民主党寄望在国会取得历史性胜利，这可能改变国家的发展轨迹。周二举行的关键中期选举，美国部分地区投票站已开放，众议院全部435个席位和参议院100个席位中的35个将进行角逐。
Democrats are eyeing historic gains in the US Congress that could change the trajectory of the country. Polls have opened in some parts of the United States for Tuesday’s pivotal midterm elections, with all 435 House of Representatives seats and 35 of the Senate’s 100 seats being contested.
投票时间由各州自行决定和设定。最先开放投票站的州包括佛蒙特州、新泽西州、弗吉尼亚州、康涅狄格州和肯塔基州，其他州也将很快开始当天的投票。
Voting hours are determined and set by each state. The first polls have opened in Vermont, New Jersey, Virginia, Connecticut and Kentucky, with other states set to start election day voting soon.
已有超过5700万美国人投下了提前选票，其中投票最踊跃的包括今年一些最大的政治战场州：佐治亚州、密歇根州、北卡罗来纳州、俄亥俄州和得克萨斯州。36个州的选民还将选举州长。
More than 57 million Americans have already cast early ballots, with some of the heaviest voting coming from some of this year’s biggest political battlegrounds: Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas. Voters in 36 states will also elect governors.
共和党目前在100个席位的参议院中占多数（53席）。民主党及与该党结盟的独立人士持有47席。共和党在众议院也拥有微弱的四席多数优势。
Republicans currently have a majority (53) in the 100-seat Senate. Democrats and independents who caucus with the party hold 47. Republicans also have a narrow four-seat majority in the House.
民主党以承诺解决国家生活成本危机、结束特朗普对伊朗的战争为竞选纲领。
Democrats have campaigned on promises to address the nation’s cost-of-living crisis and end Trump’s war on Iran.
他们寄望在参众两院取得历史性胜利，这最终可能改变美国总统任期最后两年的走向。然而，共和党希望能打破政治规律。
They are eyeing historic gains in both houses of Congress that could ultimately change the trajectory of the US president’s final two years in office. Republicans, however, are hoping to defy political gravity.
尽管特朗普的支持率接近历史低位，且历史上执政党在中期选举中往往遭受重大失利，但保守派和右倾候选人押注于其最忠诚的选民以及对进步政治的不信任，以帮助扭转民主党预期将取得的胜利。
Despite Trump’s near record-low approval ratings and a historical precedent for significant midterm losses by the sitting US president’s party, conservative and right-leaning candidates are banking on their most loyal voters and distrust of progressive politics to help turn the tide on Democrats’ expected gains.
周二的中期选举还发生在海莉·史蒂文斯于8月在密歇根州民主党参议员初选中落败后，于周日背书共和党人迈克·罗杰斯而非本党提名人阿卜杜勒·埃尔-赛义德的背景下。
Tuesday’s midterms also come on the back of Haley Stevens, who lost Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary in August, endorsing Republican Mike Rogers over her party’s nominee, Abdul El-Sayed, on Sunday.
