Six Things to Watch as US Voters Decide Control of Congress

Americans head to the polls on Tuesday in midterm elections that will decide control of Congress for the final two years of President Donald Trump's term — the first nationwide verdict on his presidency, delivered against voter frustrations over the cost of living and the U.S.-led war with Iran, Reuters reported in its Election Day watch list.

The math is the first thing to watch. Democrats need a net gain of four seats in both chambers to overturn Republicans' narrow majorities — 218-214 in the House and 53-47 in the Senate. They are widely expected to reclaim the House, Reuters reported, but the Senate battle remains highly competitive, and the scale of any gains will shape the president's ability to advance his agenda — or face investigations into his administration's ethics, immigration enforcement and the Iran war.

The early clues will come from the East. Results from Republican-held House seats in Florida and Virginia, among the first states to report, could signal the size of any Democratic gains, and turnout is its own contest: opinion polls heading into Election Day showed Democrats significantly more enthusiastic about voting than Republicans.

The count itself is the last thing to watch. Election officials have warned that close races could spark disputes over voter eligibility, ballot counting and certification, fed by long lines, machine malfunctions or challenges by partisan poll watchers. The Justice Department plans to deploy about 1,000 monitors nationwide on Election Day — roughly triple the number used in the last midterms — a move the department says protects the vote and some local officials worry could intimidate voters. New York City's part of the day runs 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, and anyone in line at 9 p.m. can still vote.