Washington: Americans will vote on Tuesday in one of the most consequential elections in recent years, widely viewed as a referendum on President Donald Trump's leadership amid a prolonged war in Iran, rising inflation, trade disputes and deep social divisions.

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The midterm elections will determine whether Trump's Republican Party retains control of both chambers of the US Congress — the House of Representatives and the Senate — or whether Democrats, as opinion polls suggest, manage to take control of at least the House. A Democratic victory would significantly constrain Trump's ability to advance his agenda during the final two years of his second term.

The elections will see all 435 seats in the House of Representatives contested, along with 37 of the Senate's 100 seats.

Governorships are also being contested in 36 states. In Ohio, Indian-American Vivek Ramaswamy is facing Democratic nominee Amy Acton in a closely watched race.

Several Indian-American candidates are also seeking election to various public offices, ranging from governor to city council member. Democrat Nithya Raman, who was born in Kerala, is in a closely fought contest against her former boss, Karen Bass, for the post of mayor of Los Angeles, the second-largest city in the US.

Indian-American Democratic lawmakers Ro Khanna, Ami Bera, Pramila Jayapal and Suhas Subramanyam are seeking re-election to the House. Meanwhile, Pia Dandiya and Amish Shah are contesting competitive races in a bid to enter Congress for the first time.

The Republicans and Democrats made their final appeals to voters on Monday. Trump, however, chose an unusual venue — the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool — where he highlighted renovation work undertaken in the US capital rather than focusing on tax cuts, tariffs and border security, which have featured prominently in his campaign rallies.

According to the White House, Trump travelled to 20 states, mostly Republican strongholds, and addressed 30 rallies over the last 32 days. Analysts say his approval ratings have fallen to record lows, making him a potential liability for Republican candidates.

A Democratic takeover of Congress would pave the way for greater legislative scrutiny of Trump's administration and impose stronger checks on his actions, potentially limiting his ability to implement key policies. However, the President would retain the authority to govern through executive orders.

Trump acknowledged the possibility of losing Republican control of Congress but indicated that he would not allow such a setback to slow his administration.

"I guess I'll become Mr Veto," he told the New York Post's Pod Force One podcast, referring to his constitutional power to veto legislation passed by Congress.

Former US president Barack Obama campaigned for Democrats with rallies in Ohio, Michigan and Georgia. In Georgia, he described the election as the party's best opportunity to rein in Trump's administration.

"This election is our last, best chance of at least reining him in, reining in some of the foolishness of this administration," Obama said.

He also called the election a "circuit-breaker" in the political system, criticising Trump for focusing on renovations at the White House instead of issues affecting ordinary Americans.

The Democratic campaign, however, faced an unexpected setback on Sunday when Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens broke ranks with her party and endorsed Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers, who is contesting against Democrat Abdul El-Sayed.

The Democratic Party swiftly condemned Stevens' decision and rallied behind El-Sayed, who could become the first Muslim elected to the US Senate.

Stevens had lost the Senate primary to El-Sayed. She is a staunch supporter of Israel, while El-Sayed has been a vocal critic of the US ally.

Democrats are seeking to flip seven Senate seats — in Michigan, Maine, Ohio, Kansas, Texas, Iowa and Alaska — as they attempt to secure a majority in the chamber.

Each of the 50 US states elects two senators, who serve six-year terms. However, their terms are staggered, with roughly one-third of the Senate seats coming up for election every two years. Members of the House of Representatives, by contrast, serve two-year terms.

The midterm elections are also significant for Vice-President JD Vance, who is seeking to strengthen his position as a potential successor to Trump's political leadership.

Vance campaigned in New York and Ohio on Monday, where Republicans are fighting to retain House and Senate seats. He highlighted Trump's proposals to end taxes on tips and overtime pay, as well as his administration's border security measures, while describing Democrats as "lunatics" who held American voters in contempt.

According to USAFacts, around 210 million Americans are registered to vote. California has the highest number of registered voters at 23.2 million, followed by Texas with 17.4 million and Florida with 13.6 million. Together, the three states account for approximately 26 per cent of registered voters.

Wyoming has the fewest registered voters at 278,468, followed by Vermont with 459,455 and Alaska with 603,310.

More than 57 million ballots had been cast across 47 states and Washington DC as of Monday, according to the Associated Press. This compares with just under 44.5 million ballots cast across 49 states and Washington DC at the corresponding stage of the 2022 midterm elections.

PTI