Millions of Americans vote Tuesday in midterm elections that have been framed as a referendum on Donald Trump, ara.cat reported, with the outcome poised to define the last two years of his second term in the White House. Final polls point to a Democratic “blue wave,” though Democrats are staying cautious after surveys in past contests overpromised.
The stakes are concrete. Control of Congress is on the line, and Trump enters Election Day at a historic low in popularity: his approval rating was stuck around 31% in the days before voting, according to ara.cat.
Trump Courts Voters With $5,000 Checks and a Threat to Cut Israel Aid
In the closing stretch, the president made a series of last-minute appeals. He promised Americans a $5,000 check if his party wins, and announced that next year he would cut roughly $4 billion in annual economic aid to Israel — a move aimed at voters angered by the war in Iran, which many believe Trump entered at the urging of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, ara.cat reported.
Nearly 60 Million Ballots Cast Before Election Day
Early voting hit a historic level, with almost 60 million ballots cast in the days before Tuesday, inflating Democratic hopes. Democrats typically vote by mail or in person early, while Republicans lean toward Election Day voting — a pattern that leaves open the possibility of a late conservative surge, though none appeared to be materializing before polls closed, ara.cat reported.
The early-vote surge mirrors record turnout in the 2018 and 2022 midterms. The biggest mobilization is showing up in the states that will decide control of the Senate, where early ballots have already surpassed 2022 levels, according to a New York Times tally cited by ara.cat. In Texas, where Democrat James Talarico could make history, early voting rose 41% compared with 2022. In North Carolina, another critical Senate race, early voting was up 29% over the last midterms.
Alaska Senate Race Becomes Focus of Federal Pressure
The contest for Alaska’s Senate seat — one of the races that could determine the chamber’s majority — has become the main target of the president’s efforts to influence the election. A judge dismissed the Trump administration’s request to declare the result void if its candidate, Republican Dan Sullivan, does not win, ara.cat reported. The Justice Department, now led by Todd Blanche, a former Trump attorney, then sent letters on Election Day to Democratic Party members warning they could face federal investigations.
The dispute traces to a third candidate, Dan J. Sullivan, entering the race between Democrat Mary Peltola and Dan S. Sullivan. The New York Times reported, citing ara.cat, that the third Sullivan registered after Democrats encouraged him to run — a claim he and Peltola’s team deny. Republicans say the move was designed to confuse voters with the similar name and split the vote. If Peltola wins, the seat is likely headed for a long legal fight that could entangle a key prize in the battle for the Senate majority.
How Trump Might Absorb a Defeat
What makes these midterms unusual is that they reopen the question left unanswered after the 2024 presidential election: how will Trump handle losing? The Republican made clear in 2021 that when cornered, he responds with aggressive attacks — and this time he returns to the White House with far more power than in his first term, ara.cat reported. Projections of a Democratic wave and the erosion of his grip on his own base have left him facing the prospect of losing the congressional majority just as his final two years begin.
Questions Readers Are Asking About Tuesday’s Vote
What exactly are voters deciding? All 435 House seats and a third of the 100 Senate seats, plus governorships in several states. Control of either chamber determines whether Trump’s final two years face legislative checks or a friendly Congress.
Why is the Alaska race so contentious? A third candidate named Dan J. Sullivan entered the race between Mary Peltola and Dan S. Sullivan, and the Justice Department sent letters to Democrats warning of possible federal investigations after a judge rejected the administration’s bid to void the result if its candidate loses.
Did Trump really threaten to cut aid to Israel? Yes. ara.cat reported that he announced plans to cut about $4 billion in annual economic aid to Israel next year, alongside a promise of $5,000 checks to Americans if Republicans win.
Polls close across the country Tuesday evening, with the first results expected within hours; the Alaska Senate race in particular could remain unresolved for weeks if Peltola prevails and the threatened litigation materializes.
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