Control of Congress hangs in the balance as midterm votes are counted

Americans voted in high-stakes midterm elections that will determine control of Congress and shape the second half of President Donald Trump's term, and as counting continued on Wednesday the balance of power in both chambers remained in play, hinging on a handful of tightly contested races.

All 435 seats in the House of Representatives were on the ballot, along with 35 seats in the Senate and 39 governorships, in the first nationwide test of public opinion since Trump returned to the White House. The campaign unfolded against a backdrop of concern over the cost of living, immigration and the president's sweeping use of executive power.

Democrats entered election day with momentum, having led on the generic ballot in pre-election polling, and sought to capitalise on discontent to retake the House, which would give them the power to check the administration and launch investigations. Republicans fought to defend their majorities and to frame the election as a referendum in the president's favour.

The contest was also marked by an unusual round of mid-decade redistricting in several states, which redrew the battle lines in the fight for the House and prompted legal challenges. A number of Senate and governor races in battleground states were seen as too close to call as the first results came in.

With votes still being tallied, party leaders urged patience, and the full picture of which party would control each chamber was not expected to be clear until more returns were counted. Whatever the outcome, the results will set the terms of governing in Washington for the next two years.