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US Politics

Americans vote in midterm elections that decide control of Congress

Democrats need a net gain of three House seats and four Senate seats, while Semafor says counting in Maine and Alaska could take days.

7 news outlets reported this
Liberal4 outletsA referendum on Trump's second termCenter1 outletLive election-night updates from key states and WashingtonConservative2 outletsTrump's record-low approval and a feared Democratic wave
Published 3 min read
Overview

Americans voted on Tuesday, Nov. 3, in elections that decide control of . The vote is seen as a on President Trump's second term. All 435 House seats and 35 seats are on the ballot, and Republicans now control both chambers.

Semafor reports that millions voted with relatively minor disruptions and that early turnout beat recent midterms. It adds that counting in Maine and Alaska could take days. DW reports a midterm record for in Texas.

The is deploying 1,000 federal election monitors, according to DW. DW says this raises questions about Washington's role in elections run by the states, while the administration says its goal is to ensure election laws are followed. Axios says the monitors and legal fights involving the administration have raised concerns about "potential disruptions and challenges to the results."

Axios also reports that the Justice Department has sent target letters in its Alaska Senate investigation. The Daily Mail says voters it spoke to name living costs, fuel prices and the Iran war as major issues.

Key figures
  • 1,000 federal election monitors the Justice Department is deploying, per DW — Deutsche Welle
  • More than 7.7 million Texans who voted early, per DW — Deutsche Welle
  • 36 percent Trump's approval in an average of polls, per the Daily Mail — Daily Mail
  • 55 percent registered voters who say Trump is hurting Republicans' chances, Daily Mail/Ipsos poll — Daily Mail
  • net gain of four Senate seats Democrats need, per Axios — Axios

Three sides of the story

Liberal4 outlets

A referendum on Trump's second term

Axios opens with voting under way and Trump's hold on Washington in question, since a Democratic win could bring a check on his power. It reports more than a dozen Justice Department target letters in the Alaska Senate probe and says the White House is circulating Election Day talking points. Axios says Trump told voters he is on the ballot "despite his dismal polling ratings."

It says the monitors and legal battles have raised concerns about "potential disruptions and challenges to the results." It also lays out scenarios from to a possible if Democrats win Congress. Semafor calls the vote a "verdict on Trump 2.0."

It says millions voted with relatively minor disruptions. It points to early-closing bellwether races in Indiana, Kentucky and Virginia as the first sign of whether a Democratic surge is coming. Counting in Maine and Alaska could take days, it adds.

The New York Times, under the title "Midterm Suspense," says voters are deciding who controls Congress and that the election is seen as a referendum on Trump's presidency.

Center1 outlet

Live election-night updates from key states and Washington

Deutsche Welle runs a live blog on election night. Its opening summary says voters are electing all 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats, Republicans control both chambers, and polls suggest Democrats have a good chance of taking the House while the Senate is tighter. Reporters file from Texas, Michigan and the White House.

In Texas, DW says more than 7.7 million people voted early and the Paxton-Talarico Senate race is "extremely close." In Michigan, it calls Abdul El-Sayed's race against Mike Rogers a test for the Democratic Party's direction. From the White House, DW says a Democratic House could make Trump what he calls a "veto president."

It reports Trump's statement on ending about $4 billion in yearly military aid to Israel. On the 1,000 federal election monitors, DW says the deployment raises questions about Washington's role in state-run elections, and it reports the administration's statement that the aim is to ensure election laws are followed. DW also quotes voters in Detroit and Texas on affordability and the economy.

Conservative2 outlets

Trump's record-low approval and a feared Democratic wave

The Daily Mail's main report is headlined "Trump's final midterm reckoning." It says over 100 million people will have voted by the end of Tuesday and that his approval hit "rock bottom." It cites a record-low 36 percent in an average of polls and says Democrats dream of a "blue tsunami."

The paper adds that other experts suggest the polls could be wrong. It walks through Senate battlegrounds including Michigan, Texas, Alaska, Maine and Ohio, and cites Kalshi odds of about 94 percent for a Democratic House and 77 percent for the Senate. A second piece, "Americans deliver brutal final verdict on Trump," reports its Daily Mail/Ipsos poll of 1,021 adults.

Among registered voters, 55 percent say Trump is hurting Republicans' chances and 63 percent are concerned that results could be tampered with.

All sources: 10 articles from 7 outlets

Liberal (4)

Center (3)

Conservative (3)

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Midterm elections

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Congress

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Ballot measure

A law or constitutional change that voters approve or reject directly at the polls, alongside the candidates. Names vary by state: proposition, initiative, referendum, amendment.

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Senate

The upper chamber of Congress: 100 senators, two per state, elected for six years. It confirms judges and ministers and approves treaties.

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A formal accusation against a top official, up to the president, voted by the House of Representatives. Only the Senate can then remove the official, with two-thirds of the votes.

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