Early voting hits record high

Outcome expected to become clear Wednesday afternoon

A banner encouraging voter participation is displayed as in-person voting opens for the US midterm elections Tuesday (local time). [Yonhap]
A banner encouraging voter participation is displayed as in-person voting opens for the US midterm elections Tuesday (local time). [Yonhap]

In-person voting opened Tuesday (local time) in the US midterm elections, widely seen as a referendum on President Donald Trump. As ballots are cast, analysts are watching whether the Democratic Party can reclaim at least one chamber of Congress — a shift that would reshape the country's political landscape.

Voting began in key Eastern states at 6 a.m. Tuesday (local time), or 8 p.m. Tuesday Korean Standard Time, and will roll westward through the day. Hawaii, the last state to open polls, is set to begin voting at 7 a.m. Tuesday local time (2 a.m. Wednesday Korean Standard Time).

The elections will fill all 435 House seats, 35 of the 100 Senate seats, and 36 governorships. Republicans currently hold 53 Senate seats to the Democrats' 47 — including Democrat-aligned independents — and 218 House seats to the Democrats' 213.

To win a House majority, Democrats need to gain at least five seats, reaching 218. To flip the Senate, they need a net four seats across the 35 races.

Early voting turnout surpassed 57 million as of Monday, setting an all-time record. That figure is more than 10 million higher than the 45.9 million who cast early ballots in the 2022 midterms.

Exit poll results will be released in stages, beginning at 5 p.m. Tuesday Eastern time (7 a.m. Wednesday Korean Standard Time), with initial data covering only voter concerns and other selected findings. Candidate-level results and projected winners will follow in sequence.

Polls are set to begin closing at 6 p.m. Tuesday Eastern time (8 a.m. Wednesday Korean Standard Time), starting with Indiana and eastern Kentucky.


20ki@heraldcorp.com