United States: Millions of Americans cast ballots across several states in the US on Tuesday in a high-stakes midterm elections that is widely seen as a referendum on President Donald Trump.
The first polls opened at 5 am (ET) in the state of Vermont.
An hour later, polls opened across the states of Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey and Virginia.
At 6:30 am (ET), polls opened across the states of North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia.
Subsequently, polls opened across several states such as Floria, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri and Pennsylvania, among others.
Alaska and Hawaii were some of the last states to open polls for the midterms.
The first results are expected to trickle in from 5:00 am (IST) on Wednesday.
The results of this crucial election, in which more than 230 million Americans cast their ballots, will shape the final two years of Trump's second term at the helm of the United States.
All 435 seats in the House of Representatives, 35 of the 100 Senate seats and 36 governorships are being contested in the midterms.
Republicans currently hold both chambers by narrow margins. Historically, the party occupying the White House tends to lose seats in midterm elections.
In the House, the Republicans hold 218 seats as opposed to the 214 held by the Democrats. There are two vacant seats and one held by an Independent.
In the Senate, Republicans hold 53 whereas the Democrats hold 47. There are also two independent seats.
Democrats need a net gain of four seats in the 100-member Senate to win the majority, an uphill climb because many of the most competitive races are in historically red states. In the 435-member House, they need only three.
Opinion polls have indicated that Democrats could gain control of the House, although gaining control of the Senate is more important.
Democrats hold advantages over Republicans in nearly all of the seven key battleground states that will determine control of the US Senate, according to the latest set of pre-midterm election polls released by The New York Times and Siena University.
The polling highlights notable Democratic strength in traditional Republican territory. Surveys show Democratic candidates holding sizable leads in Texas, a state that has not sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1988, as well as Kansas, which last elected a Democratic senator in 1932.
The latest survey data also indicates Democratic candidates are leading in five states currently represented by Republican senators and are effectively tied in a sixth. Democratic contenders hold leads in Kansas, Maine, Ohio, and Texas, alongside a narrow edge in Alaska, while remaining effectively tied in Iowa.
As per recent polls from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, only 35 per cent of US adults approve of Trump's performance as president.
according to the most recent polling Most blame him for high prices as they struggle to afford gas and groceries.
Overall, about 7 in 10 say the country is heading in the wrong direction.
Most opinion polls say the rising cost of living is the biggest issue on people's mind this time.
Issues such as inflation, the economy, immigration, and healthcare are also likely to influence how Americans vote.
The war with Iran is also a key factor that can determine the results of midterms.
More than 57 million people had already cast ballots as of on Monday.
The turnout in early ballots surpassed the early vote during last midterms in many closely watched states.
The closure of polls vary across states, with Kentucky and Indiana set to close them at the earliest at 6 pm (ET) (4:30 am IST on Wednesday).
Alaska will be the last to close polls at 1 am (ET) (10:30 am IST) on Wednesday, as reported by Indian Express.
As reported by the BBC, first results could come in soon after 6 pm (ET) (4:30 am IST on Wednesday), with the results of many key seats being 'called' by prominent media houses.
However, the publication of the final result will take more time as the final results will have to take into consideration the postal ballots as well as possible legal challenges that may occur.
(With inputs from BBC, The Guardian, Indian Express, Al Jazeera, PTI, AP via PTI, ANI)