Americans vote in key midterm elections

Americans have begun voting in midterm elections after a campaign that exposed the country’s political divisions and called into question its commitment to a democratic future.

Democrats braced for a disappointing result, fearing that their grip on the U.S. House of Representatives may be slipping and their grip on the U.S. Senate has loosened.

The party’s incumbent governors in places like Wisconsin, Michigan and Nevada are also eyeing serious Republican challengers.

Returning to the White House on Monday night after wrapping up his final campaign, President Joe Biden said he thought Democrats would keep the Senate but acknowledged “a tougher House.”

Republicans are optimistic about its outlook, arguing that a message focused on the economy, fuel prices and crime will resonate with voters at a time of soaring inflation and escalating violence.

Ultimately, they believe, the outrage over the Supreme Court’s decision to remove women’s constitutional right to abortion has subsided, and the midterm elections have become a more traditional assessment of the president’s performance.

“This will be a referendum on this administration’s incompetence,” said Tom Emer, a Minnesota Republican who is trying to retake the House.

The outcome could have far-reaching implications for the final two years of a Biden presidency.

GOP control of even one House of Congress would leave Mr Biden vulnerable to investigations of his family and administration while defending his policy achievements, including a sweeping infrastructure measure and a major health care and social spending plan .

A confident Republican could also make raising the debt ceiling more difficult and limit additional support for Ukraine in the war with Russia.

If Republicans have a particularly strong election to win Democratic congressional seats in places like New Hampshire or Washington, Biden could face pressure to opt against re-election in 2024.

Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump may try to capitalize on Republican gains to formally launch another bid for the White House next week during a “very important announcement” in Florida.

The midterm elections have been a tumultuous time for the U.S., which this year emerged from the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic with serious economic challenges.

The Supreme Court also stripped the constitutional right to abortion, removing protections that had been in place for five years.

The country’s democratic future is in question in the first national election since the January 6 uprising.

Some of those involved in or near the deadly attack were expected to win elected positions on Tuesday, including seats in the House of Representatives.

Some Republican candidates for secretary of state, including Arizona, Nevada and Michigan, have rejected the results of the 2020 presidential election. If they win on Tuesday, they will manage future elections in states that are often crucial in presidential races.

Democrats acknowledged the downsides against them. With very few exceptions, the president’s party lost seats in his first midterm elections. The dynamic is especially complicated by the lag in Mr Biden’s approval, which has made many Democrats in the race reluctant to show up with him.

An October poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research showed that only 43 percent of U.S. adults said they approve of the way Biden is handling his job as president. In the same poll, only 25% said the country was heading in the right direction.

Still, allies of Mr. Biden have expressed hope that voters will reject Republicans who contribute to the extreme political environment.

“I think what we’re seeing now is a political party with a moral compass,” said Cedric Richmond, a former senior White House adviser to Biden who now works on the Democratic National Committee. “And one side wants to seize power.”