US midterm election results: Hope and despair - voters react

Votes are still being counted in the US, but Republicans appear on course to win a majority in the House of Representatives.

We asked voters who are watching the results to share their reactions. Some are hopeful, while others are preparing for what they believe is the worst possible outcome.

Jim Sullivan has been a "dedicated Republican" and is feeling hopeful for the Republicans to win these midterm races.

I'm feeling pretty good about Republicans winning the House. It looks like they're doing good - I'm happy to see. It'll be great to win the House and we'll have to see about the Senate. Some Democrats are doing better than I thought they would - like in Pennsylvania and Georgia. I was expecting for there to be bigger leads. It's a horse race, someone can win by a sliver at the end.

I think the Republicans can pick up the Senate, too, though. It would be a boost to win both chambers. This election is about President Joe Biden and about the Democrats' beliefs and policies that a lot of us feel are wrong. If Republicans do win the House and Senate that'll be the synergy and momentum needed for 2024.

Alex Heide was initially undecided on who to vote for in the key Georgia Senate race....

I voted for Raphael Warnock. I just felt that it was the better decision. I'm really hoping that the Democrats can maintain a majority or at least an even split. I felt Warnock was more trustworthy. Trump's endorsement of (Republican candidate Herschel) Walker really turned me off. I'm aligning more with the Democratic platform. I don't agree with Democrats on everything but I feel it's significantly more stable than the Republican platform. It's coming down tight here in the Georgia race. I'm a little stressed out about it. Earlier Warnock had a good lead and I felt relieved, but now it's tied back up. It's like a sinking feel in your stomach.

When I wake up in the morning [tomorrow] I'll know what changes we face in the next two years. If Republicans win, what does that mean for things that are important to me? Like immigration, the war in Ukraine... Lots of crazy things that can happen. I just feel uneasy and anxious about Republicans taking both the Senate and the House. I'm worried about changes it will create. It will lead to dysfunction, indecision and wasted time. That's one thing that I hate about a split federal government - having a Democratic president and Republican Congress. Literally nothing will get done if Republicans have both. We'll spend two years where we don't get things done.

Noah Slayter is an anti-abortion activist from Northern Virginia, attending college in Washington, DC.

I'm feeling great and very optimistic about the House - I think we'll have a strong pro-life, conservative majority. I'm very optimistic about the Senate, but it seems like Pennsylvania and Georgia could go one way or another.

We don't have the White House though, so this would really be just to curtail what Biden wants to do. He has said he wants to codify Roe [have a federal law granting a right to abortion] and for that reason alone I'd be happy to have the majority to prevent that from happening. Saying you want to codify Roe is an extremist statement. Having a majority might curtail the severe inflation we're seeing.

Nuha Nazy is an immigrant who says democracy, women's rights and gay rights are her top priorities.

I'm disappointed that it's close. I thought abortion would get more women out to vote. It's weird that the motivation isn't there - maybe part of it is that we live in California? It would be devastating if Republicans win both chambers - not as devastating as Hillary Clinton losing in 2016 though. It's weird to me that people don't seem to realise how important voting on democracy is. Congress has little impact on inflation.

Because I'm an immigrant, I've lived in places where democracy wasn't a thing. I wonder if Americans have gotten complacent protecting democracy. If women's rights aren't solidified, gay rights definitely are not safe.

Kathleen McClellan says she doesn't agree with the entire Republican platform, but says there are some non-negotiable issues for her. If Democrats were anti-abortion, she would consider voting for them.

I'd be very relieved and grateful if the GOP [Republicans] should win the House back. It would be an answer to my prayer. I'm especially happy that Mr JD Vance seems to have won in Ohio. If Republicans end up having the majority in Congress, I think that would be amazing and would hopefully set the nation back on the right track for our next presidential election.

At the end of the day it's what the GOP accomplishes if they should get a majority in the House. They've had that advantage before but wasted it through infighting and divisiveness. The Democrats seem to stick together. If the GOP just fight it doesn't matter if they have the majority or not. I hope this slows down extreme legislation and improves the economy. I'm not a diehard Republican, but I cannot in good conscience vote Democrat when I'm pro-life.

Zulfikar Jaffery served in the US military. His top issues are healthcare and reproductive rights.

I have been steeling myself for a big loss. I can't say that I'm surprised at all, but maybe Democrats can [still] pull it off. With so many election deniers winning positions of power, this is kind of a huge defeat for liberal democracy. This pushes us towards authoritarian governance with more of an illusion of democracy.

I'm a privileged cisgender, heterosexual male, but for others the ramifications of this will be lot starker. There was some hope and there still is - even after this election it's still my country. I fought for it. We're in a downward trajectory in terms of democracy and freedom.