By Sam Cabral
BBC News, Washington
Election nighttime successful America tin mean a agelong evening watching hundreds of results from each corners of the state determination in. Feeling overwhelmed? Here's however you tin absorption connected the moments that truly matter.
Republicans are banking connected voters' economical anxiousness and concerns implicit transgression to triumph backmost power of some the Senate and House of Representatives. If they do, they person vowed to propulsion a wrench into President Joe Biden's docket for the adjacent 2 years.
And that's conscionable the combat for power of Washington. Individual states are besides electing governors, picking the officials who tally their elections, and voting connected measures specified arsenic legalising cannabis, abolishing modern slavery, and abortion.
So wherever are immoderate of the astir contested races, and what are the biggest moments to ticker retired for?
The archetypal large infinitesimal of the nighttime whitethorn travel arsenic aboriginal arsenic aft polls adjacent successful Georgia astatine 19:00 EST (00:00 GMT).Democrat Senator Raphael Warnock is defending his spot from American shot fable Herschel Walker. If Mr Walker wins, Democrats person a pugnacious nighttime ahead.
Republican politician Brian Kemp is being challenged by Stacey Abrams, the achromatic pistillate credited with a drawstring of Democratic successes successful the authorities successful 2020. Former president Donald Trump has railed against Mr Kemp for astir 2 years, and if helium wins, it could beryllium a motion that immoderate Republicans are acceptable to determination connected from the Trump era.
Make definite to sneak a peek astir the aforesaid clip astatine Bernie Sanders' location authorities of Vermont - 1 of 5 states wherever voters could abolish modern-day slavery.
In Ohio and North Carolina, wherever polls volition adjacent astatine 19:30 EST (00:30 GMT), Democrats' expectations are debased but their Senate candidates person been amazingly competitive.
Polls inactive favour the 2 Republicans, JD Vance and Ted Budd, but lone by slim margins. Both men person been endorsed by Mr Trump, truthful if Democratic challengers Tim Ryan oregon Cheri Beasley win, it won't conscionable woody a superior stroke to Republican hopes of winning backmost the Senate - it could besides stunt the imaginable of a 2nd Trump tally for the White House successful 2024.
Winners are expected to beryllium announced rapidly successful 2 large races successful Florida erstwhile its polls adjacent astatine 20:00 EST (01:00 GMT). Governor Ron DeSantis and Senator Marco Rubio are poised for convincing victories and some are seen arsenic imaginable 2024 statesmanlike contenders.
But each eyes volition beryllium connected Pennsylvania, wherever Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz are locked successful a profoundly idiosyncratic combat for the Senate. Mr Fetterman is recovering from a life-threatening stroke, and the convincing pb helium erstwhile held implicit his personage hostile has evaporated.
Polls volition beryllium closing successful 15 different states, and Republicans volition beryllium watching New Hampshire. It's a authorities that Mr Trump mislaid doubly and that is presently represented successful Congress solely by Democrats, but rising costs are elevating 3 Trump-endorsed candidates for the House and Senate.
Meanwhile, voters successful Maryland and Missouri - and aboriginal successful Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota - volition see whether to legalise cannabis. If these 5 states o.k. the measure, recreational cannabis volition go ineligible successful astir fractional the country.
As the timepiece strikes 21:00 EST (02:00 GMT), polls adjacent successful Arizona, the crushed zero for 2020 predetermination conspiracies.
As galore arsenic 10 Republican candidates crossed the races present backmost Donald Trump's debunked assertion that Joe Biden stole the 2020 election. Chief among them is Kari Lake, who if elected arsenic politician could pb extremist changes to authorities voting laws up of the 2024 election.
Results volition besides travel successful for Democrat-dominated New York, wherever Republican Lee Zeldin is winning implicit voters by attacking Governor Kathy Hochul's grounds connected crime. And successful ultra-conservative Texas, Democrat Beto O'Rourke is mobilising voters frustrated with Republican policies and inaction connected weapon power successful an underdog run to oust Governor Greg Abbott. Wins for Mr Zeldin oregon Mr O'Rourke would beryllium colossal upsets.
Pay attraction to wherever voters successful Michigan - and successful California, Kentucky, Montana and Vermont - autumn connected ballot questions to support termination access. Voters, peculiarly women, are animated implicit the rollback of termination rights and whitethorn not autumn on the accustomed partisan lines.
Polls successful Nevada - wherever the cost-of-living situation is hurting Democrats - adjacent astatine 22:00 EST (03:00 GMT). Adam Laxalt, the Republican candidate, is well-placed to unseat Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto. A triumph for Mr Laxalt could beryllium the last nail successful the coffin for Democratic power of the Senate.
Now you're either heading to furniture oregon reaching for coffee. It volition instrumentality days for each the races to beryllium called, and adjacent the results connected the nighttime are lone projections, not last tallies. So don't hold up!