Americans vote on Tuesday to decide Congress and pivotal state and local races. The result could curb Donald Trump's agenda and elevate several Indian American candidates.Image used for representational purposes onlyWashington,Nov 3, 2026 08:30 ISTAmericans will vote on Tuesday in an election widely seen as a referendum on President Donald Trump's second term, which has been marked by a prolonged war in Iran, rising inflation, trade disputes and deep social divisions, news agency Press Trust of India reported.The election will determine whether Trump's Republican Party retains control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, the two chambers of the US Congress.

Opinion polls suggest the Democratic Party could take control of at least the House, if not the Senate, for the final two years of Trump's term.All 435 seats in the House and 37 of the 100 Senate seats are at stake. Elections for governor are also being held in 36 states.Several Indian American candidates are contesting posts ranging from governor to city council member.

In Ohio, Indian American Vivek Ramaswamy is in a close contest with Democratic nominee Amy Acton for governor. Democrat Nithya Raman, who was born in Kerala, is contesting against her former boss Karen Bass for mayor of Los Angeles, the second-largest city in the US.Indian American lawmakers Ro Khanna, Ami Bera, Pramila Jayapal and Suhas Subramanyam are seeking re-election to the House.

Fellow Democrats Pia Dandiya and Amish Shah are contesting competitive races in their bids to enter Congress for the first time. Republicans and Democrats made their final appeals to voters on Monday.

Trump chose the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as an unusual campaign venue and focused on renovations carried out in the national capital instead of tax cuts, tariffs and border security, which have been central to his election rallies.According to the White House, Trump visited 20 states, mostly Republican strongholds, and addressed 30 rallies over the past 32 days, PTI reported. Analysts said his approval ratings were at an all-time low and that he had become a liability for Republican candidates.If Democrats take control of Congress, they will be able to intensify scrutiny of Trump's actions and restrict his ability to advance his agenda.

He will, however, retain the power to govern through executive orders for the next two years.Trump acknowledged that his powers could be restricted but indicated that he would not allow Congress to slow him down. "I guess I'll become Mr Veto," he told the New York Post's Pod Force One podcast when asked about Republicans potentially losing control of both chambers of Congress. He was referring to the president's power to veto measures passed by Congress.Former President Barack Obama campaigned for Democrats at rallies in Ohio, Michigan and Georgia. "This election is our last, best chance of at least reining him in, reining in some of the foolishness of this administration," Obama said in Georgia."It's the circuit-breaker in the system, and we need to flip it," he said, criticising Trump for focusing on White House renovations rather than issues affecting people.Democrats suffered an unexpected setback on Sunday when Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens crossed over to the Republican side and endorsed Mike Rogers, the Republican rival of Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed.

El-Sayed could become the first Muslim elected to the US Senate.The Democratic Party quickly rallied behind El-Sayed and issued statements condemning Stevens, who appeared in public with Rogers. Stevens had lost the Democratic Senate primary to El-Sayed.

She is a staunch supporter of Israel, while El-Sayed is a fierce critic of the US ally.Democrats hope to gain seven Senate seats in Michigan, Maine, Ohio, Kansas, Texas, Iowa and Alaska to secure a majority in the 100-member chamber. Each of the 50 states is represented by two senators, who serve six-year terms.

Senate seats are divided into three groups, with elections staggered every two years. House members serve two-year terms.The elections are also important for Vice-President J D Vance as he seeks to strengthen his credentials as a possible successor to Trump.

Vance campaigned in New York and Ohio on Monday, where Republicans were contesting House and Senate seats.Vance highlighted Trump's moves to end taxes on tips and overtime and secure the border. He also described Democrats as "lunatics" who had contempt for American voters.About 210 million Americans are registered to vote, according to USAFacts.

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 about 26 per cent of all registered voters.

Wyoming has 278,468 registered voters, Vermont 459,455 and Alaska 603,310, the lowest totals in the country.More than 57 million ballots had been cast across 47 states and Washington, DC, by Monday, according to the Associated Press. This compares with slightly fewer than 44.5 million ballots cast across 49 states and Washington, DC, at the same stage in 2022.The vote will decide control of Congress, shape the final two years of Trump's second term and determine several state and local contests involving Indian American candidates.With PTI Inputs- Ends