Voting begins in crucial US midterm elections

The 2022 US midterm elections began on Friday with North Carolina being the first state to send out mail ballots. These elections will determine all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and a third of the Senate, potentially altering President Donald Trump's Republican control of Congress. Democrats are favored to take the House, with a Cornell University forecasting model giving them an 80% chance of victory and projecting a 226-209 majority.

The Senate, however, is expected to be closer, with Republicans currently holding a 53-47 majority. Democrats would need to gain four seats, while some forecasters project a 50-50 chamber, where Republican vice-president JD Vance could cast tie-breaking votes. Trump, who will not appear on the ballot, is urging his supporters to vote, portraying the election as a referendum on his presidency.

However, Republicans are facing traditional midterm challenges such as low approval ratings, concerns over prices and the Iran war. The election occurs amid controversy over mail ballots, with Trump requesting the Supreme Court to permit the Postal Service to introduce new verification requirements that have been temporarily blocked by a federal judge.

Meanwhile, an agency whistleblower has expressed concerns that the hastily developed system could disrupt the delivery of ballots. North Carolina officials have stated that they will proceed with mail voting as planned. Other states have started distributing absentee ballots throughout September, with all states required to send ballots to military and overseas voters by mid-September.