• Analysis
US midterm elections: history favors the opposition as voters head to the polls
The US midterm elections reach voting day with the party holding the White House typically losing congressional seats - a pattern Democrats hope will let them rein in Donald Trump's power.
A pattern that favors the opposition
The us midterm elections arrive today with history pointing against the president's party: the party holding the White House typically loses congressional seats at midterm elections.
Democrats are hoping the president's nose-diving popularity can be exploited at the ballot box, and the contests are viewed as a chance for opponents to rein in Trump's power.
Races to watch
- •In New Hampshire, Republicans hoped to flip a Senate seat but now worry Trump may be dragging them down, as reported by Shrai Popat.
- •From Austin, David Smith reported that James Talarico is making an extraordinary bid to break the Texas Democrats' losing streak.
- •In Los Angeles, Lauren Gambino reported on Xavier Becerra's California race for governor.
- •In Detroit, Joseph Gedeon analyzed how Israel is at the heart of Haley Stevens's extraordinary reversal to back Abdul El-Sayed's Republican opponent in Michigan.
Voting and the courts
The run-up to the midterm voting day has not been free of legal wrangling. The US Department of Justice in California has charged six more people with alleged voter fraud crimes.
Separately, the supreme court ruled against attempts to force California election officials to segregate and not count ballots from people the justice department claims are non-citizens.
Polls are open today, and the midterm election results will show whether the historical seat-loss pattern holds for the party holding the White House.
