US Elections: US to vote in midterm elections on Tuesday; Trump and Biden in last push ahead of midterm vote

The United States holds its midterm elections on Tuesday, two years after the country’s last presidential election.

Up for grabs are 35 of 100 seats in the Senate and all 435 seats in the House of Representatives.

Polls suggest Republicans are likely on track to secure a majority in the House, while Democrats and Republicans are in a close contest for the Senate.

Should the Republicans gain control of either, Democrat US President Joe Biden’s administration will then have to contend with a divided Congress.

Against this backdrop, the international community is keeping an eye on how the vote’s outcome will influence US diplomacy and national security policies.

The elections come as top House Republican Kevin McCarthy last month said Americans should not write a blank check for Ukraine.

Speculation is growing that Republicans will demand a reduction of support activities for Ukraine.

James Carafano is the Vice President of the conservative US think tank The Heritage Foundation.

He said he does not expect very significant changes in US national security or foreign policy should Republicans take control of the House of Representatives.

Carafano said he doesn’t think the outcome will dramatically reduce US support for Ukraine. He said many Republicans have actually argued that the problem with military aid is it hasn’t been fast or aggressive enough.

He suggested that if anything, Republicans may present arguments on providing a more effective and efficient method of assistance.

Meanwhile, today is the last full day of campaigning ahead of midterm elections in the US, with current President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump making a final push for votes in the divided country.

More than 41 million votes have already been cast in advance, during an election year that unfolded against a backdrop of economic turmoil, the elimination of federal abortion rights, and broad concerns about the future of democracy.

Biden is holding a rally in Maryland on Monday evening, a state where Democrats have one of their best opportunities to reclaim a Republican-held governor’s seat. The appearance is in line with Biden’s late-campaign strategy of sticking largely to Democratic strongholds rather than stumping in the more competitive territory, where control of Congress may ultimately be decided.

Campaigning in New York on Sunday, President Biden said Republicans were willing to condone last year’s mob attack at the Capitol and that, after the recent assault of Paul Pelosi, husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, some in that party made “light of it” or were “making excuses.”

Donald Trump who says he will ‘probably’ run for president in 2024 will hold his final rally of the campaign in the state of Ohio, as he prepares to announce another run for the White House. Ohio holds special meaning for Trump because it was one of the first places where he was able to prove his enduring power among Republican voters.

Monday’s focus will be ensuring that supporters either meet early voting deadlines or make plans to show up in person on Tuesday. The results will have a powerful impact on the final two years of Biden’s presidency, shaping policy on everything from government spending to military support for Ukraine.

In the first national election since the violent 6 January insurrection, the final days of the campaign focused on fundamental questions about the nation’s political values.