The balance of power in Congress will be decided by millions of Americans casting ballots on Tuesday.
There are open seats in the US House of Representatives, roughly one-third of the Senate, and important state governorships.
Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican former President Donald Trump each delivered closing speeches at opposing gatherings.
If Republicans win the House, as most predictions predict they will, Mr. Biden’s capacity to pass bills will be hindered.
Democrats presently hold a razor-thin majority in both chambers of Congress as well as the White House.
In the midterm elections, which take place halfway through a president’s four years in office, the party in power normally loses about two dozen seats on average.
Even though Joe Biden is not running for re-election on Tuesday, the midterm elections are frequently viewed as a test of a president’s ability to lead.
The greatest inflation in forty years, record illegal crossings at the US-Mexico border, and voter fears about crime have all hurt Vice President Biden’s reputation despite his accomplishments in lowering prescription medicine prices, expanding clean energy, and modernizing US infrastructure.
A political victory for Democrats on Tuesday would encourage whispers inside the party regarding Mr. Biden’s potential 2024 re-election bid. Mr. Biden turns 80 this month.
On Monday night, he traveled to Maryland to support Wes Moore, who is anticipated to become history by being the third black governor to be elected in the US.
Republican candidates for the midterm elections, more than half of them, have questioned the validity of the 2020 presidential election, following Mr. Trump’s baseless allegations of massive fraud.
On the night before the election, Mr. Trump and Republican Senate candidate JD Vance had a final rally in Ohio.
The former president, who has hinted at running for office again in 2024, said he would make a “very significant announcement” on November 15 at his Florida residence Mar-a-Lago.
To seize control of the evenly divided Senate, Mr. Trump’s party just has to gain one seat in the Senate and five seats in the House.
In the 435-seat House, nonpartisan election watchers predict that the Republicans will gain 15 to 25 seats.
However, most political predictions indicate that the election for the upper chamber of Congress could go either way and that it will likely come down to close contests in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, and Arizona.
Republicans have pledged to end the Democratic-led investigation into the Capitol riot last year and initiate investigations against the Biden administration if they take control of the House.
Kevin McCarthy, who would likely succeed Paul Ryan as the Republican House speaker and move up to second in line for the presidency, has refused to rule out the possibility of impeachment proceedings.
If Republicans take the Senate, Mr. Biden’s ability to nominate individuals to judicial or administrative positions for the ensuing two years will be significantly restricted.
The US Elections Project estimates that over 43.5 million early votes have already been cast.
However, if races are close, it can take days or weeks before the results of the midterm elections are known. This is because several states permit voters to submit their ballots on election day, and there might be recounts.
