US midterms: Americans have voted, and the fight for Congress is now in the count

Voting has ended in the United States midterm elections, and votes are now being counted in races that will decide which party controls Congress for the last two years of President Donald Trump's term.

All 435 seats in the House of Representatives, 35 Senate seats and 36 governorships were on the ballot on Tuesday, 3 November.

Before the vote, Republicans held 53 of the 100 Senate seats and a slim House majority, so Democrats needed a net gain of just three House seats to take over that chamber.

Control of Congress matters because it decides whether the president's plans pass easily or face a hostile majority that can block bills and open investigations.

Early exit polling reported by CBS News put Mr Trump's approval rating at about 38 per cent. In parts of Westchester County, New York, ballot scanners broke down, and state officials said every ballot would still be counted. Results are still coming in, and PauseandPonderTV will update this story once the outcome in each chamber is clear.