"We have power to bring about the change we need": Barack, Michelle Obama issue final appeal ahead of US midterm elections

As US midterm elections get underway, Barack and Michelle Obama urged high voter turnout. Citizens are voting to determine control of Congress and shape the final two years of President Trump's term.

As high-stakes US midterm elections get underway on Tuesday (local time), former US President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama on Monday (local time) added their voices to a wave of prominent national appeals, urging citizens across the United States to make their voices heard at the ballot box. In messages posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the prominent political figures emphasised the critical importance of civic participation and grassroots mobilisation as polling stations opened across the nation.

"All across the country, I’ve heard from folks who are sick and tired of what they’re seeing from politicians right now. This Election Day, we have the power to vote for the candidates who will bring about the change we need," former US President Barack Obama stated. Echoing the sentiment, former First Lady Michelle Obama underscored the urgency of voter turnout and community engagement in shaping the nation's future trajectory.

"This Election Day, you have the power to change the direction of this country. But nothing’s going to change if you don’t vote," Michelle Obama said. Urging citizens to extend their efforts beyond individual voting, she added, "So I want you to reach out to everyone you know. Help your family members make a plan to vote. Drive your neighbours to the polls. Text your friends until they show you their 'I Voted' sticker. And if anybody gives you any attitude, tell them Michelle told you to vote! Your community, your state, and our entire country needs every single one of you to cast a ballot on November 3. We’re counting on you!"

Against this backdrop of intense voter mobilisation, Americans are casting ballots on Tuesday (local time) in crucial midterm elections that will decide whether US President Donald Trump maintains a Republican-controlled Congress for the final two years of his administration or faces a Democratic majority. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives, 35 of the 100 Senate seats and 36 governorships are being contested. Most opinion polls indicate that the outcomes could prove strongly unfavourable for the Republican Party.

Republicans enter Election Day holding both chambers of Congress by narrow margins. In the House of Representatives, Speaker Mike Johnson has 218 Republicans and one independent, Kevin Kiley of California, against 214 Democrats, with two seats remaining vacant. For Jeffries to have an opportunity to assume the speakership, Democrats require a net gain of three seats, taking their total to at least 218. The Senate is divided 53-47. Democrats require a net gain of four seats to make Chuck Schumer the majority leader, whereas Senate Majority Leader John Thune can lose three seats while retaining control through Vice President JD Vance's tie-breaking vote. Thirty-five Senate seats are on the ballot, with 22 currently held by Republicans.

Trump's next two years in office hinge entirely on which political party secures control of either or both chambers of Congress. Earlier, Trump characterised the midterms as a referendum on the first 20 months of his second administration, instructing citizens to cast their votes as though he himself were on the ballot.

For Trump, a Democratic-led House would mean investigations by committee chairs, alongside enhanced leverage for Democrats over federal appropriations, including funding allocated for the conflict involving Iran. Furthermore, a Democratic Senate would grant Schumer's party authority over the confirmation of judges and Cabinet nominees. For Democrats, the vulnerability lies in the Senate map, which includes states won by Trump, several of them by double-digit margins. Securing the House while failing to capture the Senate would leave Republicans in control of confirmations.

Polling stations in the first states close at 6 pm Eastern time. Results in tightly contested races, including Alaska's ranked-choice tabulation and California's protracted count, may take several days to finalise. (ANI)