WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th November, 2018) The first polling stations have closed in the nationwide midterm congressional elections in the United States.
The US states of Indiana and Kentucky were the first to close as scheduled on Tuesday at 6 p.m. EST (2300 GMT).
US voters went to the thousands of polling stations around the country on Tuesday to cast ballots for 435 seats in the US House Representatives and one-third of the 100-member Senate. They also voted in statewide elections for offices such as governor as well as representatives in state legislatures, among other positions.
Polling stations across the United States are open for voters for 12 to 13 hours on Tuesday.
Most polling stations on the West Coast will close by 10:00 p.m. or 11:00 p.m. EST (0300-0400 GMT on Wednesday).
Although most US citizens cast their vote on November 6, millions have already done so through absentee ballots or in-person early voting. More than 30 million votes had already been cast by November 3, exceeding the total for the previous midterm election by some 3 million, the New York Times reported.
Republicans currently have majorities in both chambers of Congress, but polls show the Democrats are poised to capture the House of Representatives. Such a development would divide the US legislative branch and hinder President Donald Trump's policy agenda for the next two years.
Results of the midterms - called such because they are held at the midway point of a president's 4-year term - are also widely viewed as a symbolic referendum on the commander-in-chief's performance.
