BOKISSONTHRONE: US mid-terms: Battle for the Senate as polls open

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

US mid-terms: Battle for the Senate as polls open

Americans are voting in mid-term elections which will decide who controls the Senate and pave the way for the 2016 race for the White House. A sign marks the polling place for voters in Kennebunkport, Maine, on 3 November 2014

A sign marks the polling place for voters in Kennebunkport, Maine, on 3 November 2014

Virginia residents wait in line in the pre-dawn hours to vote in the 2014 US midterm elections in Vienna, Virginia, USA, on 4 November 2014

Polling booths opened in the eastern states at 06:00 local time (11:00 GMT).

The Republicans, who already control the House of Representatives, need to gain just six seats to take the Senate.

Meanwhile the Democrats are battling to stay ahead as President Barack Obama's approval ratings fall to the lowest they have been since he was elected.

Many analysts predict a Republican victory as Mr Obama's popularity rate has failed to climb much above 40%, despite recent improvements in the economy.

"This is a referendum on the president," Republican senator and potential 2016 presidential candidate Rand Paul told NBC's Meet the Press at the weekend.

But Democrats say their proven ability to rally their supporters ahead of elections could still give them the advantage.

"Grab everybody you know, get them out to vote, don't stay home, don't let somebody else choose your future for you," Mr Obama said during a campaign rally on Sunday.

Without the focus of a presidential campaign, the mid-terms - which are named because they fall in the middle of a presidential term - typically see a low voter turnout.

They also typically favour the party that is not in power.

Voters assess the options as they queue in Charlotte, North Carolina

President Barack Obama appeared in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 2 November 2014

President Barack Obama's unpopularity is seen as a drag on the Democrats

This year, a little over a third of the 100-seat Senate, all 435 members of the House of Representatives, 36 out of 50 state governors, and countless state and local offices are up for election.

The most closely watched action will be the races that will determine control of the Senate, the upper chamber of Congress.

The BBC's Jane O'Brien in Arlington, Virginia, says a lot of money has been invested in the tightly-fought races, with some estimates suggesting $200m (£125m) was spent alone in the month of October.

Everything is to play for and the country is holding its breath, she adds.