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Polling places have officially opened on the East Coast as of 7am on Tuesday, for an election that could see President Joe Biden‘s agenda effectively stymied by a Republican-controlled Congress for the next two years.
More than 40 million Americans have already cast their ballots early, suggesting an Election Day turnout that could approach record levels.Â
It’s surpassed the early voter turnout for 2018, the year of Democrats’ ‘blue wave’ and is the highest number for a midterm election since at least 1982.
Early Tuesday morning pictures show lines already wrapped around the block in places like Pennsylvania, where the heated Senate race between Democrat Lt. Governor John Fetterman and Republican celebrity physician Dr. Mehmet Oz could decide the fate of the Senate. More than 1.1 million Pennsylvanians cast early ballots in the close race.
A brief surge of momentum that Democrats experienced over the summer, following the Supreme Court’s reversal of federal abortion protections, seems to have dissipated as voters remain increasingly concerned about the state of the economy and rising crime levels.
The vast majority of pre-Election Day polls have shown Republicans experiencing a last-minute surge in enthusiasm driven by those issues.
RYDAL, PENNSYLVANIA: Images from all along America’s East show long lines of voters already waiting to cast their ballots on Election Day
RYDAL, PENNSYLVANIA: The election will see which party holds control of Congress for the latter half of President Biden’s term
NEW GLOUCESTER, MAINE: Republicans are expected to make a strong showing on Election Day, according to multiple polls
MIAMI, FLORIDA: There’s also several tight governor’s races across the country that could see MAGA Republicans leading more states
A Monday survey released by Politico/Morning Consult shows the economy and inflation at the top of nearly 8 in 10 voters’ minds.Â
It also shows that 70 percent of voters believe the United States is off on the wrong track – a dire sign for Democrats in an election that’s widely seen as a referendum on their stewardship of the country.
‘I think the expectation is that we pick up 40 seats at minimum’ in the House, a GOP aide told DailyMail.com on Tuesday morning.
‘Anything less than 40 seats is a bad night.’
As of now, Republicans are expected to hold 227 seats in the House after Election Day, compared to Democrats’ projected 174 seats.
It means that even if Democrats win all 34 toss-up races, they still would fall short of the 218 members needed for a majority.
In the Senate, currently split 50-50, Republicans are expected to flip three blue Seats in Georgia, Arizona and Nevada for a majority in the upper chamber that could bring Biden’s judicial and Cabinet confirmations to a grinding halt.
NORCROSS, GEORGIA: A person checks in to vote on November 8 after the Peach State already shattered its early voting records
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA:Â David Walchesky (L), judge of elections, and Evelyn Cain, majority inspector, prepare the ballot scanner at a polling place inside a private residents garage for the US midterm election
MIAMI, FLORIDA: One GOP aide told DailyMail.com that he would be surprised if Republicans didn’t pick up 40 seats in the HouseÂ
The slim majority this year could set the stage for even greater Republican control in 2024, the GOP aide told DailyMail.com.
They noted that Republicans are defending more seats than Democrats are this year, which will flip in the next election cycle.Â
‘If Republicans, you know, do really well in the Senate, have like 53 seats or whatever, it’s not out of the question that we can get to 60 senators in 2024 and win the presidency,’ the GOP aide said.
In Pennsylvania, photos show that Donald Trump-backed Republican Oz voted early on Tuesday morning alongside his wife.
Meanwhile heavy hitters from both party made their closing messages to voters on Monday night.
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz and his wife Lisa cast their votes at Bryn Athyn Borough Hall, Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania
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