{
  "id": 18036420,
  "title": "Polls begin closing in US midterm elections to determine control of Congress",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/polls-begin-closing-in-us-midterm-elections-to-determine-control-of",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-03T23:13:25.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Recorder",
    "slug": "business-recorder",
    "url": "https://www.brecorder.com/news/40447237/polls-begin-closing-in-us-midterm-elections-to-determine-control-of-congress"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Polling stations across the United States closed on Tuesday evening, with millions of Americans casting their votes in midterm elections that could potentially shift control of Congress. Opinion polls indicated that Democrats were favored to win the House majority, while a handful of Senate races were crucial in determining whether the Democrats could take control of both chambers. The Senate battle was taking place in nearly ten closely contested races, most of which were in Republican strongholds.\n\nHistory did not favor President Donald Trump and his Republican Party, as they had lost congressional seats in all but two midterm elections since World War Two. Trump's approval rating was near its lowest in his career, with voters frustrated by the ongoing conflict with Iran, higher fuel prices, and wider affordability concerns.\n\nPresident Trump had urged supporters to \"pretend I'm on the ballot,\" a message Democrats gladly echoed. In televised remarks aimed at swaying voters dissatisfied with US support for Israel, Trump threatened to stop $3.8 billion in annual funding to Israel after the end of the year, though the manner of doing so was unclear given a 2020 law mandating the funding levels.\n\nProgressive Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, who would become the first Muslim US senator if elected, faced millions in opposition spending from Israel-linked groups over his criticisms of the US ally. Despite their efforts, Democrats emphasized that El-Sayed would be better equipped to address affordability issues, such as high gas prices and food costs. In Detroit's predominantly Black neighborhood, Natalia Towns expressed her skepticism about Republican candidate Mike Rogers's efforts to win over Black voters, stating that El-Sayed would be more effective in tackling cost concerns.\n\nWhile election issues like voting machine malfunctions were reported in various locations across the country, election experts stressed that these problems were usually isolated and did not significantly impact the overall results. Trump deployed 1,000 election monitors across all 50 states, a move that Democrats criticized as potential voter intimidation. However, in two-thirds of the jurisdictions listed by the US Justice Department, voters had supported Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris over Trump in the 2024 election, according to a Reuters analysis.",
  "summary": "DETROIT: The first polls closed on Tuesday evening after millions of Americans voted in midterm elections that could strip President Donald Trump’s Republicans of control of Congress, with Democrats favored in opinion polls to capture the House and a handful of Senate races set to determine whether they can seize both chambers. The battle for the Senate is unfolding across nearly 10 closely…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 9,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "No lame-duck lull for Trump as midterm defeat threatens to unleash a political storm",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/no-lame-duck-lull-for-trump-as-midterm-defeat-threatens-to-unleash-a",
        "published": "2026-11-03T23:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "Trump’s fate in balance as US midterm elections put House, Senate up for grabs",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/trumps-fate-in-balance-as-us-midterm-elections-put-house-senate-up",
        "published": "2026-11-03T23:00:59.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "First polls close in pivotal US midterm elections",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/first-polls-close-in-pivotal-us-midterm-elections",
        "published": "2026-11-03T23:03:42.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Guardian US",
        "title": "US midterm elections 2026 live updates: polls begin to close as voters decide direction of Congress for remainder of Trump’s term",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/us-midterm-elections-2026-live-updates-polls-begin-to-close-as-voters",
        "published": "2026-11-03T23:15:19.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Polls begin closing in midterms set to roil Trump’s presidency",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/polls-begin-closing-in-midterms-set-to-roil-trumps-presidency",
        "published": "2026-11-03T23:45:36.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Hill",
        "title": "Early exit polls: 38 percent approve of Trump, lower than past 4 presidents",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/early-exit-polls-38-percent-approve-of-trump-lower-than-past-4",
        "published": "2026-11-04T00:15:01.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times - World News",
        "title": "'Every question is a hit job': Trump comes down heavily on Fox News' midterm exit poll",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/every-question-is-a-hit-job-trump-comes-down-heavily-on-fox-news",
        "published": "2026-11-04T00:23:19.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CBS News",
        "title": "Polls close in 6 states as exit polls find Trump's approval rating at 38%",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/polls-close-in-6-states-as-exit-polls-find-trumps-approval-rating-at",
        "published": "2026-11-04T00:32:14.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}