Americans Cast Ballots in Midterm Elections Shaping Control of Congress

Voters across the United States cast ballots on Tuesday in midterm elections to determine control of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

In Westchester County, New York, voting machines malfunctioned by rejecting paper ballots as polls opened, prompting officials to direct voters to use orange emergency ballot bags while state and local leaders pursued a court order for centralized tabulation. More than 57 million Americans cast ballots early through Monday, surpassing prior midterms in several closely watched states.

All 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats are contested, alongside 36 gubernatorial races. Republicans hold narrow majorities of 218 to 214 in the House and 53 to 47 in the Senate, while Democrats require a net gain of three House seats and four Senate seats to secure majorities. Voters identified rising living costs, gas prices, and the ongoing conflict in Iran as central concerns.

President Donald Trump told voters to treat the election as a referendum on his administration, while campaigning across states he won in 2024. Georgia officials reported separate ballot machine issues affecting approximately 1,000 early-voting ballots across two Fulton County locations due to paper jams and a power issue. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger stated he does not expect these technical problems to delay election results.