Trump approval, cost of living and democracy top voter concerns as midterms conclude, AP poll finds

Americans headed into the final hours of voting in Tuesday's midterm elections with deep discontent on display. Roughly 6 in 10 voters strongly disapprove of President Donald Trump's handling of the job, according to an AP Voter Poll released Tuesday, and about three-quarters say they feel "angry" or "dissatisfied" with the direction of the country.

The economy ranked as the most important issue for about 4 in 10 voters, while 3 in 10 named the state of US democracy, a figure well above those who picked crime, healthcare or immigration. Most voters appear to hold the Trump administration responsible for the high cost of living, with around 6 in 10 saying elevated prices are "more because of Trump's policies" than factors beyond his control. About 70% of voters also said they want Congress to impose more checks and balances on his presidency.

Democrats are seeking majorities in both the House and the Senate that would let them rein in a president who has faced little resistance from compliant Republican majorities in both chambers. Several key governors' offices are also being contested. More than 59 million Americans had already cast ballots before Tuesday, and government watchdog groups have voiced concern that Trump and his allies could try to interfere with the vote. Democrats and nonpartisan groups have trained tens of thousands of volunteers to monitor polling places.

History is not on the president's side. The party holding the White House has lost congressional seats in nearly every modern midterm, and since World War II the House and Senate have flipped together only three times: 1946, 1994 and 2006. The common thread in those years was an electorate demanding change. Democrats are hopeful, pointing to Trump's weak approval ratings and voter anxiety over the war with Iran and rising prices for gas and everyday goods. Trump is counting on the white working-class base that powered his 2016 and 2024 victories, though there were signs that Hispanic, Black and younger voters who swung toward him two years ago may now move against his party.

Strategists in both parties believe Democrats are positioned to win the House, where Republicans opened the current Congress with a narrow 220-215 edge. Democrats are targeting more than 60 districts, including some Trump carried by double digits, though redistricting and the urban-rural partisan divide have reduced the number of competitive seats compared with 2018, when Democrats gained 40. Early signals could come from Pennsylvania's 1st District, where Republican Brian Fitzpatrick is defending a suburban Philadelphia seat; Florida's redrawn 22nd and 25th Districts; Virginia's 2nd District rematch between Republican Jen Kiggans and Democrat Elaine Luria; and Virginia's 1st District, where prosecutor Shannon Taylor is challenging Republican Rob Wittman.

The Senate is also in play. Republicans hold a 53-47 advantage, and the four seats Democrats need to net would have to come in states Trump won, with Ohio, Iowa, Kansas, Texas and Alaska among their targets. Early East Coast results may offer clues: Democrat Roy Cooper is favored to flip an open North Carolina seat and Senator Jon Ossoff is expected to win reelection in Georgia. If either race falls short or finishes razor-thin, it could point to a stronger Republican night than forecast.

Concerns about federal interference have shadowed the vote. In Alaska, the administration hinted at intervention after a judge rejected a Justice Department lawsuit seeking to block certification of the Senate race should Republican Senator Dan Sullivan lose, a situation Trump called "voter fraud at the highest level." The administration also failed in an attempt to stop California from counting 20,000 ballots from people the federal government labeled "likely" noncitizens. The Justice Department is sending about 1,000 staff to observe voting, and while officials say there are no current plans to deploy immigration agents or the National Guard, Democratic leaders spent weeks gaming out more than 150 interference scenarios in a self-described "War Room."

The results will also shape an internal Democratic fight over party identity. In Michigan, progressive Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed faces Republican Mike Rogers, while in Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is defending an open Democratic seat against Republican Michele Tafoya. Progressive victories would strengthen that wing's hand, while losses could trigger recriminations. Sweeping wins across the board, meanwhile, would do little to settle the ideological debate and would all but guarantee a wide-open contest for the party's next presidential nomination.

The election is being fought on maps reshaped by an extraordinary round of redistricting. Trump set off tit-for-tat moves last year by pushing Texas to redraw its congressional boundaries, and California Governor Gavin Newsom answered by winning voter approval to respond in kind. In a setback for voting rights advocates, the Supreme Court also struck down part of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, letting several Southern states dismantle districts that had been majority or near-majority Black. On paper the changes amount to a net shift of nine seats toward Republicans, but the strategy spread conservative voters across more districts and banked on continued support from Latinos and other nonwhite voters who backed Trump in 2024, support that may not materialize this time.