Voting began across the United States on Tuesday in midterm elections that will decide the entire House of Representatives, 34 of the Senate's 100 seats and 36 state governorships, Hürriyet reported. Roughly 210 million voters in all 50 states are choosing new members of Congress, with results expected between 2:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. Turkish time, according to the outlet.
The elections fall at the midpoint of President Donald Trump's term and will determine which party controls the House and Senate for the rest of it. As balloting continued, Trump made remarks about Iran and Israel that drew attention, Hürriyet reported.
Why it matters
The outcome will shape the balance of power in Washington for the second half of Trump's presidency. Every House seat is on the ballot, along with about a third of the Senate, giving voters a direct say over whether the president's party keeps its grip on Congress.
Control of Congress determines what legislation reaches the president's desk and what does not. With the chamber's makeup uncertain going into election day, the earliest returns from states that close their polls and begin counting sooner could offer the first concrete signals of how the night will unfold, according to Hürriyet's reporting.
Trump's comments on Iran and Israel
Speaking as voting got under way, Trump said he did not intend to kill people in Iran but would do so if forced, and said the United States had struck Iran "last night," Hürriyet reported.
On Israel, the president said Washington would no longer send money to the country and that he had reached an agreement with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to suspend a $4 billion payment until the end of the year. He said aid would be provided if requested, describing the US as the senior partner and Israel as the junior one.
Trump also said that if Americans grew tired of him he would go to Israel and become prime minister there, claiming 90 percent support in the country, according to Hürriyet.
Astronauts vote from orbit
Three NASA astronauts stationed on the International Space Station cast ballots electronically in the midterms, Hürriyet reported. Anil Menon, Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney sent their votes to their home voting districts from orbit.
Ballot scanner problems in New York
In New York's Westchester County, ballot scanners malfunctioned, preventing the machines at polling places from accepting paper ballots, according to Hürriyet. County officials said on X that the problem affected polling sites across the county.
The county said it wanted to assure every voter that their vote mattered, that ballots would be kept safe and that they would be counted, Hürriyet reported. Election officials were in constant contact with New York state authorities to resolve the issue, and voters were asked to follow poll workers' instructions and keep filling out paper ballots.
Races to watch
Polls opened in New York, where Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul faces Republican Bruce Blakeman of Long Island in a closely contested race, Hürriyet reported, citing BBC. New York City voters are also deciding on proposals that could strengthen Mayor Zohran Mamdani's housing agenda.
In Kentucky's Sixth Congressional District, Trump won by 15 points in 2024, but this year's House race is rated a toss-up by nonpartisan forecasters, according to the outlet. A win by Democrat Zach Dembo over Trump-backed Republican Dr. Ralph Alvarado could signal broader Democratic strength. In Indiana's traditionally conservative Fifth District, Republican Representative Victoria Spartz, who won by about 19 points in 2024, is seen as the favorite, though the margin appears to be narrowing; a victory by Democratic State Senator J.D. Ford could point to wider Democratic gains.
Republican state legislators redrew many congressional districts to favor their party, yet analysts say most of those races remain competitive, Hürriyet reported. Democratic wins in the Seventh, Ninth, 14th, 22nd or 25th districts could bode well elsewhere, while Republican victories there would suggest the redrawing blunted a Democratic wave in a difficult year.
Analysts see Republicans as favorites in Florida's Senate and gubernatorial races, but Democrats have recently expressed optimism about the governor's race, where Democrat David Jolly is challenging Republican Representative Byron Donalds, according to the outlet. Significant shifts in Hispanic and Black voter behavior in South Florida, like Democrat James Talarico's Senate race in Texas, may indicate how Democrats perform elsewhere.
What to watch
Attention now turns to the first states to close their polls and report results, which are expected to offer the earliest indications of the night's direction ahead of the full count.
