Midterm elections 2022: polls closing across the US

Justice Department expands live monitoring at polling locations

US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a Democrat rally in Washington, as President Joe Biden and their spouses Jill Biden and Doug Emhoff listen. Bloomberg

Bill Gates, chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, speaks at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Centre in Phoenix, Arizona. Former astronaut and Democratic candidate Mark Kelly defeated his Republican rival in Arizona's senate race. Reuters

Maricopa County recorder Stephen Richer, left, opens mail-in ballots at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Centre in Phoenix, Arizona. Ballots were being counted in Maricopa County three days after voters went to the polls for the midterm election in Arizona. AFP

Election workers open mail-in ballots at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Centre in Phoenix, Arizona. AFP

Staff scan ballots for the US midterm elections at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Centre in Phoenix, Arizona. Reuters

Election workers open mail-in ballots at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Centre in Phoenix, Arizona. AFP

In a divided America, a political campaign sign sits abandoned at the roadside in Phoenix, Arizona, two days after the midterms. AFP

Ballots are processed in Las Vegas. Getty Images

Election officials give a press conference in Maricopa County, Arizona, where ballots were still being counted two days after the midterms. AFP

Ballots are carried to be scanned in Philadelphia. Reuters

Mr Biden was all smiles during a news conference in the White House. Bloomberg

An election worker sorts ballots in Las Vegas. AFP

Election workers sort ballots at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Centre. AFP

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger holds a news conference in Atlanta. AP

Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso gets a hug on stage at his election night headquarters in Los Angeles. AP

Paul Riley, father of Josh Riley, bows his head as election results come in at his son's election party in Binghamton, New York. Josh Riley, the Democratic candidate, ran against Republican Marc Molinaro. AP

Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer speaks during election night in Detroit. AP

Supporters cheer during an election night event for Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Mr Fetterman defeated Republican Senate candidate Dr Mehmet Oz. AFP

Supporters watch news of a projected victory for Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania governor, Josh Shapiro, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Reuters

Republican J D Vance arrives with his wife Usha to declare victory in the Senatorial race in Columbus, Ohio. Reuters

New York Governor Kathy Hochul attends an event to celebrate her victory in the US midterm elections. Reuters

Representative Abigail Spanberger, of the Democratic party, speaks to supporters after her re-election, in Fredericksburg, Virginia. AP

Democrat Wes Moore, second from left, hugs his daughter, Mia, centre, as his mother, Joy Thomas Moore, left, son, Jamie, second from right, and wife, Dawn, look on, after he was declared the winner of the Maryland race for governor. AP

A supporter of Republican candidate Lee Zeldin reacts as media outlets predict results, in the race for governor, in favour of Democratic incumbent Kathy Hochul. AP

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt celebrates his re-election, at a Republican Party watch party in Oklahoma City. AP

Democratic candidate for governor of Georgia Stacey Abrams speaks during her 2022 US midterm elections night party in Atlanta, Georgia. Her rival Brian Kemp won. Reuters

A woman arrives before Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis speaks to supporters during an election night party in Tampa. AP

Voters wait in line at a polling station at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs in Austin, Texas. AP

A voter goes to cast their vote after filling out their ballot at a polling station inside The Shed arts centre in Manhattan. AP

A jogger runs past the Capitol Building in Washington. The US midterm elections are held every four years at the midpoint of each presidential term. EPA

Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis waves from the stage next to his wife Casey and children during his midterm elections party in Tampa. Reuters

A man in costume arrives for a Republican party 'Save America' rally before the US midterm elections, in Miami, Florida. AFP

US President Joe Biden, centre, poses for a selfie with supporters during a rally for Democratic candidates, including New York Governor Kathy Hochul, at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York. AFP

A man marks his ballot during early voting in Lansing, Michigan. Reuters

A child attends a rally held by US President Joe Biden with Democratic nominee for Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Senator Chris Van Hollen and other Maryland Democrats, at Bowie State University. Reuters

Supporters cheer during a rally for Democratic candidates at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York. AFP

State Representative Leslie Rossi poses by a giant cutout of former US President Donald Trump in front of the "Trump House", which she owns and created in 2016, in Youngstown, Pennsylvania. AFP

Republican candidate for US Senate for Arizona Blake Masters speaks at a rally in Queen Creek, Arizona. EPA

People in the crowd cheer during a campaign rally at Bowie State University in Maryland, which was attended President Joe Biden, the first lady, Jill Biden, Maryland Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wes Moore and Senator Chris Van Hollen. AP

Republican candidate for Arizona governor Kari Lake arrives for a campaign stop, in Phoenix. Reuters

