The opening rounds of ballot counting will determine control of both chambers of Congress amid widespread voter frustration with Washington leadership. Exit polling from CNN indicates that roughly 70 percent of voters believe lawmakers are failing to properly check the executive branch, with Republicans drawing sharper disapproval than Democrats. Meanwhile, the administration closely monitored early developments, with Vice President JD Vance taking to social media to highlight efforts against visa fraud and the protection of domestic wages.
Key points
Widespread voter dissatisfaction extends across both political parties, the Supreme Court…: Widespread voter dissatisfaction extends across both political parties, the Supreme Court, and congressional leadership.
Democrats maintain a narrow advantage over Republicans when it comes to public trust on e…: Democrats maintain a narrow advantage over Republicans when it comes to public trust on economic issues.
Administration leaders actively tracked early developments while publicly defending their…: Administration leaders actively tracked early developments while publicly defending their record on employment and foreign labor restrictions.
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The first polling stations in the 2026 US midterm elections closed at 6 pm (local time) on Tuesday in most parts of Indiana and Kentucky, marking the beginning of the vote-counting process in the high-stakes elections that will determine the balance of power in Congress.
As voting continued across the country, early findings from CNN's Voter Poll indicated widespread dissatisfaction with Washington, with voters expressing negative views of Congress, the Supreme Court and both major political parties.
ALSO READ | US Midterms: Three-quarters of US voters dissatisfied with country's direction, CBS News exit polls show
According to the survey, around seven in 10 voters said Congress was not doing enough to provide checks and balances on the presidency. The poll also found that negative opinions of Republicans were more pronounced than those of Democrats.
On the economy, Democrats held a slight advantage over Republicans in voter trust, a notable development given their disadvantage on the issue in previous election cycles. However, approximately one-fifth of voters said they trusted neither party to handle the…
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