U.S. voters go to poll on Tuesday

Millions of voters across the United States will Tuesday decide which party controls both houses of Congress, 40 governorships nationwide and the balance of power in almost all state legislatures.

All 435 seats in the House of Representative are on the ballot with 35 Senate seats in play.

Republicans and Democrats alike have brought out their heavy-hitters to make the closing arguments in a race seen as reshaping the direction of the country that could either embolden the Presidency of Donald Trump or provide a firm check on his agenda.

They call it the Trump factor – the President rallying his base at events in multiple states this past weekend. With polling consistently showing that the Republican Party’s grip on the House of Representatives is in jeopardy.

“We got to win Congress in all fairness. Because the Democrats won’t be doing that. The Democrats are going to be raising your taxes and not cutting your taxes. So, I have to put a little caveat. We’ve got to win Congress, got to win the House. I think we’re doing great in the house. I think we’re doing great in the Senate. But who knows, right? Who knows? You’ve got to get out to vote. But, I will say there is that electricity in the air the likes of which I and you have not seen since the 2016 election.”

Democrats have a 7-point advantage according to an NBC Wall Street Journal poll – with 50% of likely voters preferring a Democratic controlled Congress while 43% want Republicans in charge.

In the race for control of the Senate, Republicans appear to hold the advantage with many Democratic incumbents running in rural states that President Trump won handily in 2016.

Below are comments from two of the President’s supporters outside a rally in Georgia this weekend.

Billie Robinson says, “You know, Trump is the president of United States. He cares about us. He cares about Georgia. He cares about everyone in the United States. He’s the person that we needed. And that’s the person we voted for and hopefully, we’ll have him again for four more years after this term. And I think he’s doing a very good job to help the candidates in Georgia.”

While Ken Lambert says his President is delivering. “A lot of their effort is to demonize the other side and say, ‘Hey, you know you should be scared of them. You’re going to lose your rights. You’re going to not have jobs, or whatever the issues are,’ Quite frankly, recently it’s been the Republican Party that’s delivering as far as the economy taxes. They’re having open discussions about immigration.”

The opposition party is still hoping for the much-vaunted blue wave that could be curtailed by the enthusiasm President Trump enjoys among his core supporters. This has seen his predecessor Barack Obama stumping for candidates all over the country.

“You get to vote in what might be the most important election of our lifetimes, maybe more important than 2008, because America is at a crossroads right now. There is a contest of ideas going on right now, about who we are and what kind of country we are going to be. Healthcare for millions is on the ballot. A fair shake for working families is on the ballot. And most importantly the character of our nation is on the ballot.”

Democratic supporter Harris Silver in Los Angeles talks about the importance of this election.

“Well of course it matters, you have to participate in a democracy, it’s part of the process. Where I happen to live it is overridingly democratic so it won’t matter that much (if I don’t) vote. But if you live in a place where there is contention obviously people need to get out and they need to vote. What is happening in this country is a national nightmare.”

With early voting breaking records for midterm elections, far surpassing the numbers seen in a similar election in 2014. While the cost of this election is expected to exceed 5 billion dollars, overwhelmingly fueled by energy on the left.