Morgan Koetje and Nickolas Lentz from Reproductive Freedom for All, canvass a neighborhood in support of Proposal 3, a ballot measure that would codify the right to an abortion, one day before the midterm election in Dewitt, Michigan. Reuters

Republican candidate for US Senate Herschel Walker takes a picture with supporters in Kennesaw, Georgia during a "Unite Georgia Bus Stop" campaign rally on the eve of the midterm elections. AFP

Republican Senate candidate Val Demings speaks to supporters in Wilton Manors, Florida. AP

Senate hopeful Mehmet Oz addresses campaign rally in Pennsburg, Pennsylvania. AP

Former president Donald Trump speaks at a rally in support of the campaign of Ohio Senate candidate JD Vance, at Dayton International Airport. AP

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrive for the rally at Bowie State University, in Maryland. AP

Voters pass by a sign outside a polling site in Warwick, Rhode Island after casting their ballots on the last day of early voting before the midterm election. AP

Democratic candidate for Georgia governor Stacey Abrams speaks to volunteers during an election eve phone and text bank party in Atlanta. AP

US Vice President Kamala Harris, left, points to Los Angeles mayoral candidate Representative Karen Bass, after speaking at a rally in Los Angeles. AP

Follow the latest news on the US midterm elections 2022

A pivotal election that will decide which party will control the US Congress entered its final stages on Tuesday evening as polls began to close in eastern states, including the pivotal battleground states of Pennsylvania and Arizona.

Results of some close midterm election races may not be known for days, as election officials tally postal votes.

Voting generally went smoothly, though some sporadic chaos was reported, including in Arizona's Maricopa County, fuelling unsubstantiated claims of fraud from some Republicans.

Candidates who deny the validity of the 2020 election are on the ballot across the country, many for roles that will oversee future elections.

The election is being viewed as a litmus test for Joe Biden's presidency, with Republicans expected to make broad gains in both chambers of Congress.

Most eyes were on the so-called battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Nevada to see which party will win control.

In Arizona's Maricopa County problems were reported early on with vote-tabulating machines at many polling stations, an issue likely to further fuel mistrust in the electoral system.

“It’s obviously disappointing and yes, undoubtedly some people will exploit it for that purpose,” Maricopa County recorder Stephen Richer said.

Issues were reported in as many as 20 per cent of the county's polling locations and teams have been sent to try to fix the problem. Republicans filed an emergency request for voting hours to be extended.

At a polling station in Scottsdale, an affluent suburb of Phoenix, voters expressed dismay.

“Not a lot of confidence in their voting machines. In fact, I'd say zero confidence in their voting machines because there were more ballots being rejected by the machines than being accepted by the machines,” said Robert Moody.

Mr Moody was forced to put his ballot in a locked compartment within the tabulating machine for it to be hand counted later in the day.

In Washington, DC, a Democratic stronghold whose 700,000 residents are denied any representation in the US Congress because the nation's capital is not a state, voters nonetheless turned out to participate in local elections.

Voters said they were motivated by the US Supreme Court’s June decision to scrap the right to abortion and by fears for the electoral process if the Republicans win.

“It’s very important to me as a woman, as a woman of colour and all the things that affect minority women when it comes to women’s minority rights and reproductive health,” said Washington voter Kay McKay.

Democrats spent much of the summer rallying their base over the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade, but early outrage over the ruling faded in recent weeks, with more and more Americans saying they would vote on the economy and sky-high inflation.

Eyes on polling stations

With voting problems already widespread in Maricopa County, polling stations could become the next hotbed of political activity.

In anticipation, the Justice Department announced it would be expanding its in-person monitoring of polling places across the US to look out for potential voter intimidation tactics and civil-rights violations.

Although election results are expected to trickle in throughout the week, Democrats face slim odds at retaining their power in the House of Representatives and Senate, the two chambers that make up Congress.

Democrats spent much of the summer rallying their base on the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v Wade, but the economy and inflation are voters' most pressing concerns this year.

Republican voters have also ranked immigration as an “extremely important” concern.

If Republicans do win Congress then Kevin McCarthy, tipped to be the next House speaker, would face calls from his party to investigate and possibly impeach Department of Homeland Security Chief Alejandro Mayorkas for the White House's border policies.

Mr Biden said the final two years of his term would be “more difficult” with a Republican-controlled Congress, an understatement given the party's hostility towards his domestic agenda, the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and his son's potential tax crimes.

That could even spillover into future Ukraine funding. Although parties have been united in their support for Kyiv's defence against Russia, Mr McCarthy said there would no longer be a “blank check” for Ukraine if Republicans win the majority.

All of this would probably mean an ineffective final two years of Mr Biden's term before the 2024 presidential election.

Watch: Mehmet Oz faces backlash from Pennsylvania’s Armenian community