🔻Voting is underway across the United States; what you need to know about the midterm election

🔻Voting is underway across the United States; what you need to know about the midterm election

🔻Voting has begun in all states of the United States. Hawaii was the last state whose polling stations opened, around 17:00 Greenwich Mean Time. The midterm election, which is usually seen as a kind of referendum on the performance of the ruling party, is now underway across the country.

◾All polling stations are open Polling stations opened gradually throughout the day, from east to west in the United States. This process began at 5:00 a.m. local time in the state of Vermont and was completed when polling stations opened in Hawaii.

◾Key states The election contests in six states—Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Ohio, and Texas—are of particular importance. According to election assessments, the races in these states are extremely close, and either the Republican or Democratic Party could win.

◾When will results be known? The first results are expected to be released starting around 23:00 Greenwich Mean Time (2:30 a.m. on Wednesday local time in Tehran). However, the time when the final results become clear depends on how close the races are. About an hour before the first results are released, findings from exit polls of voters will be published, which could provide an important first sign of the factors influencing their decisions on election day.

Of course, this poll is different from the polling at the ballot box in the UK, and it is not meant to predict the overall outcome of the election.

◾Disruptions and problems on election day In Westchester County in the state of New York, technical issues have been reported, but election officials have assured that all votes will be counted.

Also, flooding in parts of Florida has caused the location of some polling stations to change.

Live coverage of developments in the U.S. midterm election will continue in the coming hours and throughout the night.