Voter turnout surges in US midterm elections with control of Congress at stake – live

Why This Matters

Key context: <p>Key states like Florida, Georgia, Michigan and North Carolina see record turnout as Americans decide the direction of Congress for remainder of Trump’s term</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/nov/03/midterm-elections-full-results-senate-house-governor-races">Track live results from all 50 states</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/nov/02/what-are-midterm-elections">The key races to watch</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/nov/03/midterm-elections-polls-close-what-time">What time do the polls close?</a></p></li></ul><p>It has just gone past 06:30 in <strong>North Carolina</strong>, <strong>Ohio</strong> and <strong>West Virginia</strong> where polls have now opened.</p><p>Here are some of the key voter issues shaping the US midterm elections:</p><p><strong>The economy</strong>: Despite Trump’s 2024 campaign pledge to tackle affordability issues, the economy consistently ranks as voters’ top concern.</p><p><strong>Iran</strong>: Trump’s decision to go to war with the Tehran regime has exacerbated economic worries. Iran’s retaliatory decision to close the strait of Hormuz has driven up gasoline prices for US motorists. It also represents a breach of his pledge to end the US’s supposed addiction to “forever wars”.</p><p><strong>Immigration</strong>: Enforcement and closing the border remains a signature issue for Trump. He repeatedly boasts of the impact of his closure of the southern border as one of his biggest achievements, making comparisons with the performance of Joe Biden.</p><p><strong>AI and datacenters:</strong> AI has emerged as a key campaign issue, with surveys showing a majority of voters holding negative views on it, even as Trump champions its development and attempts to rename it “super intelligence”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/nov/03/midterm-elections-live-updates-voting">Continue reading...</a> This development from The Guardian highlights ongoing changes in the sector.