US midterm voting under way for all 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats

Washington: Voting is under way in the United States today for the midterm elections. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 seats in the Senate are at stake. The real fight over who will dominate the House is between the Republican and Democratic parties.

The election comes at a time of anger among people, particularly young people, over the ongoing war with Iran, rising inflation and economic policies. President Donald Trump is not in the contest himself, but his standing is at stake. Several surveys point to a "blue wave", that is, a Democratic victory. Trump therefore put in his full strength until the last moment to secure wins for Republican candidates. When he felt the Republican Party was falling behind, he played the veto card.

Trump spoke about the veto before the election at a campaign rally in Kansas. According to him, even if the Democrats win a majority, he will become "Mr Veto" and not let them pass anti-people or arbitrary bills. Trump had said that after a month or two of continuous vetoes, the Democrats would understand and finally come to the negotiating table to reach a compromise. The eyes of the whole world are now on the verdict of the American public.

In Michigan, Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed has drawn 53 per cent support, against 42 per cent for Republican candidate Mike Rogers. If El-Sayed wins, he will be the first Muslim senator in the history of the United States.

The chance of the Democrats winning a House majority, that is 218 or more seats, is estimated at around 90 per cent. Several Senate seats are closely contested. Before the election, Trump's approval rating stood between 34 and 37 per cent, and 61 per cent of American citizens are unhappy with his way of working.

The shift in the balance of power will have a direct bearing on US foreign policy. If the Democrats come to power, the President's authority over diplomatic relations, tariffs and military action will not be fully ended. But congressional oversight of the administration, budgetary pressure and political challenges will increase considerably.