on social media to report potential non-citizen voting and double voting. The New York Times reported that roughly 50 million Americans cast early ballots, with higher early turnout among registered Democrats in several states compared to 2024. Interviews with over 28,000 voters by the Times and Siena University showed economic anxiety, Trump's unpopularity, and individual candidate appeal were the main voter themes, while late polls showed Democratic Senate candidates leading in seven major battleground states.

Context

Midterm elections happen midway through a US presidential term and traditionally serve as a referendum on the sitting president's performance. The outcome of these races directly determines whether the ruling administration can easily pass its legislative agenda or faces gridlock from an opposition-controlled Congress.