US midterm voting begins, with control of Congress at stake in Trump's last two years in office

Voting is under way in the United States midterm elections. Millions of citizens are casting ballots to decide who will control Congress for the last two years of Donald Trump's term as President.

Midterm elections are held halfway through a term, so every President has to face voters twice.

The election matters for Trump because, since taking office, he has set off turmoil in American and world politics. He has been criticised for decisions that, at times, put the US in difficulty. Only two years of his term remain, and after that he can never again become President.

Rising prices are Americans' biggest worry. Citizens have not liked the aggressive tariffs Trump imposed or the ongoing war with Iran, and food and fuel prices have soared. Trump's popularity has fallen over the past few months. He campaigned hard, addressing a dozen rallies across the country, but rising prices remain a concern for voters of all parties.

The election is being described as extremely important for Trump. It is said that if he loses, considerable restrictions could be placed on him, and that if matters worsen further he could even have to leave office.

The US legislature is called Congress and has two chambers. The first is the House of Representatives, with 435 members. Its term is just two years, and each state gets seats according to its population. The House plays an important role in the budget and economic bills.

The second chamber is the Senate, with 100 members. Each state elects two senators, and each member serves a six-year term. About a third of the seats go to election every two years. The Senate has the power to approve the President's key appointments and international agreements.

On the impact on the world, it is being said that Trump's path ahead matters as much to the world as to the US. Before the election he had given slogans such as "No war again" and "Make America Great Again" (Maga). Critics say the opposite happened. Trump launched a tariff war, took over Venezuela, expressed a desire to take Greenland and began a war on Iran. Critics also say he broke the rules of war, hung a sword over world trade, and that many innocent people lost their lives because of his decisions.

His supporters in the US may be pleased, or some decisions may be for America's good, but the world has received only disappointment, critics say. The US holds sway over world politics and the global economy, so its decisions affect other countries.