US midterm elections: Voting gets underway

Voting has begun in several states along the US East Coast in the country's midterm elections. Polling stations officially opened at 6:00 AM local time in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Maine and Kentucky.

Voting started an hour earlier in Vermont. Meanwhile, polling stations in North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia were scheduled to open at 6:30 AM local time.

As polling stations gradually open across the vast US territory, voter participation is expected to increase. Voters are electing candidates whose victories or defeats will determine the balance of power in the US Congress. They will also elect governors in several states.

The outcome of Tuesday's elections could have significant implications not only for domestic politics in the United States but also beyond its borders.

-MT