US midterm election results: Hope and despair - voters react

Votes are still being counted in the US, but Republicans appear poised to win a majority in the House.

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.

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.

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 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 undecided on who to vote for in the key Georgia Senate race. He was about to vote for the Republican governor, Brian Kemp, but ultimately voted for Raphael Warnock today.

I voted for 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 just felt that Warnock was more trustworthy. Trump's endorsement of 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.