Election Day arrives after a surge in early voting, with observers keeping close watch at the polls

Voters head to the polls Tuesday to finish the midterm elections, which will decide whether Republicans keep control of Congress. Millions have already voted, and early turnout is running ahead of the last midterm cycle, with few reported problems. The calm contrasts with months of pressure from President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly claimed fraud and left open whether he will accept a loss, according to ABC News.

The administration's efforts have mostly stalled in court. On Monday night the U.S. Supreme Court refused to make California set aside thousands of ballots in the government's search for noncitizen voters, and weeks earlier it turned down Trump's bid to restrict mail voting through the Postal Service. The Justice Department had still planned its biggest Election Day monitoring operation, matched by an even larger Democratic effort, and had sued over certifying Alaska's results should its Senate race go to Democrats. The administration says armed federal agents will not guard polling sites.

Practical hurdles remain: flooding in parts of Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico, and Postal Service changes that have led officials to urge late absentee voters to use drop boxes or deliver ballots in person. Legal fights could continue into counting and certification.

Summarized by PolitiKool from ABC News’s reporting. Read the full story at ABC News →